Explore Cultural Identity Through the Latest Literature

Learn, grown and reconsider your values with Jason Fung’s latest book

Let’s be honest, mama, the issue of identity is one that plenty of people struggle with in Hong Kong. Whether you’re a ‘local’, born into this diverse, ever-expanding city, or whether you’re an expat, who feels at home on every continent, we can all agree that Hong Kong is a cultural melting pot.

If you’re looking for a way to explore what it means to have a co-existing cultural identity in a world where we are always looking to learn more about our own history and heritage, we’ve got a read you’ll definitely enjoy! Beyond Eurasian & Hapa: Bridging a Chinese-Western Identity is all about exploring the mix of Chinese and Western influences. The Hong Kong based author, Jason Fung was born to a Hong Kong-Chinese father and an American mother, and grew up in Los Angeles, Beijing and right here in our hometown. As you can imagine, he was often caught between the age-old “who am I” question.

Jason tells us about how he grew up questioning his identity (Eurasian? Hapa? Neither? Both?), and how his father would always say “Son, you can be a bridge.” Now, we might just use that line on our growing kiddos. As a book that strives to build bridges, and break down restrictive walls, you can bet that we can’t wait to get our hands on this explorative tale. Especially since it promises to promote the idea of a cultural go-between, which is exactly what Hong Kong provides!

The book is a direct result of Jason’s own need to organise his principles, so we are bound to learn something new! As parents, we know it’s especially important to revaluate our own values, as our little ones are so easily affected by what we say and do. Hey, no one said being a role model would be easy, mama! What is easy, however, is finding yourself in constant dialogue with different sets of world-views. And though people can be quick to see immediate culture clashes and contradictions, similarities should also be brought to the surface – and both (differences and similarities) should be celebrated! After all, Hong Kong is the epitome of merging Chinese and Western traditions.

Jason’s book aims to address the gap in literature for people with a mixed background, and, of course, the parents of little ones with parents from two (or more) different countries. His themes directly address the millennial generation (yup, those teens of yours!), as a ‘transnational identity’ has become an unaddressed reality for many! It’s true, it doesn’t matter how old you are, you never stop figuring yourself out.

As a special perk, we’ve teamed up with Jason himself to offer five lucky Sassy Mama readers a free copy of Beyond Eurasian & Hapa: Bridging a Chinese-Western Identity. Simply enter your details in the form below for the chance to win! Intrigued by the idea of cultural identity? It’s definitely worth getting your hands on this book…

So if you find yourself hesitating between countless answers when asked “where are you from?” just trust that you’re not alone! We fully recognise that it’s a privilege to live a life well travelled, and a life well lived! So if you can call yourself a citizen of the world, whether you’re mixed or not, that’s definitely something to be thankful for, mama!