Difficulty: Challenger (Level 2)
On a humid evening in Hong Kong, a server at the African eatery Ghana Locals in Chungking Mansions shows a first-timer how to pinch fufu. Fufu is a dough made from boiled and pounded starches, and it is usually dipped into soups and stews.
Tess Karl Buah is the owner of this eatery. She arrived in Hong Kong from Ghana in 2000 and opened the restaurant seven years ago.
“Africans are just 40 per cent of my customers,” she said. “I have a lot of locals, expatriates and tourists.”
Ghana Locals serves popular dishes like fufu with goat soup, tilapia, and jollof rice with plantain and chicken or fish. Most of the spices the eatery uses come from Ghana.
For diners unsure where to start, pictures are on display to help.
“Some people don’t understand English, and I don’t speak much Chinese, so we use photos,” Buah said.
For some guests, the owner added, “The first time they talk to a Black person is here.”
She also said she thought trying African foods and learning about its cultures could really help break down harmful stereotypes and create new connections.
Building bridges
A short walk away in Jordan, the Africa Centre Hong Kong helps people meet and learn about African cultures. They have many activities that help to break down stereotypes and build new friendships.
“We focus on rebranding Blackness, connecting communities and building Black consciousness,” said Tinotenda Muzairi, who works at the NGO in business development.
Muzairi talked about how silly it was for people to be scared of Chungking Mansions.
“Does all the crime that happens in Hong Kong happen at Chungking Mansions?” he asked.
If you believe that, Muzairi said, “then you might as well stay home”.
To change how people think, the centre offers tours of Chungking Mansions where students can talk to shop owners and eat their snacks.
Students who came in feeling unsure often come back with friends or family. The shops they visit, both African and South Asian, have noticed that more people visit their businesses.
Opening a door
The Africa Centre also offers internships and job programmes for young people with ethnic minority backgrounds. They also host workshops in schools to help students learn about African cultures.
The NGO also hosts “Injera Nights” that bring people together over injera, an Ethiopian and Eritrean fermented flatbread often eaten with different vegetable and meat dishes.
Still, according to community initiatives coordinator Nebra Younis, “There’s still a long way to go.”
Younis highlighted the importance of supporting new Africans in Hong Kong. She wants to create more opportunities for them to join professional groups and share positive stories that counter negative stereotypes.
“When Africans have an equal footing here in Asia … that will be impact,” Muzairi added.
