The ethnic minority population in Hong Kong is changing. There is now a growing proportion of locally born and raised non-ethnic Chinese young people studying, working and striving to bring up a family in Hong Kong. Yet we know very little about their lives, aspirations and frustrations, their relationships with family and friends, and how they see themselves as citizens of Hong Kong. What are their experiences of growing up in local neighbourhoods, coping with the language and cultural divides in school, finding a job, seeking independence, cultivating friendships, and constructing a sense of identity and belonging? What challenges do they face, and how do they overcome them? Compared to the older generations of immigrants, do these non-ethnic Chinese young people experience greater isolation and constraints or social inclusion and better prospects in life?

This booklet tells the stories of 23 youth and young adults between the ages of 18 and 33 with family heritage in South or Southeast Asia. It draws on the results of indepth interviews with 20 non-ethnic Chinese young men and women in a longitudinal study about their changing perspectives and experiences over a period of 12 months and a series of oral history interviews with 50 non-ethnic Chinese young adults in Hong Kong. The team recruited the participants through research and personal contacts and through various organisations, clubs and universities. Their background broadly reflects the diverse profile of ethnic minority young people evident in the local census.

Through their personal accounts and photo diaries, the booklet offers important insights into the everyday lives of young people under five inter-related themes – education, work, family, leisure and identity. We have been careful not to impose our perspectives on their accounts; instead, we have cited direct quotes extensively with minor edits for better readability to enable the young people’s voices to be heard. Taken together, the stories illustrate not only the impact of individual decisions, actions and resilience but how they negotiate cultural and religious traditions and how their private experiences are shaped by wider patterns and conditions of social life. Ultimately, we hope the stories will promote a better understanding of youth transitions to adulthood and challenge some of the existing stereotypes of ethnic minority communities in Hong Kong today.

香港的少數族裔人口正不斷增加，越來越多在本地出生和成長的非華裔年青人在香港唸書、工作和努力建立家庭。然而我們對於他們的生活狀況、抱負、困惑、和家人及朋友的關係、以及他們如何看待自己的公民身份，所知甚少。他們在本地社區成長，在學校適應語言和文化分隔，找尋工作，追求獨立，建立友誼，建構身份和歸屬感，他們的成長過程究竟有怎樣的經歷？他們面對甚麽困難，又如何應對挑戰呢？與上幾代移民比較，這些非華裔年青人是否經歷更多孤立和限制，還是享有更多社會包容和更好的前景？

本書是關於23 位非華裔青年的故事，他們介乎18 至33 歲、來自南亞或東南亞族裔的家庭。我們與20 位非華裔青年進行了維時十二個月的追蹤研究，探討他們在這段期間的經驗和思想轉變；另外與50 位非華裔青年進行口述歷史訪談。我們透過研究團隊和個人的網絡，以及從不同組織、社團和大專院校招募參加者。他們的背景大致上反映了香港人口普查中所顯示的多元種族的人口組合。

本書記載了部份受訪者的個人故事和照片日記，我們將故事和日記從五個方向來編排——教育、職業、家庭、餘暇愛好、身份認同，讓讀者對少數族裔年青人的夢想、掙扎、堅持、妥協、困惑和出路有細緻和深入的了解。我們盡量避免將自己的觀點加諸到他們身上，因此大量地直接引述他們的說話，使年青人可以直接表達自己的心聲。從這些故事，我們可理解每個說故事者的個人決定、行動和掙扎，我們還可以看到個人與文化及宗教傳統之間的磨礪，以及宏觀的社會制度和條件如何塑造個人的人生經歷。我們希望這些故事可幫助大家深入認識少數族裔年青人的成長，並希望藉此糾正社會上對少數族裔社群先入為主的偏見和印象。