Collective identity, individual identity and social movements: The right-of-abode seekers in Hong Kong

This article focuses on the right of abode movement that emerged in Hong Kong soon after the 1997 handover to China. Collective action was taken by thousands of mainland-born people with Hong Kong parents to fight for the right of abode in Hong Kong. The political and legal implications of the right-of-abode issue had been widely examined in the media and academic world. This article offers another angle to the issue by exploring why mainland-born people with Hong Kong parents sacrificed their work, studies and lives in mainland China to fight for the right of abode in Hong Kong. In-depth interviews conducted with 14 mainland-born right of abode seekers shed light on the construction of collective identity and the relationship between collective identity and individual identity among movement participants.