My mother came home one day flustered at what had happened to her at the local supermarket.
She told me how a younger woman had shouted at her because she was getting too close. What hurt me the most while she was telling me this, was the hurt in her voice and confusion in her eyes, because while she didn’t understand why this happened to her, I did.
While being an immigrant myself, the word ‘immigrant’ seems foreign to me because despite moving to the UK from the Philippines at the age of three, England has always been my home, where I’ve spent the majority of my life. I’ve done all of my education here, I speak most of the time in English, and grew up in a primarily white school and neighbourhood. Yet all of these things lack meaning and can be quickly swept away when my appearance is used as a depiction of a virus.
You don’t have to go too far to find examples of the rise of anti-Asian hate crimes across countries around the world. Vicha Ratanapakdee, Noel Quintana, and countless others have been victims of the most severe hate crimes from murder, acid attacks, and stabbings. The worst part is the extent of these attacks that have targeted the most vulnerable groups of our community from the elderly to even two-year-olds. While the surge of these xenophobic crimes has been highlighted more in the US, racism has no boundaries and while it may not be shown on our screens, anti-Asian hate crimes have increased by 21% in the UK during the coronavirus crisis (The Guardian).
For many, this issue makes us ask the simple question, why? While many factors can be drawn up to contribute to the rise of anti-Asian hate crimes, it is important to understand that this is not a new problem. Anti-Asian sentiment has been prevalent throughout Asian history in the western world. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 is a significant example of this, where Congress made it illegal for Chinese immigrants to enter the US and prevented citizenship of existing Chinese Americans. The Act was in place for double the time it was set for and later included Japanese, Filipino, Korean, Indian, and other Asian groups. Racism and discrimination were not illegal in the UK until 1965 but, Asian groups had been encouraged by the UK Government to migrate to England long before that. But that was all decades ago, it’s not as racist as it was right?
It only takes a pandemic to expose the embedded racism still prevalent in England and countries alike. Covid-19 has not brought just one virus, but two, and the one unseen by most is the virus of hate. Asians have been the common scapegoat of not just Covid-19 but many viruses before it and what has exacerbated this discourse is the role of political leadership. Most notably, Trump named it the ‘Chinese’ or ‘Wuhan’ virus. This language has fuelled many minorities in thinking that isolating one minority group is okay but in reality, the bigger enemy is white supremacy.
I guess this is the most unsettling part. This can be a common source of uneasiness for the Asian community. It’s the fact that my identity is conditional on the way this country views my race. Celebration of diversity and appreciation of Asian culture can be quickly discarded once there is a need for a minority group to blame.
An acceptance but a constant separation. Home but never a sense of belonging.
Next time you read something on the news, on Twitter, or what a political leader says, question it. How are the most powerful people in the country representing different minority groups? Speak up for a part of the community who can’t speak up. Support your Asian relatives and friends by asking them how they are doing. Take care of your wellbeing when on social media and take a break from disturbing news and acknowledge how it makes you feel. Support small Asian businesses, ask your elderly relatives if they want you to walk with them while going out.
But like with other minority groups, time allows for us to educate, learn, and heal from these incidents. Racism and hate are only learned traits and while they seem like never-ending obstacles, love is the only remedy. None of the hate crimes would have occurred if everyone acted in love, peace, and acceptance of one another. I think of the time when my mum was verbally attacked and how embarrassed she must have been, but the person I am most thankful for is the one stranger who stood up for her in the grocery aisle. Because an ally's kindness was all my mother needed to feel stronger.
Thank you to Catherine for writing an educated and personal post today. In light of current events, I wanted to make sure the voices of the asian community were being heard during this distressing time. Also, as a member of the Asian community I empathise with today's post and as Catherine rightly says, it can get exhausting consuming so much hardship, so remember to take a step back sometimes and take care of yourself too.
Catherine is the Kent Critical Law Society's Opportunities and Awareness Coordinator and UKCNepSoc's Marketing Officer.
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