Ordinary Gweilo

Two rather different views of Chinese New Year. Over at Voluntarily in China, which is new to me, an American who finds it a happy time of year, and enjoys the traditions. On the other hand, we have Fumier (now officially deemed a Brit unless he specifically denies it), who feels that CNY is part of the “family tax” imposed on most people in Hong Kong, and hopes that we won’t think him “culturally insensitive”.

Overall I enjoy Chinese New Year, and I don’t have any problem with visiting my wife’s family, though I suppose we get off lightly given that my family is in the UK.

I also have to take issue with Fumier’s curmudgeonly attitude towards family obligations. One of the first things I noticed when I came to Hong Kong was that family ties definitely seem to be stronger here than in the UK (and western society generally). One manifestation of this is greater respect towards older family members, which often includes supporting them financially and providing them with somewhere to live (or living in their home). In turn, this can make it easier for both parents to work full-time and bring up children, because grandparents (and domestic helpers) help to look after the kids. As Brian over at Voluntarily in China points out

Chinese children are especially close to their paternal grandparents because more often than not they are the ones they spend the most time with growing up while the parents are working.

The obligation to provide financial support to your parents can be a burden, and this will very much depend upon individual circumstances, but it can be set off against tax. The other aspect of this is parents living with their children, which has advantages and disadvantages, but the fundamental problem is the small size of the average apartment and a shortage of affordable accomodation. When I was a child, my grandparents lived with us for many years, but we had a huge house and they were able to have their own space and privacy in a way that is not possible in a Hong Kong apartment.

Comparing this with the western way of doing things is difficult. The British system fundamentally assumes that the state has a responsibility to look after elderly people, and this is one reason why taxes are so much higher. This may get worse, because many European countries face a big problem in funding state pensions in coming years as the working population gets smaller and more people retire.

I believe that the role of the family in Hong Kong society makes it more stable, and helps to explain the lower crime rate and almost total absence of hooliganism and vandalism. If the price to pay for that is supporting your parents financially, and spending a bit more time visiting them, I reckon it’s a good deal.