Karen Lee
Decolonizing Colonial Nostalgia in Hong Kong
The 2014 Umbrella Movement in Hong Kong saw a rise in discontentment with the political status quo. However, it also featured a puzzling nostalgia for the colonial past of British rule. As it is difficult to separate the lasting effects of colonialism from the intentions of the civilizing mission, many Hong Kong citizens—even immediately after colonial rule—felt that the colonial rule was more good than bad. In making this argument, Hongkongers often point to the role of British rule in establishing Hong Kong’s economy, key infrastructure, and the common law system.
The purpose of this learning module is to explore historical events shaping current Hong Kong citizens’ viewpoints and understandings of Hong Kong’s colonial past to better understand the nostalgia for Britain’s colonial rule we see in Hong Kong’s present. It aims to help individuals to better understand and disentangle the complex and puzzling sentiments Hong Kong citizens feel towards British colonial rule.
This learning module targets youth in Hong Kong who may not have directly witnessed and experienced the colonial rule but are eager to explore the historical events that have influenced Hong Kong’s current socio-cultural landscape. It aims to provide insights into identity formation, political attitudes, and the complex sentiments held by Hongkongers towards the British colonial rule, thereby addressing any confusion or curiosity surrounding the origins of these sentiments.
Structure
This module is structured as a seminar-discussion-based module. Learners should expect to spend around 4 weeks on this module, reading 1–2 materials per week. Learners should also plan to meet once per week for a seminar-style discussion where they will share their interpretations of the readings; address questions and confusions; and share any further thoughts they may have. Before the discussion, learners are also encouraged to post a reading response on a collective learning platform to structure their thoughts about the readings and bring up any questions they may have. At the end of the module, learners are encouraged to complete an optional final project where they investigate the lasting effects of colonial rule on the institutions and systems they are interested in or belong to—for example, the school they attend—or any other aspect of Hong Kong life they are interested in.
After completing the module, the learner will be able to:
Describe examples of nostalgia/positive feelings towards colonialism in Hong Kong, and the effects of these sentiments on the cultural identity and collective history of individuals from Hong Kong;
Recognize the impact of historical events during the colonial and postcolonial periods in Hong Kong that shaped cultural identity and public attitudes towards Chinese and British governments;
Understand the reality of Hong Kong’s past under British rule;
Develop a multifaceted understanding of the effects of British colonial rule on Hong Kong; and
Explore remnants of the effects of colonial rule in their own lives, and analyze the historical events during the colonial rule that shaped inequalities in their own institutions.
Karen Lee is majoring in Biology at the University of Chicago.
Learning Resources
Chan, Ming K. “Hong Kong: Colonial Legacy, Transformation, and Challenge.” The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 547 (1996): 11–23
Ming K. Chan is a member of the Department of History at the University of Hong Kong and executive coordinator of the Hong Kong Documentary Archives at the Hoover Institution. This reading will introduce learners to Hong Kong’s colonial and postcolonial timeline, outlining the end of British colonialism, the effect on Hong Kong citizens’ identity consciousness, and the sources of the current rising Beijing–Hong Kong–London discord.
Wong, Brian. “On the Legacy of the British Empire: The Dangers of Romanticising An Incomplete Past in Hong Kong Politics.” Scholars’ Blog, Kwok Scholars Association (2018)
Hailing from Hong Kong, Brian Wong is a geopolitical strategist and philosopher of Sino-American relations. He is currently pursuing a DPhil in Politics at the University of Oxford. This opinion piece outlines the nostalgic sentiments Hong Kong citizens hold towards British colonialism and warns against the dangers of redirecting frustrations regarding the current political status quo towards misplaced nostalgia for the British colonial past, driven by misconceptions about the dark history of colonialism and the exploitative nature of colonization missions.
Carroll, John Mark. A Concise History of Hong Kong. Rowman & Littlefield (2007)
Chapters to read: “State and Society” (pp 33–63) and “Colonialism and Nationalism” (63–89)
Cost: Ebook costs USD 31.54, but the above chapters are included in the free sample on Google Books
John Mark Carroll is part of the Department of History at the University of Hong Kong. His research interests include modern Chinese history, Hong Kong history, and colonialism and imperialism in Asia. These excerpts provide an account of Hong Kong life and policy changes occurring from the early 1800s to the post-1997 handover, illustrating the impacts of British colonial rule on the everyday lives of Hong Kong citizens, including racial inequality and segregation, methods of colonial control, and colonial education.
Chan, Ming K. “The Legacy of the British Administration of Hong Kong: A View from Hong Kong.” The China Quarterly 151 (1997): 567–82
Ming K. Chan is a member of the Department of History at the University of Hong Kong and executive coordinator of the Hong Kong Documentary Archives at the Hoover Institution. This reading introduces learners to the inputs and outputs of British colonialism in shaping developments in the life of Hong Kong people during colonial rule, such as the rule of law, civil service, economic freedom, and democratization.
Mathews, Gordon. “Hèunggóngyàhn: On the Past, Present, and Future of Hong Kong Identity.” Bulletin of Concerned Asian Scholars 29 (3), 1 September 1997: 3–13
Gordon Matthews is a professor in the Department of Anthropology at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. This reading will introduce learners to how Hong Kong people have defined their cultural identity post-1997 handover, and the influence of colonial and postcolonial history on the identity-definition process.
“Chasing the Dragon,” 02:08:00 runtime (2017)
Cost: Free with an Amazon account, with ads
This film tells the story of a partnership between a corrupt police officer and a drug lord in Hong Kong, and the corruption and abuse of privilege of British colonial administrators during the opioid crisis. This film gives an idea of life in Hong Kong during the opium war.