[Grungerock]

Originally Posted by joejoe318

i m a local man
i think discrimination should be needed everywhere
particulary in developed country
it is one of the importrant elements for the properity of hk

hope more people reply

In this case I think you should not hang around in this forum. Get yourself hang around with those narrow minded racist people.

[Grungerock]

Originally Posted by rausch

I agree with max, if hk wants to become the world-class-city it wants to be, then some attitudes are better left aside.
On one side claiming more attention and on the other side discriminationg people is no way to go.
I also would like to say that my opinion does not go to all Chinese people but to the ones with prejudices.
I also have noticed that many simple, down-to-earth people are not so judging as those poshy-wanna-be-troops that pretend to know the world but in fact know nothing but discriminating others.
I just wanted to get rid of that, because I have noticed that HK is VERY materialistic minded and that far too much wannabes try too hard but fail.
One message : don't try too hard cause you're only going one way : failure

Think of this way, how is Hong Kong can be a world-class city when a large "proportion" of HK discriminate against outsider as well as mainlander. Their society as well as their kids are taught to think that way since they were young. Plus I don't forsee much forseable change in the discrimination law, as afterall who runs the legal system? It's the same people after all @@

On the other side, I heard one of the forummer mentioned that HK that lives in Australia can be more tolerant. Yes, I do agree to some extent but not all, I think this applies to HK who tends to be culturally different from their local counterparts, ie. mixing with different cultures. I personally have encountered some HK who live in Australia practically hangs around with the local HK people, speak the Hk language and does not mix around with other race. After all if you look at this way, it's the same as living in HK. I heard Vancouver is even worst...

[riyaaz]

I am a Pakistani guy born in Hong Kong and educated in Britain. When I graduated from University in London last year it took me 3 months to find a job. People were telling me that the reason you are not being called for an interview is because of who YOU are. But finally when I found a job that I was qualified for my employer turned round and told me the following, which shocked me. She said that she was not keen in hiring Chinese people because of their lazy attitude and low mentality and she would rather hire non-chinese people. Currently I am the only non-chinese out of 4 employees working here. So sometimes it could be an exceptional case whereby some Chinese employers discriminate against their own race but this is probably only in a minority. No one can hide from discrimination but some how I feel in UK, discrimination is more visible than in HKG.
But I think if Hong Kong is to advance, it has to accept a cosmopolitan society or else it will never stand a single chance of being a world class city.

[Grungerock]

riyaaz, the lucky thing is that your lady boss (one of the few) is pretty open minded and objective when it comes to hiring staff. Apparently in Hong Kong, not many local bosses here thinks this way...

[riyaaz]

Actually Grungerock, I counted myself very lucky that I have an employer who is open-minded because she herself has spent many years abroad in places like Kenya, Italy,UK etc and she's even married to an Italian. Her horizons has been broaden and I think people who are materlistic may not have experienced life abroad and that is the reason they become to narrow minded about foreigners.

[Grungerock]

I totally agreed with what you have said, Riyaaz.
But this also applies if the individual wants to open up their mindset when they are abroad.
Like I have said earlier on, some HKer are still pretty much up to themselves even they have stayed abroad, because they are resistant to change and mix with different culture and races.

[jayinhongkong]

Amen grungerock. It's an individualistic thing. Those who are well travelled are also often openminded. They tend to go hand in hand. If you're not openminded, why travel? I've met lots of really cool Chinese people since I moved back from NY...totally different from about 10 years ago...HK is definitely becoming more accepting of foreigners (at least to me). we're losing a lot of gweilos (particularly americans, brits n aussies), according to the SCMP.

[campas12]

Originally Posted by jayinhongkong

Amen grungerock. It's an individualistic thing. Those who are well travelled are also often openminded. They tend to go hand in hand. If you're not openminded, why travel? I've met lots of really cool Chinese people since I moved back from NY...totally different from about 10 years ago...HK is definitely becoming more accepting of foreigners (at least to me). we're losing a lot of gweilos (particularly americans, brits n aussies), according to the SCMP.

sorry to re-hash up an old topic, but this is something that's always in my mind.

1. gweilos- i was born in uk, american bred/live...and i'm chinese. I find it extremely funny when i take my gweilo friends out to an asian bar in tthe city- not that i do it often cause i prefer variety, but when i do, they always get nervous and think "i'm the only non asian in here".... but then i turn around to them and ask "how do you think i feel 95% of the time i'm out!!!." while i see some of the gweilo posts here speak of discrimination- welcome to my world- i guess my 28 yrs of being a minority have made me somewhat immune...but there is discrimation all the time (even in nyc).



2. that being said- i think it's a matter of how you handle it. people discriminate...can't ever change that. i think it's how you handle it that makes the difference. i get called jackie chan a few times here and there- do i get offended? no. i simply remark that they should've called me bruce lee (since my mother's maiden name is lee). it also helps to play into the 'stereotypes'.....i.e. over here chinese are known to own restuarants/dry cleaners. when i meet friend of friends that ask what i do and how i know the mutual friend...i reply "oh, i deliver his laundry"....this usually breaks the ice.

overall i think people being offended by discrimination is overrated....laugh with it- show people who do discriminate that you're not a part of the stereotype that they envision...who knows, you'll change their mind going forward maybe...


again. apologies for hashing up an old post. i'm bored today=)

[XI_YAN]

Jackie Chan is better than Bruce Lee