Loss of Hometown: Young Hongkongers’ Collective Grief following the 2019 Social Movement

Abstract

This qualitative study aimed to explore the unheard grief of young people following the 2019 social movement in Hong Kong. Sixteen participants were interviewed in-depth. Thematic analysis was conducted. Participants perceived Hong Kong as no longer the place they knew and expressed collective grief over the loss of their hometown. The understanding of their hometown was shattered amidst losses of freedom and justice. They grieved because of their unique relationships with Hong Kong and their identity as Hongkongers. This symbolic home-loss grief can be better understood at both emotional and existential levels. Findings suggest the importance of acknowledging and articulating this grief and a deeper understanding of the collective grief emerging from losses, in which people were connected by shared values.