MeetingPlace:EncountersacrossCulturesinHongKong,1841–1984presentsdetailedempiricalstudiesofday-to-dayinteractionsbetweenpeopleofdifferentculturesinavarietyofsettings.Thebroadconclusion—thattherewassustainedandmultilevelcontactbetweenmenandwomenofdifferentcultures—willchallengeandcomplicatetraditionalhistoricalunderstandingsofHongKongasacityeitherofrigidsegregationorofpervasiveintegration.
Givenitsgeographicallocation,itsstatusasafreeport,anditsroleasacenterofmigration,HongKongwasanextraordinarilyporousplace.Peopleofdiverseculturesmetandmingledhere,oftenwithunexpectedresults.Thecasestudiesinthisbookdrawbothonpreviouslyunusedsourcesandonarigorousrereadingoffamiliarmaterials.TheyexplorerelationshipsbetweenandwithintheJapanese,Eurasian,German,Portuguese,British,Chinese,andothercommunitiesinareasofactivitythathaveoftenbeenoverlooked—fromtheschoolroomandthefamilyhometothecourtroomandinternationaltradingconcern,fromthegardensofGovernmentHousetoboardinghousesfordestitutesailors.IntheirdiverseexperiencesweseenotjustEastmeetingWest,butalsoEastmeetingEast,andSouthmeetingNorth—infact,arangeofcomplexanddynamicprocessesthatseemtorenderobsoleteanysimplisticconceptionof“EastmeetsWest.”
ACROSS PORTUGUESE KONG MEETING British GERMAN Chinese HONG
