Embracing Diversity

1. Embracing Diversity A Presentation Prepared by HKSKH Lady Maclehose Centre December 2005

2. Knowing the Salient Facts

3. If we excluded the British, the Japanese, and all those foreign domestic helpers, we would have the following figures:

4. Muslim women are home makers, they are responsible and in charge of raising their kids, therefore, Muslim women should be “Protected” -- wear clothes to cover their whole body in social occasions outside their home. They could have a career only if (1) Their husband (if married) or Father (if single) or Brother (if nobody left) allowed (2) Or the men mentioned above cannot support her. (3) Nobody left, she have to support herself.

5. Traditionally, adult Muslim men and women who are stranger to each other are not allowed to seat together or shake hands, except for close relatives, friends, and elderly. Muslim doesn’t eat pig as it was deemed unclean by God. Muslims have Ramadan (fasting) which start differently in each year in accordance to the prevailing moon phrase. Children are gifts from God ?.

6. Lowly educated Literacy rate(in their native Urdu)is low: 61.7% among men, 35.2% (2004 est.) among women Close familial and communal relations ? living in clusters. Man usually call the shot in most matters (except for child care and education)

7. Mother-child relations especially close, mother mostly responsible for child education decision Adherence of schedule, time frame, and appointments are relatively relax Men and Women are not supposed to date before marriage Contraception is discourage or not allowed (Remember “Children are gifts from God”?)

8. English as one of the official language Strong job markets’ demand -- coupled with reasonable salaries and proper labour protection Free education, and Free medical services of good qualities. Most of the South Asians who came were lowly educated and with little job skills, but they could still got by doing manual labours and mundane service jobs

9. Some mosque leaders: “We want more mosques! Lower rent for mosque! That’s our people main concern!!” Their mosque members (with their leaders’ presence): “Yes! More mosques! Lower Rent for mosque, too!”

10. The same mosque members, in their privacy: “Our main concerns, really, are better jobs and trainings for ourselves, and better education for our kids…”

12. Labour shortage has created a gap. Lowly educated EM with little job skills could still got by doing manual labours and mundane service jobs. Social mobility was good Language barriers were eased somewhat by the then prolific use of English as the language-of-choice in schools, public services, as well as in the various social arenas.

13. Competition of cheap labours from mainland China – legal or otherwise Rapid decline of social acceptance of English in low-skill services’ sector EM increasingly difficult in securing stable jobs. The decline in English usage in public services ?EM were more isolated linguistically and socially.

15. Main signs, notice, and important documents such as application forms and referral forms should at least be made bilingual, or even better, in the most dominant ethnic minority group(s) in your areas, for example Urdu for Pakistani, Nepali for Nepalese, and Hindi for Indian, etc.

16. On the realities and priorities of the ethnic minorities’ needs: could it be employment? Education? Housing? Or…the mosque? Don’t just ask the “leaders” or the middlemen, ask the PEOPLE(blanketing home visits, focus groups, or just the good, old, questionnaires)directly.

17. Coupled it with your agency’s capability and mission, then do SOMETHING useful.

18. For Family, Children and Adult Services Most Effective – Promoting through word of mouths and direct liaisons. Auxiliary – Posters and Flyers in their native language. Better than nothing – Posters and Flyers in English For Youth In addition to the aforementioned, ethnic minority schools are a good way to start, English content in agency’s/centre website(s) can also work wonder.

19. Always smile and be friendly Keep your message precise Always ask and reconfirm important message … especially if the EM client always say yes as an answer to whatever you said. Remind your EM clients through direct liaison, written note, as well as personal network, if their presence is essential.

20. It requires sensibilities – no religious and cultural jokes, don’t laugh at their dressing codes and cover your nose at their perfume. It requires accommodation and acceptance – we might consider them as too relax towards schedule and deadlines, they might consider us as planning overkills – acceptance and mutual understanding is the key. It requires learning and communicating – learn about their cultures, worldviews, and communicate with them frankly (but politely) about what you would agree and disagree.

21. Assimilation. The process of assimilation may be deemed to occur to the extent that a person desires contact with the dominant culture while not necessarily maintaining an identity with his/her native culture Integration. The process of integration occurs when individuals who desire to maintain their cultural identity also desire a high level of interaction with the dominant culture. Separation. The process of separation occurs with low levels of interaction with the dominant culture (and related microcultural groups) while desiring a close connection with and affirmation of their native culture. Marginalization. The process of marginalization occurs when persons choose not to identify with either their native cultures or the dominant culture (e.g., in case of enforced cultural loss combined with enforced segregation). (JSET Vol. 19, 2004)

22. Separation-Integration Approach: Respects their religion/cultural norms, all social functions gender-segregated. Assimilation Approach: They should respect the modernity as professed in Hong Kong, we would not do gender-segregation. Muddling-Through Reality Approach: Only did gender-segregation in the most formal occasion, but not strictly in general service provisions.

23. The Separation-Integration Solution: Offered job retraining in English, or even more preferably, in their own native language(s). The Assimilation Solution: Cantonese is the main language use in most of the low level job, so they should learn Cantonese first. The Reality Proposal: Develop a Cantonese working language regime and tests for different low level jobs, passing it, the EM may go to the retraining directly. Failing it, the EM would be provided with free and mandatory generic as well as job-specific language trainings. Coupled that with Affirmative Quotas in Government-funded posts.