LOCAL
The people who make this city shine Cheyelene Fontanilla meets the founder of Dear Hong Kong
The untold stories of people from 150 countries who became Hongkongers. A book about humanity, diversity and identity. – Oskar Valles
In 2014 Oskar Valles embarked on a mission to find one person from every country in the world residing in the city. Considering there are almost eight million people living in Hong Kong, it was no easy feat. Years later, however, it is now a published bilingual photo book, the result of over 100 interviews done by a team of volunteers led by Valles. What began as a passion project is now a real, tangible collection of stories about Hongkongers from all walks of life and from all over the globe. What is at the heart of this book? The beauty in the differences that set us apart and the common thread that ties us all together as people. In interviewing one person from every nationality that can be found in Hong Kong, Valles and his
team, which includes Aggie Lam and Bradley Aaron, have highlighted the true extent of diversity that walk this city’s streets. In a world that’s wracked with prejudice, Dear Hong Kong boldly strives to break stereotypes, evoke empathy and promote what we stand to gain from each other’s differences. This is done through honest, vulnerable storytelling and intimate photographs as well as translations. Every feature is translated into both English and Chinese, which was key for Valles when he was working to publish these stories. He wanted these accounts of people from all over the world, who chose to make Hong Kong their home, accessible to more than just the expat community. “This book is for locals,” he says.
Zeroing in on one particular story, Dr. Michael Manio from the Philippines is a member of the faculty of medicine at The University of Hong Kong (HKU). He was also the founder of the Domestic Worker Empowerment Project (now named EmpowerU), a civic organisation under HKU that gives free lectures and training workshops to migrant domestic workers. The programme has 700 students and with education and cultural understanding at the forefront of it, it has transformed many domestic workers’ lives in Hong Kong. Dr. Manio is just one of the several written about in this book. Others include business magnate Allan Zeman, cinematographer Christopher Doyle and model/activist Harmony Ilunga. As for Dr. Manio, there’s some sound advice in his Dear Hong Kong feature that encapsulates one shared aspect of the human experience: “Don’t let small minds persuade you that your dreams are too big.”
Where to buy it Available at Bookazine and online, shop.dearhongkong.org
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