In order to create a safe society for all, my community and I have a role to play – in support and solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement – we must become more vocal about our experiences to bring diverse narratives of racism that are not much spoken out about, writes Mariko Hayashi
Hate crimes against Chinese, Japanese and Southeast Asian communities in the West Midlands have doubled since the first quarter of this year. It is also reported that victims of Asian ethnicity were the most common recorded for hate crime in June. This is another increase after a three-fold increase in the first quarter nationally, compared to a year before. End the Virus of Racism, a group of activists who have come together to tackle issues of racism against East and Southeast Asian communities, has launched a crowdfunding campaign aiming to establish the UK’s first non-profit dedicated to addressing systemic racism faced by people of East and Southeast Asian heritage.
As an advocate of migrants’ rights and a community organiser of East and Southeast Asian communities, recently I have been given some opportunities to speak about experiences of racism against our communities, especially in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. The common response I often got from the audience is that they had not much heard first-hand stories of racism against people of East and Southeast Asian heritage in the UK. I’m very much aware that our communities have been invisible in British society, even among BAME communities we find ourselves as a minority group.
Our invisibility is also shown by the way in which British society categorises Asian minority ethnics. The term “Asian” in this country is often used to refer to people of South Asian ethnicity. When answering questions about your ethnicity on surveys such as census or equal opportunities monitoring forms, under the “Asian/Asian British” category, we are given five options – Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Chinese and Other Asian. Many people like me have no other choice but to tick “Other Asian”. Asia is the largest continent that is home to 60% of the world population and consists of regions such as the Middle East, South-, Central-, East and Southeast Asia. There are very diverse ethnic groups within. Yet once in the UK, most of us are all categorised into one “Other Asian” group and diversity of these communities is wiped out.
This is why the figures of hate crime against Chinese people that have tripled in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic may not clearly reflect the real experiences of East and Southeast Asian communities who are affected. According to the report about a threefold increase in hate crime against East and Southeast Asian people, which I outlined in my previous post, some police forces counted only cases when victims were “Chinese”, the others included offences against people of other heritage, such as other East and Southeast Asian backgrounds, but racialised as “Chinese”. The categorisation of the figure from the West Midlands Police mentioned at the beginning of this post is also inconsistent.
Silence
Another reason why those official figures do not fully reflect on the real pictures is underreporting. During public discussions I attended last month, many people raised issues of under-reported hate crime. I learned from a National Policing Advisor for Hate Crime of the National Police Chief’s Council that hate crimes against Chinese or East and Southeast Asian communities are less likely to be reported than some other types of hate crime. It is often said to be due to language barriers and some of our cultural backgrounds. At the same time, based on my own perspectives as a migrant with temporary immigration status and years of work with vulnerable migrant communities, I have another explanation for this.
We, members of migrant communities, are often reluctant to approach the police or the others to seek help even when we are the victim. The hostile environment created by the British government and implemented by the Home Office over the last decade has severely affected our relationship with the authorities and others within communities. For example, citizen-to-citizen policing on immigration statuses such as workplace immigration checks, eligibility checks for healthcare, bank accounts, pensions, driving licences, rental contracts and benefits, has deeply damaged trust to the local authorities or between members of our own communities. Knowing about aggressive immigration raids, racially profiled stop-and-search operations, and the frequent use of force during detention and deportation, many migrants do not want to have anything to do with authorities such as the police.
Those with limited or no immigration status are more likely to be in precarious, low-paid, night-shift or behind-the-closed-door jobs face higher risks of abuse. But can they feel safe and protected by turning to a police force under the governance of the same Home Office which has the power to deny their visa or asylum applications, detain, or even deport them by force? Migrant communities have been silenced in the environment of fear that is built upon institutionalised racism within the British government and in particular the Home Office. As long as structural racism exists, racist abuse will continue happening on UK streets, schools and workplaces.
Equality
As East and Southeast Asian migrants, we are scared of not only racist abuse and attacks but also scared of what could happen to us, our friends and family if we report them. We’re scared of the institutions that are supposed to keep us safe. We will not feel safe until the hostile environment ends and we see fundamental reform of both policy and culture at the heart of the government that has perpetuated racism.
In order to create a safe society for all, my community and I have a role to play – in support and solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement – we must become more vocal about our experiences to bring diverse narratives of racism that are not much spoken out about. Further, we must challenge the racism that exists within our communities. And more importantly, we must not give up fighting for fundamental human rights, equality, and safety for all.
Mariko Hayashi is an independent researcher on migration and human rights issues, director of the Southeast and East Asian Centre and a migrant ambassador with Migrant Voice.
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