When it comes to a Chiu Chownese family that also owns a Chiu Chow restaurant, people might simply assume that the family members would have a strong Chiu Chownese identity. But when we took a closer look to the Wu family, it seems that the ability of speaking Chiu Chownese does not affect one’s perception towards language identity.
“I think I am a Chiu Chownese that has moved to Hong Kong.” - Papa Wu
It is easy to understand that different generation would hold different views on their own identity, as they were born and raised in a completely different cultural background. For the first and second generations like Papa Wu, they see themselves as Chiu Chownese as they have a deeper emotional connection to Chiu Chow. To them, Hong Kong is more of a place where they run a business for a better living quality. Although the family have been living in Hong Kong for more than 20 years, the first and second generations still do not relate themselves as Hong Konger even some of them could actually speak Cantonese
“Of course I am a Hong Konger!” - Emily Wu
For the third generation like Emily, they only see Chiu Chow as their hometown where most of their relatives are from, while Hong Kong is where they truly belong to. Unlike the first and second generation, the third generation have no doubt in recognising themselves as Hong Konger. They consider Chiu Chownese a communication tool which carries no emotional ties, and thus do not contribute in their identity building.
