City natives warming to the inrush of people from other provinces as urbanization forces them to get along.

Luo Qi knows all about the discrimination that people from the rest of China face from their Shanghainese compatriots.

Sometimes treated as second-class citizens by those born in China's financial hub, who refer to other Chinese as waidiren (outsiders), and may even refuse to let their children wed non-Shanghainese, they can feel ostracized.

"Every newcomer to the city has a hard time. It is easy to feel isolated and confused here," said the 29-year-old from Zhengzhou, Henan province.

He remembers feeling lonely and depressed after failing to grasp the several Shanghai dialects being spoken around him, which quickly created a sense that he did not belong.

Shanghai natives form an urban tribe set apart from the rest of China by language, customs, architecture, food and attitudes, writes Brook Larmer in National Geographic.

"Their culture, often called haipai (Shanghai style), emerged from the city's singular history as a meeting point of foreign merchants and Chinese migrants."

But there are signs that the tide is turning. This converges with a point in history when more educated migrant workers are swamping the city in line with China's unparalleled urbanization drive.

Around 54 percent of the population now lives in urban areas but this is expected to rise to 60 percent by 2020, according to official statistics.

As such, it is no longer possible for Shanghai natives to live in cocoons separated from those who hail from different cities and social strata, with habits or customs they may consider vulgar or at least very different.

Gradually, local residents who were born and grew up in the city, especially senior ones, are realizing they have to learn standard Mandarin, which is already overshadowing the main Shanghai dialect here in many social settings.

Zhong Qin, a 60-year-old retired nurse, could barely speak Mandarin a few years ago.

"Now I have to use it daily with my neighbors, most of whom come from different parts of the country," said Zhong. She also started learning English to communicate with her German daughter-in-law.

Migrant city

Shanghai, a global financial hub filled with iconic skyscrapers, plays home to people from all over the world.

Every day, hundreds or even thousands pour in looking for jobs and places to live. Those who settle and try to receive the coveted Shanghai hukou - a permanent residence permit that offers access to better healthcare and education - are known as "new Shanghainese". They frequently struggle to adapt to the local culture.

Since China embarked on the road of reform and opening up in the 1980s, the city's population has exploded. By the end of 2013 it had a residential population of over 24.15 million, according to figures released by the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Statistics.

It can take a long time for them to get established here professionally and socially, although that process seems to be getting easier.

Luo had to do it the hard way. But after eight years his views of the Shanghainese have changed.

"Local residents are far less annoying than how they are described in Chinese jokes, which usually mock them as being shrewd and arrogant," he said.

To help others vent their frustration and find friends he founded Me Library, a bookstore where young people can share their stories.

"I think the real Shanghainese are well-mannered, elegant and generous. They just long for a comfortable life," he said. "They love helping and offering advice to newcomers and are very open-minded."

Rockid Hu from nearby Zhejiang province and his girlfriend Cherry Chen from Southeastern Fujian province found a novel way to make friends. They organize a regular event called SweetSalt family dining room and invite strangers to taste the dishes they prepare.

Hu, a graphic designer, said he was overwhelmed with applicants when he posted a notice online. Many have since become his friends.

Jessie Jiang and her sister relocated to Shanghai from Chongqing over a decade ago. They now run a homely bar called C's in the former French Concession. Jessie met her husband there.

For some newcomers to the city, it is the closest thing they have to Sam's bar in the sitcom Cheers.

"We slept in a bunk bed in an 8-square-meter room when we first arrived," said Jiang. "I feel like we trekked around the whole city with that bed before we finally had our own families in this exciting city."

New Shanghainese

The new Shanghainese who have fused their cultural identities with the locals are often highly skilled, according to some pundits.

"The new Shanghainese tend to be better educated with more work experience and a lot of practical skills to achieve success in their careers," said Zhou Haiwang, deputy director of the Institute of Urban and Population Development Studies at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences.

Local residents have accepted the arrival of those born since the early 1980s and are eager to accommodate them, he added.

"Shanghai is an attractive city full of opportunities for outsiders," said Yu Hai, a sociology professor at Shanghai's Fudan University.

"It offers enough freedom for people from other cities and countries to make their dreams come true and blend into the local culture."

"However, certain adjustments should be made to improve the social welfare of new arrivals, who feel insecure about being different. The city should not only attract talented professionals, but also welcome low-paid laborers."

Some migrant workers struggle as their access to essential public services falls short.

"It is quite difficult to live and work on par with locals if you don't have a Shanghai hukou, which is tough to get," said 27-year-old Xiu Shui, who came here three years ago to work as a Web engineer.

He said many people from other places in the country still find it hard to befriend Shanghainese, who often keep to their own social circles built on friendships established in childhood.

"We have mixed feelings about the city. It is rich and diverse, but we also feel the loneliness of the outsider, so we go trekking and do other activities to cheer each other up," he said.

yuran@chinadaily.com.cn

It is becoming more common to see people from outside the city to take part in the local activities such as public dancing. Provided to China Daily

Cherry Chen and Rockid Hu (center) make new friends through their regular family dining events.

Jessie Jiang (center) from Chongqing opened C's bar with her sister a decade ago. Provided to China Daily

(China Daily USA 03/20/2015 page9)