In April 2025, the DEIJB Lab proudly inaugurated the first-ever South Asian Heritage Month in Hong Kong. This celebration pays tribute to Hong Kong’s vibrant South Asian community, which has long enriched the city’s cultural and social landscape. The DEIJB Lab invited community members to share stories that connect their journeys, lives, and experiences with Hong Kong.

As contributions came in, narratives unfolded around themes of finding home away from home, the comfort of a friend’s familiar laughter long after the moment has passed, the festivals and rituals we associate with the presence of family and loved ones, and the fabrics that colour our lives as we seek belonging in new, but much beloved borders. They traced the roots of civilisational heritage that have travelled from ancestral lands and around the globe to touch every corner of our lives, including in Hong Kong. They highlighted, for the first time for readers within and outside the community alike, their significant contributions to humanity and the large and small but significant ways in which these communities have forged connections beyond borders.

By the end of the month, what began as a humble LinkedIn campaign to foster a deeper understanding of our shared quest for home, happiness, and heartfelt connections, evolved into a rich tapestry of cultural values and experiences that paid homage to South Asian communities in Hong Kong while resonating with lived experiences of South Asian diaspora communities around the world. From beautiful anecdotes and odes to culture and community emerged a web of intricate threads that bind us to together in our shared experience of Hong Kong as home. These stories were a balm to heal hurting hearts that felt invisibilised or misunderstood, and longed for home. The unity these tales forged quickly overshadowed any differences, building bonds of belonging and visibility that has burgeoned into newfound confidence, community and understanding.

Revisit the campaign here! https://shorturl.at/2YU3f