Bi-racial people are exposed to many cultures and languages at home and in their daily life and this can affect how they perceive their identity. When interviewing two bi-racial people living in Hong Kong, many of the questions revealed a sense of dissociation with their local culture, the effects of language barrier, and how their identity shift.

 

One aspect of identity and language was the interviewee’s cultural dissociation. Despite living in Hong Kong for their whole life, both interviewees felt separated from the local culture (Hong Kong society). This ranged from not understanding pop references to only understanding their home on a surface level such as local food, or music. With different levels of language fluency, the interviewee who spoke the language (Cantonese) had a better sense of identity connected to his geographical home through communication. Language played a huge part in giving the person a sense of identity within their society.

Another aspect that was explored in the interviews was the communications barrier faced by bi-racial people. This barrier affected the ability of bi-racials to connect to people of their own nationality. Communicating and expressing thoughts and emotions went beyond knowing what to say, but how to say it. Communication also was hindered by the lack of language exposure, where English and Cantonese are commonly advertised and seen as ‘useful’ compared to languages like Tagalog or French. This meant that bi-racial people were not exposed enough to elements of their own heritage, even the passing of language from parent to child was seen as ‘not useful’.

Lastly a bi-racial person’s identity is closely related to their language. Identity is affected by a person’s sense of belonging in their environment’s society and culture, one of the ways bi-racial people are affected is through language. This shift comes from parents (how they view their own culture), code mixing, and the sense of ‘home’.

 

Language has become more than a means of communication but a bridge to understanding foreign and local cultures. Hong Kong should be more aware of it's international status and cater to those international citizens like bi-racials to cultures not are not 'more or less important'. It's close connection to one's identity would not only hinder cultural growth in the next generation but teach people that one culture/language is more important than another. 

 

Below is a TED talk by Hetain Patel who tries to separete 'Who you are' with 'where you're from'.