Jai Hind - A pride essay

By Diya Purohit

Historical Contribution of Indians in Hong Kong

“Introducing the first Indian born Student of the Year nominee we have had in 12 years!” I heard them announce on stage, seconds before my sister went on. At the moment, it didn’t seem like that big a deal - yes, she was being awarded, but it didn’t occur to me yet how transformational Indians’ contribution to Hong Kong has been. When I got home that day, I realized, unfortunately, how little I know about Hong Kong’s history, especially, the historical contributions of Indians in Hong Kong. Having been born and brought up in this city, I quickly called it home, but found that day by day, I was distancing from my roots.

So, as I do, I got to work. I started researching this topic, but alas, to my dismay, I didn’t find much. I knew I had to dig deeper, so I grabbed a notepad, picked up my mask, and headed out to take interviews. Speaking to several people around the street, and leveraging some of my own connections, I brought to surface the depth of Indian contribution in Hong Kong.

Jeffrey Andrews, Hong Kong’s first registered ethnic minority social worker, grew up facing discrimination and pointed out that the city is divided. In a city like Hong Kong that so many of us call home, he took a stand for those who faced unfavourable situations everyday, whether that be in workplaces, schools, or even out on the streets. He is now a community worker for the refugee charity Christian Action, helping refugees based in Hong Kong’s Chungking Mansions. Everyday, he helps serve over 80 meals to refugees, and has used his position to become an advocate for these refugees. Without Andrews, approximately 48,000 refugees in Hong Kong would be hungry.

In my search for many more examples, it happened to be Janmashtmi. Exploding with excitement, as my family and I approached ISKCON in Hong Kong, I realized how much culture, value and upbringing the Indian culture has introduced to Hong Kong. Immediately, I had a flashback to the time I took chole bhature to school for lunch. As soon as I opened the box, the decadent smell of chole filled my classroom, and suddenly, I became the new point of attention. All my friends huddled around me, trying to grab a bite or sniff this deliciousness. That same day, I visited a friend’s place for what we called a study date, but actually turned out more to be a playdate. When it was dinner time, I was surprised to see that her family doesn’t eat together. Plus, every single member of her family would arrange for their dinner themselves - either cook just for themselves, or buy take out, also for themselves. This concept was so foreign to me - I had grown up eating all three meals of the day with my family. Indian culture emphasizes on togetherness, especially during meal times, so we can all take a break from our busy lives, but also spend quality time with our loved ones. When I told my friend about this - she was shocked! The next day, she called me up and told me she asked her family to eat dinner together. She also added - she doesn’t remember the last time she had so much fun eating dinner!

Quickly breaking from my flashback, I looked up at the beautiful deities and watched them in awe. The culture of visiting temples with your family and devoting your service to the temples - whether it be to cook for prasad, or help with seva, or simply volunteer to help within the mandir - goes on to show the cultural richness of Indians. Crediting the Indian population in Hong Kong, we now have an array of religious shrines for us to visit - the Happy Valley mandir, the Hindu Mandir, ISKCON and Satyanarayan bhagwan’s temple. These places do not simply serve as locations to seek divine bliss in, or to pray for your health - they also serve as shelters for those who may not have them. During the heavy rain season, the temples remain open, welcoming those stranded

inside for warmth and food. The culture of welcoming anyone and everyone in to offer their prayers and seek comfort and solace is like no other!

As I left the temple, I was handed a box of delicious prasad. This wasn’t the only thing I was handed - I also realized the contribution of Indian heritage within Hong Kong, in the form of the many Indian restaurants we have. By introducing everyone here to our culture through their taste buds, not only are the Indians in Hong Kong pursuing their dreams and opening up innovative food chains, they are also encompassing the entire country in a restaurant. From the North, to the South, then the East and West - it’s as if one is touring the country, without even leaving Hong Kong!

These contributions may only seem trivial in terms of historical contributions. However, when you accumulate their impact, they have formed a large part of Hong Kong’s history. Many of these Indian chains have been in Hong Kong for an average of 48 years, contributing well to Hong Kong’s economy and serving both Indians and Hong Kongers alike. Indians have raised approximately 3 Million Hong Kong dollars to help the city’s development, but also to contribute for causes like Kids4Kids and Earthquake relief funds. Day in and day out, Indians work in companies within Hong Kong to bring innovation, culture, and diversity, in turn reshaping the commercial workplace culture Hong Kong has. By raising a voice for those who cannot and taking a stand for the underprivileged, Indians in Hong Kong have historically improved Hong Kong’s perception of Indians, reminding them that we are a force to be reckoned with.

I am proud to be an Indian. Jai Hind.