Hong Kong-raised Filipinos on their struggle for identity, discrimination, and feeling stuck between two cultures
Unfamiliar with their nation’s heritage yet often unable to speak Cantonese fluently, they grew up being told their future lay at home, but live and work in Hong Kong; it’s left some feeling not completely Filipino or Hongkonger
Zandru Justin Sabinano, a 17-year-old Filipino born and raised in Hong Kong, admits he had barely heard of one of the Philippines’ greatest historical heroes when he was asked to play the role of José Rizal in a recent theatre production.
“Rizal was quite foreign to me, but for my role I did a lot of research to learn more about him,” Zandru says.
The song and dance musical, Ang Ugoy ng Duyan (The Sway of the Cradle), was organised by the Philippine consulate and the International Social Service Hong Kong Branch, and held at MacPherson Stadium in Mong Kok to an audience of about 200.
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Filipino residents aged five to 29 played roles in the tale of a fictional teenager called Barry – who was born in Manila but grew up in Hong Kong – who goes back to his hometown for the first time in many years. His family educates him about Philippine festivals, cultural traditions and food, and he also learns about Rizal – who died a martyr in 1896, around the end of Spanish colonial rule of the Philippines.
Zandru is typical of many young local Filipinos who have spent most or all of their lives in Hong Kong and know little of their heritage. The Mong Kok event was in part aimed at strengthening their Filipino identity and encouraging them to take more interest in Philippine culture.
Immigration statistics show there were 16,675 Filipino residents in Hong Kong as of June this year, a figure that excludes 195,948 domestic workers from the Philippines.
Although Zandru likes living in Hong Kong, he says the downside is the discrimination he occasionally faces.