A minority.
This is the identity I’ve carried with me wherever I went. I moved to Hong Kong at the age of 4. I didn't really have an idea about the world, society or people until I joined school. That's where my journey of being a minority started.
I was appointed the badge of an “ethnic minority” at an age where I was trying to become my own self. We were a small group of colored people in a population where 90% of it was Chinese. People of color weren’t respected because they were seen as a burden to the Hong Kong community who took opportunities from them. I encountered a lot of discrimination from my reality that I couldn't run away from. Despite caring about the Hong Kong community and trying to be involved with them, the locals didn't …show more content…
“Go back to your country”, “Get out of here, you curry smelling weirdo” were common phrases I heard from people. It wasn't easy and I couldn't share these experiences of hate with anyone.
My family was very conservative and they expected me to be a “man”. “Don't be a girl”, “don't be a silly weak boy who cries” were some taunts that were used on me when I tried to express myself. I was minority at home as well, often compared to my cousins and my parents used to remind me how “useless” I can be. The only thing I could openly cry on was my pillow and always wished before going to sleep that I could be in a better and more understanding community.
Despite how I was treated, I loved people and I was always interested in different cultures. My school was introduced a scholarship to study at the United World College of South East Asia, this scholarship was specifically for the ethnic minority students because they didn't get the same opportunities like local students. I loved the school the very minute I researched about it. “We have students from over 91 countries”; “our students live in harmony”; “we involve collaborations between communities” were some of the few things that the school promised and that caught my attention and I applied and
This is the identity I’ve carried with me wherever I went. I moved to Hong Kong at the age of 4. I didn't really have an idea about the world, society or people until I joined school. That's where my journey of being a minority started.
I was appointed the badge of an “ethnic minority” at an age where I was trying to become my own self. We were a small group of colored people in a population where 90% of it was Chinese. People of color weren’t respected because they were seen as a burden to the Hong Kong community who took opportunities from them. I encountered a lot of discrimination from my reality that I couldn't run away from. Despite caring about the Hong Kong community and trying to be involved with them, the locals didn't …show more content…
“Go back to your country”, “Get out of here, you curry smelling weirdo” were common phrases I heard from people. It wasn't easy and I couldn't share these experiences of hate with anyone.
My family was very conservative and they expected me to be a “man”. “Don't be a girl”, “don't be a silly weak boy who cries” were some taunts that were used on me when I tried to express myself. I was minority at home as well, often compared to my cousins and my parents used to remind me how “useless” I can be. The only thing I could openly cry on was my pillow and always wished before going to sleep that I could be in a better and more understanding community.
Despite how I was treated, I loved people and I was always interested in different cultures. My school was introduced a scholarship to study at the United World College of South East Asia, this scholarship was specifically for the ethnic minority students because they didn't get the same opportunities like local students. I loved the school the very minute I researched about it. “We have students from over 91 countries”; “our students live in harmony”; “we involve collaborations between communities” were some of the few things that the school promised and that caught my attention and I applied and