Bonjour to a Minority Language in Hong Kong: French

To investigate if there is a shift in cultural identity, our French interviewees were asked to give marks to their 'Frenchness' before coming to Hong Kong and their 'Frenchness' now. We also questioned their cultural identity by asking if they perceived themselves as a French or Hong Konger now. We have received several responses.

The meaning of 'Frenchness' is subject to our interviewees’ own conceptions because it is quite difficult to reduce their identity to how they behave in several occasions, so we wished to understand their gut feeling towards their identity instead. Mr Lacarne did not provide answer for his 'Frenchness' before because he was too young to remember.

Again, we did not limit the question to ask about their identity in several occasions, rather their own general thoughts of themselves. So, their definitions of cultural identity may be different. "Tom" and Ms Roulhac did not give marks to their Hong Kong identity because they thought it was too early to say after living in here for a short while.

We aim to investigate if there is a general change in their cultural identity through these two questions. From our research, it is found that the advantages and challenges faced by the French people in Hong Kong not only affected their language use and life experience, but also their perceptions of own cultural identity.

Although some of the interviewees share similar life experience in Hong Kong, they do perceive their own cultural identity differently. For instance, both “Aimee”, Mr Carminho and “Tom” reveal that they adopt habits of Hong Kongers, such as rushing into a train when seeing the door close, told by Mr Carminho. However, “Aimee” disagrees that she has her Frenchness weakened because she has adapted into the local lifestyle. “Aimee” explains that living in a place, speaking a local language or performing local practice will not automatically make a person take in the local culture or change his cultural identity. On the contrary, Mr Carminho and “Tom” believe they have lower Frenchness after residing in Hong Kong because of the local habits they adopt. Besides, being raised in Hong Kong, the French descendent Mr Lacarne feels that he is half Hong Konger, half French because he was born French but raised in the Hong Kong culture. He speaks French to his parents and meets French friends as well, but he also meets local Hong Kong friends and adopts habits of many Hong Kongers. It is shown that the interviewees’ cultural identities are built upon different facets; some concern more about their lifestyle while others concern about their utter sense of belonging.

Also, their identity may be constructed by their jobs. We think that since “Aimee” works as an ambassador to promote the French culture to Hong Kongers, she has her Frenchness preserved. However, there are exceptions. “Tom” teaches French and he promotes the French culture in Hong Kong schools, but his French identity is not particularly strong when compared to others or his own Hong Kong identity.

Therefore, their perceptions may be influenced by their own attitudes as well. It is believed that Mr Carminho and “Tom” perceived themselves more as a Hong Konger because they are more open to new cultures and lifestyles. For instance, as suggested by “Tom”, “I am happy to be influenced by new ideas and culture.” But “Aimee”, who perceives herself more as a French, insists that “French is my culture, my language.” She feels that the French language has an emotional function because she expresses herself better in her mother tongue. So, she will only speak French to her son to build a closer link with him and pass down her French heritage. In addition, Dr Meyer, who has lived in Hong Kong for 30 years and raised his sons here, regards his sons as global citizens who are “strolling around the international world” that he does not wish to pass down his French heritage to them intentionally.

Moreover, their cultural identity is also determined by their knowledge of the Hong Kong community. “Aimee”, Ms Roulhac and Mrs Morin express that their Frenchness did not change after residing in Hong Kong because they do not understand the local community very well. “I only know tip of the iceberg, the other 90% I don’t know because I don’t speak Cantonese”, said “Aimee”. Ms Roulhac also adds that she does not have a close contact with the local community since she has only arrived in here 9 months ago. And Mrs Morin shares her French friends’ experience of not understanding the local community because they do not contact with local people at all. Their answers may suggest that the language barrier and the French people’s  tendency to stick with the French community hinder them from learning about the Hong Kong community and immersing in it. Thus their French identity is not affected just because they now reside in a foreign place. However, their Frenchness did not increase either. We suspect the reason for it is that they contact with the French community in Hong Kong as frequent as contacting with the French community when they were in France, so their identity is not strengthened because of a more frequent contact with French people.