How dull it would be if everyone were the same, like so many identical peas in a pod. To the interested observer, it is the great variety of humankind that adds spice to life. Yet while we try to present Hong Kong as Asia's "World City", widespread prejudice remains against many of those who are different.

Prejudice exists here against all manner of foreigners, including gweilos (Caucasians), Indians, Arabs, Japanese, Africans, Indonesians, Filipinas and against many other nationalities and ethnic groups.

There is also a seemingly widespread prejudice on the part of Hong Kong Chinese citizens, against others from the same ethnic group including new mainland immigrants, returning overseas Chinese and mainland tourists.

It may be especially difficult to legislate against that particular type of prejudice, as those involved share the same ethnicity. It is also somewhat paradoxical, since a majority of Hong Kong families originated in the mainland not that long ago.

Then there is also prejudice against the disabled, the aged, the fat, those of darker complexion, the unemployed, homosexuals, transsexuals, bisexuals, the blind, others for their religious beliefs, and even for being poor or rich!

I recently heard of a teacher, who before being offered an interview, was asked if he was fat. Whether he was fat or thin would have no bearing upon his ability to teach, so the question was irrelevant, it was disrespectful and prejudicial.

Hong Kong is an ethnically homogenous society, 94 percent of those living here being Chinese. The two largest groups of foreign workers here are domestic maids, being largely Filipina and Indonesian. It shows how far we are from having a genuinely inclusive society that, however long they live here, domestic maids are unfairly prohibited from applying for permanent residence in Hong Kong. Whilst the fractious universal suffrage debate rages, universal rights to residency have apparently been overlooked.

Disrespecting those from other minority groups in a society is generally based on a combination of ignorance, intolerance and a superiority complex. While legal remedies are available to address the most blatant cases of unfair discrimination, illegal and unfair discrimination is, under current legislation, hard to prove as employers can claim any number of reasons why an applicant has not been offered the job.

Some categories of unfair discrimination, such as those based on gender or marital status, are already outlawed, and rightly so. Others, however, are yet to be outlawed. The Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) is conducting a wide-ranging review of the current situation, to position itself for a later push for more stringent legislation prohibiting unfair discrimination. Readers have until Oct 7 to contribute to this debate by completing a series of questions, which can be found on the EOC website at www.eocdlr.org.hk.

A recent EOC mini-survey reported alarming levels of unfair workplace discrimination, particularly in smaller Hong Kong firms. As yet unprotected areas of discrimination were found, for example against the middle-aged and against new immigrants. Clearly the EOC now needs to introduce legislation to prohibit all such types of unfair discrimination, and against many others besides.

This hoped for provision of enhanced legal strictures against proven cases of unfair prejudice, will not in and of itself end prejudice. It will serve only to control the worst manifestations of unfair prejudice. That same small-scale EOC survey on workplace prejudice also established that most cases of such unfair treatment by employers never get reported as complaints.

We need other ways to help minimize - and eventually eliminate - prejudice. Though the local people working for international firms in Central, for example, routinely interact with their foreign fellow employees, bosses or customers, such mixing becomes far less likely in many of the more local establishments in other parts of our crowded territory. In many areas, away from the established commercial districts, non-Chinese persons are a distinct minority. Thus a lack of familiarity comes in as a factor leading to prejudice. Some locals, those who don't work with, or live near foreigners, risk harboring prejudice against them out of ignorance.

The more outward-looking approach of many of our younger citizens gives some hope for improvement. Japanese fashion and food, and Korean pop music, are very popular with Hong Kong youngsters - no prejudice there!

Every nationality, ethnic or religious group, or other minority has something to offer. By arranging regular experience sessions at local schools, colleges and various public venues, the coming generations can learn more about other cultures and ways of life. For example, for each country's national day, programs about it could be presented in local schools, perhaps with nationals of that country attending - ideally attired in their national costume and bearing dishes of their national cuisine - to speak and answer questions. These and other public education activities should help eliminate some of the prejudice that currently remains as a blot on our reputation as a cosmopolitan world city of great diversity.

The author is a Hong Kong-based commentator, who has worked in more than thirty other countries. He is an adviser to the Hong Kong Federation of the Blind.

(HK Edition 09/25/2014 page7)