South Asians in Hong Kong
South Asians in Hong Kong Mapping Migration Stories, A Digital History Project
South Asians in Hong Kong
Mapping Migration Stories, A Digital History Project
About
From the earliest government records in the 1840s to present day debates about the city’s future, South Asians have been a prominent presence in every chapter of Hong Kong’s modern history. But while Hong Kong is often recognized as a city of migrants in both academic and popular narratives, the nature and lineages of South Asian migration to the city have yet to receive adequate attention. If South Asian migration has not featured prominently in historical accounts of Hong Kong, then Hong Kong has rarely featured in broader histories of the South Asian diaspora despite its important role in diasporic networks across Asia and the Pacific.
Employing digital humanities methods and traditional archival techniques, South Asians in Hong Kong intends to address this lacuna in historical scholarship by equipping students, teachers, scholars and the general public with the tools and resources to better understand and engage with the varied contributions and experiences of Hong Kong’s South Asian community. The project seeks to shed life on both the historical factors that have informed the flows of different communities from South Asia to Hong Kong, while also paying attention to the everyday experiences of those who have travelled through the city and made it their home. With these goals in mind, the project is built upon two major pillars.
Archiving South Asian Hong Kong
Working with the Special Collections in the University of Hong Kong we plan to establish a new archive dedicated to the experiences of the South Asian community in Hong Kong. This will be open to researchers, students and the wider community interested in the history of South Asian migration. As this archive develops we also hope to use material from these collections for small public exhibitions in the University and in the city. For more information please see our Archiving South Asian Hong Kong page.
Mapping Migration
Through a study of both official government records (census material, almanacs, business records), newspaper collections and archival material, we intend to create an interactive map that helps visualise the historical flows of migration from South Asians to Hong Kong. The map will help demonstrate why and how communities came to Hong Kong, unpack the changing demographics of this community, and map where communities worked and resided. The map will also enable users to explore the histories of key institutions that have played important roles in the South Asian Hong Kong story, including religious sites, businesses, schools and clubs. For more information please see our Mapping Migration Page.
If you would like to contribute to this project or have questions please complete the Contact Us page.
This project has been supported by funding generously provided by the Department of History and the School of Humanities at the University of Hong Kong.