Fostering Belongingness through Language Play: Studying a Hong- Kong-Style Café Menu in Manchester

In recent years, socio-economic factors and the global pandemic have led many Hong Kong residents to migrate overseas, with the United Kingdom emerging as a preferred destination. The migration of cultural groups facilitates the transfer and recontextualization of cultural semiotics, gradually reconstructing a new collective cultural resonance unique to the Hong Kong migrant community in the UK. This study focuses on an intriguing menu found at a Hong Kong-style café called Happy Valley Café in a non-central area of Manchester, a major city chosen by many Hong Kong immigrants.

This paper utilizes code ambiguity framework which proposed by Luk (2013) to analyse the ludic function of language, focusing on the textual properties of café menus. By examining the phonological matching and semantic relationships in the texts, it explores how playful language is used and how the café owner leverages this playfulness to foster cultural connections and collective emotions among Hong Kong migrants, ultimately affirming their identity as Hong Kongers. Through this exploration, the paper aims to shed light on how Hong Kong migrants mobilise, transform, and reconstruct their culture and identity in the UK. Ultimately, it seeks to reveal how language can playfully foster a sense of belonging and solidarity within diasporic communities.