Know the nation first
Iwas born and raised in Hong Kong with a natural sense of hometown attachment, but I am a Chinese who identifies with his motherland and cares about her development. When I see the country develop well and become more prosperous, I feel satisfied and pleased deep in my heart; and I hate to see injustice done in the country and hope it will never happen again, because I am Chinese, an ordinary Chinese citizen. As Chinese citizens we should know our motherland.
When I pursued higher education overseas 20 years ago, I was already thoroughly immersed in my sense of Chinese nationality. Back then the country’s economy was not as prosperous as it is today and I was treated rudely every now and then. For instance, I once heard a local yell at me in the street, “Go home, Chinese monkey!” That made me realize we must build our country stronger so that our compatriots are treated with the respect we deserve wherever they go. To do so, however, we must get to know our motherland better first.
When Hong Kong was under British colonial rule, the government deliberately weakened Hongkongers’ sense of national identity by favoring English over Chinese in the education system and preventing locals from knowing the motherland well. Forget about learning the modern history of China. In those days even the basic knowledge of Chinese geography was unavailable in local schools. I knew there were 18 districts in Hong Kong back then, but was not sure how many provinces there were in the country. I still feel embarrassed when I recall those days. That is why I am 100 percent for learning as much about all aspects of our own country as possible.
Knowing the country well does not mean blind agreement with everything, given the fact the country has so many problems that need fixing, but we all understand our country is advancing positively and that means it is going in the right direction despite occasional missteps. As Chinese citizens we are obliged to agree with the country on things done right and work harder on fixing the problems. Bottom line is we should approach the country’s imperfection constructively instead of merely swearing at it and blasting it.