Nepalis in Hong Kong
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Ethnicity in Hong Kong |
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Total population | |
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approximately 29000[ Nepali people |
There is a moderately medium sized
Nepalese are not totally invisible in the society; they are visible in media discourse as well as the
Background and social history
Nepalese people began to come to Hong Kong in the 1960s, as part of the British Army's Brigade of Gurkhas. They continued in this employment until 1997. Their primary duties were to deter illegal immigrants and protect local residents. Most of them lived in Whitfield Barracks and Shek Kong Barracks.
After 30 June 1997, the British Government withdrew from Hong Kong and the Gurkha brigade disbanded. These Gurkhas and their children had the right to take up residence in Hong Kong.
Nepalese who choose to stay in Hong Kong want to take root there, especially if their children were born in Hong Kong. They have Hong Kong Identity Cards but their
There are over 40 NGOs organized by Nepalese in Hong Kong and these social organizations have government licenses. The Southern League Organization and Hong Kong Nepalese Federation [5] are the two main NGOs helping the Nepalese in Hong Kong. Some of the NGOs are formed by difference lineages; they provide services and share relevant news happening in Hong Kong or Nepal to different lineages, such as the lineage of Limbu, Rai, Gurung, Magar etc.
Life in Hong Kong
Occupations
More than 80% of Nepalese are working in elementary occupation.[6]
Community and housing
The Nepalese in Hong Kong mainly live in Yau Tsim Mong area (33.2% of Hong Kong's Nepali population, and 2.4% of the district's population being Nepali) and Yuen Long area (33.9%; 0.8%).[6] As Kowloon Park was a main military camp for the brigade from Nepal, as well as Shek Kong in Yuen Long, they chose to live nearby after they left the camp. Some of them live in Wan Chai where they first arrived; in fact their communities spread out to more districts nowadays.
Nepalese mainly live in
Languages
The Nepalese speak different languages of their own ethnicities, which are divided by different lineages; they learn their own languages before they speak
Media
In Hong Kong, there was few newspapers in the Nepali language. Everest Media Limited has published Everest Weekly since May 1, 2000, Sunrise Group published Sunrise Weekly from 2005 and Great Perfect Limited published Ethnic Voice Weekly (bilingual) since 1 May 2011. It carries both Hong Kong and Nepal news. It focuses local Nepalese activities. But now Sunrise Weekly & Ethnic Voice already stopped to publish where Everest publishing irregularly.
Education
Applying for school
In the school year of 2009/10, the Hong Kong Government has selected 17 primary schools and 9 secondary schools located in different main areas of Hong Kong that are designated for receiving intensive on-site support to enhance the learning and teaching of non-Chinese students.[7] However, most Nepalese parents encounter difficulties in applying for school places since they cannot get access to official information .[8] Instead, Nepalese parents often search for information within their own community.[citation needed]
As there is no special arrangement for Nepalese
After Nepalese students graduate from secondary school, choices of enrolling in local tertiary education are limited, since most of the tertiary institutions and programs require passing Advance level (matriculation) or Advance Supplementary (AS) Chinese Language and Culture examination. The Chinese Language in
School life and assistance
Although the
Nepalese students can enjoy similar welfare with locals. They can apply for
Qualifications
As the GCSE Examination in Chinese is not broadly accepted in Hong Kong society for its perceived low standard,
Public visibility
Media discourse
In January 2009, a
The mainstream media tend to stereotype the Nepalese in Hong Kong as "lazy
Government policies
There were no local policies protecting the rights for Nepalese until 2008. In July 2008, an anti-discrimination law The Race Discrimination Ordinance (RDO) was enacted and it has come to operation since 10 July 2009.[19] From the RDO, " it is unlawful to discriminate, harass or vilify a person on the ground of his/her race". Yet there has been a number of criticisms on the ordinance, for instance, only the part ‘Discrimination and Harassment in Employment Field’ has been implemented so far.[20] Also, the direct involvement of ethnic minorities in legislation was relatively low,[21] due to insufficient promotion of the Bill during its consultation period.
Discourse of the group
Though they are always not recognized as "Hong Kongers", the Nepalese are still eager to contribute to Hong Kong society.[22] In fact they would like to be hired as police officers or firefighters, though their not understanding the local language may, justifiably, limit their opportunities. (On the other hand, those who have proficiency in languages such as Nepali in addition to Chinese and English will be prioritised for recruitment by the police.[23]) Nepalese are relatively organized compared to other minority groups in Hong Kong. Gurkha Security Services Limited launched various kinds of talks and workshops on workers’ policies.[citation needed] Besides, the Nepalese in Hong Kong did have several times of demonstrations due to different kinds of issues, for example the demand of democracy in their country,[24] and demand an apology for the fatal shooting by a police officer of a Nepalese man, as mentioned above.[25]
Societal difficulties
Naturally one living in a place but not knowing the local language encounters difficulty for himself/herself and others in daily life. According to the RDO, people treated differently because of language barriers are not classified as being discriminated.
Some Nepalese in Hong Kong are facing difficulties because of their culture is different from the local Chinese. For instance, the police check their HKID cards usually simply due to misunderstanding of language and cultural difference.[26] This would cause discomfort and inconvenience to the Nepalese.
In order to improve the situation, the Hong Kong government provides a new set of guidelines for the police who garrison in Yau Tsim Mong district. Tips on speaking Nepalese and brief introduction to minority cultures are provided, in order to ease their communication and reduce the appearance of direct discrimination.[26]
In terms of career, the Labour Department is one of the important sources for finding jobs. However, its recruitment notices are posted mostly in Chinese, therefore it is difficult for those Nepalese who do not understand Chinese well enough to identify a suitable job. Besides, most of the job training courses are offered in Cantonese, such as the construction training programs. In this regard Punarjiwan Society is committed to build an independent Nepali body to help Nepali community in its crusade against drug-abuse and other negative issue. It is self-supporting Organization dedicated to improving the lot of Local Hong Kong Nepalis.
Moreover, the salary of Nepalese workers in Hong Kong is usually lower than that of local workers, even if they work longer hours. More than 46% of Nepalese construction workers whose earning is less than $12,000 a month but more than 60% of them work for 60 hours per week.[27] Nepalese workers earn $100 less than the locals in average per day.[28] The situation of female workers is even worse. Also, many of them are hired on a daily basis rather than in monthly terms. This results in them having less stable jobs than the locals. Nonetheless, many of them would continue to work for their companies because they cannot afford to risk losing the income .[29]
In terms of public services, although the public hospitals provide services in English or Chinese to non-local patients, Nepalese sometimes find difficulties to communicate with their doctors, even when they perceive a different treatment from the locals.[citation needed] Translation is often needed, particularly in medical services and education.
Notable people
Milan Rai
He is currently a PhD scholar in The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. His research has recently won the best paper award from Hong Kong Chinese Academy of Science. He is one of the 200 young scientists selected by Council of Hong Kong Laureate Forum to participate in inaugural Hong Kong Laureate Forum in 2023.
Notes
- ^ a b c "Thamatic Report: Ethnic Minorities" (PDF). bycensus2016.gov.hk/data/16bc-ethnic-minorities.pdf. Census and Statistics Department of Hong Kong. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
- ^ Sautman, Barry. (2006) Hong Kong as a semi-ethnocracy: "Race", migration and citizenship in a globalised region, ‘Remaking Citizenship in Hong Kong’, London: Routledge, p.122
- ^ Simpson, Aislinn:Gurkhas win High Court battle to stay in UK. (2008). Retrieved April 10, 2010, from [1]
- ^ The ‘home return permits’ is also called hui xiang zheng, it allows visa-free entry to Mainland. Sautman, Barry. (2006) Hong Kong as a semi-ethnocracy: "Race", migration and citizenship in a globalised region, ‘Remaking Citizenship in Hong Kong’, London: Routledge, p.125
- maritime industry.
- ^ a b Census and Statistics Department, Thematic Report- Ethnic Minorities. (2001) p.58
- ^ Education Bureau, Education For Non-Chinese Speaking Children (n.d.) Retrieved April 9, 2010, from. http://www.edb.gov.hk/FileManager/EN/Content_4405/information%20notes-%20ncs_8%20oct%202009%20(for%20uploading).pdf
- ^ Loper, Kelly. (2004) Race and Equality: A study of Ethnic Minorities in Hong Kong's Education System, Centre for Comparartive and Public law and Unison Hong Kong-for ethnic Equality, p.3
- ^ Lao, Christy Ying.& Krashen, Stephen. (1999)Implementation of Mother-Tongue Teaching in Hong Kong Secondary Schools, Some Recent Reports, Discover, Oct, available at: http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/ncbepubs/discover/05hongkong.htm.
- ^ a b 「少數族裔不懂中文搵工難 」,《星島日報》,2009年8月12日。
- ^ McInerney, Dennis M. (2010) The Role of Sociocultural Factors in Shaping Student Engagement in Hong Kong: An ethnic minority perspective, Hong Kong: The Hong Kong Institute of Education
- ^ 少數族裔關注組, 「對少數族裔兒童教育情況的意見及建議」,2006年1月。
- ^ Education and Manpower Bureau, Education and Support Service for non-Chinese speaking children(2006) Retrieved April 9, 2010, from http://www.edb.gov.hk/FileManager/EN/Content_4782/ncsc%20leaflet%20-%20(english)16_6_06.pdf
- ^ Officer describes fatal shooting of Nepali, China Daily (Hong Kong). September 15, 2009
- ^ 「警員何文田開槍案擊斃巴籍漢 」,蘋果動新聞,2009年3月18日 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlErqSFnn7s&feature=player_embedded
- ^ 「探射燈:康文署公園變露天賭場」,《東方日報》,2010年1月25日
- ^ Loper, Kelley. (2001) Cultivating a Multicultural Society and Combating Racial Discrimination in Hong Kong
- ^ 「膚色異 態度異 少數即弱勢」,《經濟日報》,2009年8月25日
- ^ Equal Opportunities Commission, Race Discrimination Ordinance and I (n.d.) Retrieved April 11, 2010, from http://www.eoc.org.hk/EOC/GraphicsFolder/showcontent.aspx?content=Race%20Discrimination%20Ordinance%20and%20I
- ^ Race Discrimination Ordinance, The Government of The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Gazette, Retrieved March 26, 2010, from http://www.gld.gov.hk/cgi-bin/gld/egazette/gazettefiles.cgi?lang=e&year=2008&month=7&day=18&vol=12&no=29&gn=29&header=1&part=1&df=1&nt=s1&newfile=1&acurrentpage=12&agree=1&gaz_type=ls1
- ^ 「種族歧視立法諮詢 論者稱豁免條款寬鬆」,本地教會,3168期,http://kkp.catholic.org.hk/lo/lo3168.htm
- ^ 孟令君. "Among the 1 percent-HongKong Comment-chinadaily.com.cn". www.chinadaily.com.cn. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
- ^ Republica, "Joining HK police made easier for Nepalis", May 20, 2011 http://archives.myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=31477
- ^ 葉蔭聰︰「我今天與尼泊爾朋友一起上街」,2006年4月23日http://www.inmediahk.net/node/107259
- ^ 2,000 march over fatal police shooting. South China Morning Post March 30, 2009
- ^ a b 余鳳明︰「警員學非華裔習俗減誤會」,《星島日報》,2010年2月22日
- ^ Frost, Stephen. Building Hong Kong: Nepalese Labour in Construction Sector, Journal of Contemporary Asia; 2004; Academic Research Library, p,373
- ^ 「尼人被歧視薪低工時長」,《頭條日報》,2009年10月12日
- ^ 李靜敏︰「南亞移民工人的默默承受 」,《公教報》,2010年3月7日
References
Books and journals
- Census and Statistics Department, Thematic Report- Ethnic Minorities. (2001)
- Frost, Stephen. Building Hong Kong: Nepalese Labour in Construction Sector, Journal of Contemporary Asia;2004; Academic Research Library
- Lao, Christy Ying.& Krashen, Stephen. (1999)Implementation of Mother-Tongue Teaching in Hong Kong Secondary Schools, Some Recent Reports, Discover, Oct
- Loper, Kelley. (2001)Cultivating a Multicultural Society and Combating Racial Discrimination in Hong Kong
- Loper, Kelly. (2004) Race and Equality: A study of Ethnic Minorities in Hong Kong's Education System, Centre for Comparartive and Public law and Unison Hong Kong-for ethnic Equality
- McInerney, Dennis M. (2010) The Role of Sociocultural Factors in Shaping Student Engagement in Hong Kong: An ethnic minority perspective, Hong Kong: The Hong Kong Institute of Education
- Sautman, Barry. (2006) Hong Kong as a semi-ethnocracy: "Race", migration and citizenship in a globalised region, ‘Remaking Citizenship in Hong Kong’, London: Routledge, p. 122
- 少數族裔關注組, 「對少數族裔兒童教育情況的意見及建議」,2006年1月。
- Thapa, Chura Bahadur (2017). Understanding Secondary School Nepali Students' Identities and Investment in Learning English and Chinese (Cantonese) in Hong Kong (PhD Dissertation). The University of Hong Kong.
- Thapa, Chura Bahadur (2018).Ethnicity, language-in-education policy and linguistic discrimination: perspectives of Nepali students in Hong Kong. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development,Volume 39, 2018 - Issue 4, Pages 329-340 (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01434632.2017.1389947)
- Thapa, Chura Bahadur (2019). Nepali students' identities and investments in learning English and Chinese (Cantonese) in Hong Kong: An ethnography inquiry. In Gube Jan and Gao Fang (Eds.), Education, Ethnicity and Equity in the Multilingual Asian Context. Pages 33-49. Springer.
Internet resources
- Civil Service Bureau, Common Recruitment Examination and Basic Law Test (n.d.)
- Retrieved April 9, 2010, from http://www.csb.gov.hk/english/recruit/cre/949.html
- Education Bureau, Education For Non-Chinese Speaking Children (n.d.) Retrieved April 9, 2010, from. http://www.edb.gov.hk/FileManager/EN/Content_4405/information%20notes-%20ncs_8%20oct%202009%20(for%20uploading).pdf
- Education and Manpower Bureau, Education and Support Service for non-Chinese speaking children(2006) Retrieved April 9, 2010, from http://www.edb.gov.hk/FileManager/EN/Content_4782/ncsc%20leaflet%20-%20(english)16_6_06.pdf
- Equal Opportunities Commission, Race Discrimination Ordinance and I (n.d.) Retrieved April 11, 2010, from http://www.eoc.org.hk/EOC/GraphicsFolder/showcontent.aspx?content=Race%20Discrimination%20Ordinance%20and%20I
- Hong Kong Gurkha (Nepal) associations (2007) Retrieved April 9, 2010 http://www.gurkha.com.hk/index.html
- Hong Kong Police Force, Entry Requirements (n.d.) Retrieved April 9, 2010, from http://www.police.gov.hk/ppp_en/15_recruit/er.html
- Race Discrimination Ordinace, The Government of The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Gazette, Retrieved March 26, 2010, from, http://www.gld.gov.hk/cgi-bin/gld/egazette/gazettefiles.cgi?lang=e&year=2008&month=7&day=18&vol=12&no=29&gn=29&header=1&part=1&df=1&nt=s1&newfile=1&acurrentpage=12&agree=1&gaz_type=ls1
- Simpson, Aislinn:Gurkhas win High Court battle to stay in UK. (2008). Retrieved April 10, 2010, from, [2]
- 「種族歧視立法諮詢 論者稱豁免條款寬鬆」,本地教會,3168期,http://kkp.catholic.org.hk/lo/lo3168.htm
- 龍緯汶︰「香港少數族裔舉行勞工講座」,2009年四月六日。
- http://hk.myblog.yahoo.com/lwmlung/article?mid=1322
- 葉蔭聰︰「我今天與尼泊爾朋友一起上街」,2006年4月23日。http://www.inmediahk.net/node/107259
News
- 2,000 march over fatal police shooting. South China Morning Post March 30, 2009
- Officer describes fatal shooting of Nepali, China Daily (Hong Kong). September 15, 2009
- 「少數族裔不懂中文搵工難 」,《星島日報》,2009年8月12日
- 「探射燈:康文署公園變露天賭場」,《東方日報》,2010年1月25日
- 「膚色異 態度異 少數即弱勢」,《經濟日報》,2009年8月25日
- 「警員何文田開槍案擊斃巴籍漢 」,蘋果動新聞,2009年3月18日 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlErqSFnn7s&feature=player_embedded
- 「尼人被歧視薪低工時長」,《頭條日報》,2009 年10月12日
- 李靜敏︰「南亞移民工人的默默承受 」,《公教報 》,2010年3月7日
- 練乙錚︰「論種族歧視條例的四大爭議」,《信報》,2008年7月10日
- 余鳳明︰「警員學非華裔習俗減誤會」,《星島日報》,2010年2月22日。