Where are you from? It should be a simple question.
But for many young Chinese people who were born in A, but studied in B, while holding a hukou (official residence permit) from C, yet now live in D, the question becomes rather complicated.
Identity is formed through a person's interaction with their social environment, so when people frequently shift from one place to the next, their ideas, temperaments, lifestyles – their personal identities – are all influenced by the various cultures where they live.
As the concept of "hometown" becomes increasingly ambiguous and the sense of belonging weakens, more Chinese people have only a vague understanding of their identities, and are confused by such a simple question as, "Where are you from?"
Sample 1: Girl tries to hide her hometown
After studying and working in Beijing for more than ten years, Tang Ying (alias) does not like people to know that she is from Wenzhou, located in southeastern China's Zhejiang Province.
Wenzhou, known as the birthplace of China's private economy, holds many negative connotations for Zhang. She still remembers the jokes after she graduated from university – Does your family run a business for small commodities? Or, how do your follow townspeople make fake products?
So, when asked where she is from, Tang, who works as a news reporter, gives the more general answer of "Zhejiang Province."
However, as Tang became well known for her stories and articles, she tried to write columns for her hometown's newspapers and magazines as well. She also attended her middle school's anniversary as one of its outstanding alumni.
Now when she is asked the question, Tang's answer has become a bit more complicated: "I was born in Wenzhou, but I have been working in Beijing for many years."
Tang is a typical example of an immigrant who has tried to obscure her birth place, thinking that her hometown may shame or embarrass her. However, once these immigrants achieve a level of success, their complicated feelings about their hometowns tend to recede.
