不割席？從2024年台、美大選反思海外流散港人群體

2023年4月在美國發生了一件有趣的事情。當時，蔡英文總統在洛杉磯與美國眾議院議長凱文-麥卡錫會面。會場外，一個反種族主義聯盟和反中共的台灣組織發生了衝突。有趣的是，這個反種族主義聯盟的組成，是親中國共產黨的中國人，和美國當地的進步派－－反種族主義、環保主義及和平運動者，其中一個組織更在社群媒體上寫道：「我們的立法者需要記住，中國不是我們的敵人。為了人民和地球，我們需要合作，而不是競爭。」該貼文的照片裡，人們高舉中華人民共和國國旗，並拿著「中國不是我們的敵人」橫幅的合照。

香港社會及台美選舉分裂

為什麼進步派的政治組織，在知悉中共惡名昭彰的人權侵害記錄下，仍然會與親共的華人組織結盟？台、港、及其他反共流散者，該如何理解現時中美政治格局與西方左與右派；自由與保守派政治的兩極化？2024年，台灣與美國將各自舉行總統大選。在熾熱的大選氣氛下，面對台美兩地對左與右、親共與反共的兩極化張力，海外港人該何去何從？

從2019年起，Kennedy Wong 在美國和加拿大研究流散港人群體，他將在 7／3（一）晚上7點和大家分享自己的研究和見解，並進一步，討論香港人在所在地的兩極化政治中所面臨的挑戰。

在過去幾年間，美國當地的亞裔美國人和太平洋島民（AAPI）運動與爭取香港自由、民主的跨國倡議工作之間出現了不少張力。在蔡英文總統訪問洛杉磯期間，兩大陣營的對立更加明顯。海外的香港人該如何超越這些衝突，在國際間延續他們的聲音？本次活動提供一個討論和反思的空間，嘗試從去屆美國總統大選所產生的群體張力作為起點，試圖思考港人該如何為2024年的台、美大選作準備。

Do not Split?: Hong Kong Society and Electoral Divides in Taiwan and the US

In April 2023, President Tsai met with US House speakers Kevin McCarthy in Los Angeles. Outside of the venue, an anti-racism coalition and anti-CCP Taiwanese activists clashed. The anti-racism coalition was formed by pro-CCP Chinese and local anti-racism, environmentalist, and peace movement activists, one of those wrote on social media, “Our lawmakers need to remember that China is not our enemy. For people and the planet, we need cooperation, not competition.” The post featured a picture of people raising the People’s Republic of China’s flag and holding a “China is not our enemy” banner.

(Social media post link: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cqq6SRnqsCD/)

Why would progressive politics turn to pro-CCP Chinese to form a coalition, even though the CCP regime is notoriously bad in its human rights record? How should Taiwanese, Hongkongers, and other anti-CCP diasporas understand the US-China relations and the polarization of left and right, liberal and conservative politics in the West? In 2024, the United States and Taiwan will each have their own presidential elections. In the face of the tears between left and right, pro-communist and anti-communist in the resettled countries, where do overseas Hong Kong people go from here?

In this sharing, Kennedy Wong offers a few insights from my current research on Hongkonger diasporas in the US to discuss further the challenges for Hongkongers in navigating the ongoing political polarization in their resettled countries. In the US context, over the past few years, there have been tensions between the local Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) movement and the transnational advocacy work for a free Hong Kong. The confrontation between the two camps has become more evident, especially during President Tsai Ing-wen’s visit to Los Angeles.

How can Hong Kong people abroad transcend these conflicts and continue to their voices after exit in the world? The event offers a space to discuss and reflect on the group tensions generated by the last U.S. presidential election and prepare for the challenges that lie ahead in 2024 in Taiwan.

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