Umbrella Movement: Hong Kong IdentityWai-Kwok Benson Wong @ GIS, HKBU

March 19, 2015

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Contextualizing Hong Kong Identity• Local identity (Bentu rentong): versus national identity –

inclusion & exclusion • As an energy and a discourse in justifying the action

• E.g., campaigns of recovering Sheung Shui, Tuen Mun, Tai Po…

• Influence of the Sunflower Movement in Taiwan – resist the China factor (Wu Jieh-min, 2012)• The KMT under Ma Ying-jeou’s administration: economic and political

dependence on Mainland China pro-Beijing business & commercial force as the de facto PRC’s agenda in Taiwan undermine freedom, democracy and human rights

• E.g., “Save our own nation” [~Fuck the government]

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Visualizing local identity via protests

We/self = HK people vs. HKSARG + PRC

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Redefining local identity: Lion Rock SpiritChallenging & altering the Hegemonic claim: hardworking, diligence, self-help (Antony Leung) (due to exploitation) Persistence & genuineness despite suppression

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Challenging & resisting nationalistic hegemony China Hong Kong

Economic city, economic animals Political aspiration, political activism

Integration & dependence for future & opportunities

Erosion of political & living space, re-colonization, disappearance

Loving China (=CCP), loving HK Resisting the brainwashing, indoctrination & culture of fakes/lies

Harmony, rule of law Suppression, rule by law, institutional decay (e.g., ICAC, police)

Without PRC, without HK: water & food supply, CEPA, visitors

Without HK, without PRC: financial functions of HK; water & food supply & are NOT free of charge; genuine products attract visitors

Dominance, control, manipulation, dependence Self-determination, autonomy, independence

Universal suffrage & full democracy after 2017 De facto authoritarianism & sham democracy

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3 analytic dimensions of identity (Bernstein, 1997)Dimension Particulars

Identity for empowerment (E)

• Draw on an existing identity • Construct a new collective identity• Create and mobilize a constituency• Implications for future activism

Identity as goal (G) • Challenge stigmatized identities• Deconstruct restrictive social categories • Seek recognition for new identities

Identity as strategy (S) • Identity deployment: use mainstream culture in a creative or critical way

• Identity for critique: confront the values, categories and practice of the dominating culture

• Identity for education: challenge the dominant culture’s perception / used strategically to gain legitimacy by playing on uncontroversial themes

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3 analytic dimensions of local identityDimension Particulars

Identity for empowerment (E)

• Lion Rock Spirit: personal diligence political aspiration • Reproducing the cultural objects for genuine universal suffrage• Self-determination of destiny

Identity as goal (G) • Challenge the national/China identity: dominance, hegemony, exclusion

• Challenge the political & economic dependence on China• Local identity: space, interest, community, discourse, power, youth

Identity as strategy (S) • Identity deployment: Lion Rock Spirit• Identity for critique: hardworking & diligence are misleading in face of

the incompetent & undemocratic government• Identity for education: defending our community as well as dialect,

resisting the mainland China influence, taking action to recapture our future; challenging economic development that is only an excuse to cover up the dependence & hegemony