Equality in the public realm

Kowloon Park has long been a gathering place for the many domestic helpers employed in Hong Kong households. Veiled women from Indonesia come to visit the nearby mosque, while groups of Filipino friends and church groups meet informally in the park itself. On Sundays the park can resemble nothing so much as a vast festival, ringing with the sounds of different languages and dialects, guitars and boom boxes.

And yet, as relaxed as these helpers may look as they enjoy their free time together, they are at the center of a political controversy that has split Hong Kong. At issue is the right to permanent residency and its concomitant benefits and responsibilities. Some argue that these workers are in Hong Kong only to make money, and yet clearly this could be said of most if not all workers in the city, not just the domestic helpers. British bankers, French lawyers, American entrepreneurs: they may love Hong Kong, but they also love her low tax rates and open economy. And yet they have an easier path to permanent resident status than the helpers who make it possible for them to go out and work every day without worrying about childcare, pet care, or domestic arrangements.

For now the issue remains up in the air as it continues to be discussed in Legco and in the streets. But the weather has gotten chilly, and this New Year holiday found many helpers huddled on tarps in the city’s streets and squares, making the most of the day off despite the discomfort of sitting out in the cold.

If permanent resident status is too much to ask for these workers, could we not at least provide some sheltered public spaces dedicated to informal congregation? In malls one is expected to be shopping; little seating is provided and eating and playing music will not be tolerated. In libraries one is expected to be silent. In pedestrian overpasses one is expected to be moving along at a brisk pace. And yet all of these places host their share of domestic helpers at weekends. Surely we can do better than this. At the beginning, any indoor floor space would do the trick while future arrangements are made.

This is a need that has gone unmet for too long.  For Hong Kong to truly live up to its name as Asia’s World City, it must provide services and amenities for all its inhabitants, no matter where in the world they come from.