One of the Centre’s missions is to nurture a new generation of Hong Kong historians.
An Early Career Scholar Network was created under the Hong Kong History Centre in June 2023. It is intended to help create a community of Hong Kong historians and offer a platform for face-to-face interaction and academic exchange among young scholars. Research students and fresh doctoral graduates working on socioeconomic, political and cultural history of Hong Kong and its global relevance are welcomed. We usually meet thrice a year (February, June and October) with participants taking turn to present their works in each meeting. Financial support is provided for our network members attending these sessions.
Please write to Prof. Ray Yep, Research Director of Hong Kong History Centre, at rekmy@bristol.ac.uk, if you are interested in joining this Network.
——
In this post, we would like to introduce Corrine Fu, a member of the Network.
Corrine Fu is a PhD student in Lingnan University. In the note written by her below, she shares with us her reflections on her academic journey and current project on Hong Kong Identity.
****
I’ve always been wondering to what extent the broader sociopolitical system could affect individual’s psychological life. In this case, I focused my research on identity studies, hoping to detect the intrinsic nature of human-beings. Hong Kong, as a meeting point between the West and the East thus came to my eye. Researching the shaping of Hong Kong identity is a compelling endeavour that holds significant personal and academic importance. As a unique fusion of Eastern and Western cultures, Hong Kong presents a rich tapestry of influences that have molded its identity over the years. My interest in this topic stems from a desire to understand how historical events, cultural interactions, and political developments have contributed to the formation of a distinct Hong Kong identity. In the history, the city has faced immense challenges, including political unrest and societal shifts, prompting a reevaluation of what it means to be a Hongkonger. By exploring these dynamics, I aim to contribute to a deeper understanding of the complexities surrounding identity formation in a globalised world.
My personal journey also has significantly shaped my interest in this research. Growing up in Harbin but with an immigrant heritage, I have often found myself grappling with questions about my own sense of belonging. As my family appreciated Hong Kong pop culture and enjoyed Hong Kong films and music all the time when we gathered, Hong Kong pop culture thus provided a sense of ‘home’ psychologically. I thus experienced the blending of traditions and values from both my heritage and the broader global influences around me. This experience has fostered a deep curiosity about how others navigate their identities, particularly in a city that has undergone such profound changes.
Hong Kong identity is so interesting as it is a reflection of its unique historical context, shaped by colonialism, nationalism, and globalisation. The legacy of British colonial rule, coupled with the return to Chinese sovereignty in 1997, has created a complex interplay of cultural identities. With the leader Stuart Hall, Birmingham school had done substantial research on cultural identities, while most of their research focused on Europe and the United States. The complexity of Asian identities was relatively neglected. I thus saw the potential of my research and hoping to make contributions on connecting Hong Kong with the global culture context. I thus specifically focused my research on how the Britishness combined with the Chineseness in constituting the notion of ‘Hong Kong people’, and how the notion developed over the time.
I wondered both the role of high politics and the public opinions in shaping Hong Kong mass. The rationale behind this research is grounded in the recognition that identity is not a static concept but rather a fluid and evolving construct influenced by various sociopolitical factors. Hong Kong’s unique position as a cultural crossroads between East and West, combined with its tumultuous history, makes it an ideal case study for examining how identity is shaped and reshaped over time. Understanding the complexities of Hong Kong identity is crucial, as it provides insights into broader issues of belonging, cultural heritage, and the impact of political forces on individual lives. Furthermore, this research aims to fill a gap in the existing literature on Asian identities, which has been relatively underexplored compared to Western context. In an era marked by rapid change, understanding the nuances of identity in Hong Kong can provide valuable insights into broader questions of national identity, citizenship, and the impact of global forces on local cultures.
After three years of researching identity, I’ve come to understand that what truly matters is not just who you are at this moment, but who you aspire to become. Cheers to my friends as you pursue your true selves!
****
我一直在思考更廣泛的社會政治系統在多大程度上會影響個體的心理生活。在這種情況下，我將研究重點放在身份研究上，希望探討人類的內在本質。香港作為東西方的交匯點，引起了我的關注。研究香港身份的形成是一項引人入勝的工作，具有重要的個人和學術意義。香港作為東西方文化的獨特融合，展現出豐富的影響力，這些影響力在過去的歲月中塑造了其身份。對這個主題的興趣源於我對歷史事件、文化互動和政治發展如何促成獨特香港身份形成的理解。在歷史上，香港面臨著巨大的挑戰，包括政治動盪和社會變革，這促使人們重新審視作為香港人的意義。通過探索這些動態，我希望能夠更深入地理解在全球化世界中身份形成的複雜性。
我的個人經歷也在很大程度上塑造了我對這項研究的興趣。雖然我在哈爾濱長大，但由於有移民背景，我常常面臨關於歸屬感的問題。在我家，家人一直欣賞香港的流行文化，每次聚會時都會享受香港的電影和音樂，因此，香港的流行文化在心理上提供了一種「家」的感覺。我經歷了來自我遺產與更廣泛的全球影響之間的傳統和價值的融合。這種經歷激發了我對其他人如何應對身份的深刻好奇，尤其是在一個經歷了如此深刻變化的城市中。
‘香港身份’非常有趣，因為它反映了其獨特的歷史背景，受到殖民主義、民族主義和全球化的影響。英國殖民統治的遺產，加上1997年回歸中國主權，形成了複雜的文化身份互動。以斯圖亞特·霍爾（Stuart Hall）為首的伯明罕學派對文化身份進行了大量研究，但他們的大部分研究集中在歐洲和美國，而亞洲身份的複雜性相對被忽視。因此，我看到了我的研究潛力，希望能為將香港與全球文化背景聯繫起來做出貢獻。我的研究特別關注英國文化與中國文化如何結合，構成“香港人”的概念，以及這一概念隨時間的發展。我想探討高層政治和公眾意見在塑造香港大眾身份方面的作用。這項研究的理性在於認識到身份並不是一個靜態的概念，而是一個流動和不斷演變的結構，受到各種社會政治因素的影響。香港作為東西方文化交匯的獨特地位，加上其動盪的歷史，使其成為研究身份如何隨時間塑造和重塑的理想案例。理解香港身份的複雜性至關重要，因為這為更廣泛的歸屬感、文化遺產以及政治力量對個人生活的影響提供了見解。此外，這項研究旨在填補現有文獻中對亞洲身份的研究空白，這一領域相較於西方背景的研究相對未被深入探討。在這個快速變化的時代，理解香港身份的細微差別能夠為更廣泛的國家身份、公民身份和全球力量對當地文化影響的問題提供有價值的見解。
經過三年的身份研究，我明白了，真正重要的不是你現在是什麼樣的人，而是你渴望成為什麼樣的人。永遠為追求真實自我而鼓勵賀彩。