Mr. Shangkong | Which one fits: Hongkonger or Chinese?
Follow your heart, not political ideology, when facing a question about where you come from
Have you ever found yourself pausing for a second when people ask you where you come from?
If you are like me, born in one place before moving to another to make a living, you may understand what I am saying. It's not a problem, because while your hometown is where your roots are, you can also have a second or even third "home city" where you live for many years.
In the book, Maalouf says: "So am I half French and half Lebanese? Of course not. Identity can't be compartmentalised. You can't divide it up into halves or thirds or any other separate segments."
Everyone should have a strong sense of identity. Your identity reveals your story
I agree with Maalouf. Everyone should have a strong sense of his or her unique identity. Your identity reveals your story. How can you simply repeat or copy others' stories and life experiences?
In Hong Kong, my second hometown, where I have lived since 2008, many people are facing a so-called "identity crisis". It's about colonialism, post-colonialism and perhaps also related to realism, depending on whether you believe mainland-Hong Kong relations is a zero-sum game.