Academics and politicians agree to fight racism and hate crime

With a continued increase in racially aggravated hate crime since the beginning of the pandemic, UK and US-based experts and politicians meet to discuss measures that could alleviate the problem.

The International Forum on Anti-Racial Discrimination was held online on 24^th October to address concerns about the increase in hate crime and violence during the pandemic in the U.S. and U.K, and to to suggest methods to promote racial equality in the community and in the workplace.

For minority groups living in both the UK and US, hate crime has always been an inescapable plight of daily life.  According to research conducted by Chelsea Gray and Professor Kirstine Hansen, since the outset of the pandemic, hate crime against Chinese living in London grew 4-6% in February 2020 and 11-13% in March 2020 compared with the pre-Covid-19 period. They also found that there was no increase in hate crime against other groups or other (non-hate) crimes against Chinese people. 

UK-based racial attacks on Chinese have touched all walks of life, from football pitches to university campuses. Such attacks have led to hospitalisations and increased levels of anxiety among the Chinese community of Britain, causing some to consider returning to China. The situation is mirrored in the US where racially motivated attacks on Asians have skyrocketed. The FBI stated that cases rose by over 70% last year compared with the number of such incidents in 2019. Earlier this year the Pew Research Center found that eight out of ten Asian Americans reported encountering increased levels of violence, with almost half experiencing incidents during the pandemic that related directly to their ethnicity.

• On July 14, 2020, an 89-year-old woman says two men slapped her in the face and then set her clothes on fire in Brooklyn, New York.

• An 84-year-old immigrant from Thailand was violently shoved to the ground and died in February 2021 after an attack in San Francisco, California.

• On the evening of September 18, 2021, Yuanzhao Zhang, a Chinese student from Cambridge University, was attacked and beaten violently by 10 teenagers when shopping.

• On September 20, 2021, 7-8 Chinese, mainly female students of the University of Sheffield were attacked on the head from behind with a blunt weapon by the same woman.

• On the afternoon of September 25, 2021, two Ph.D. students at Cambridge University were harassed by 5-6 local young adults. 

In addition to the obvious violent behaviour, the Chinese in the UK are also experiencing other forms of discrimination. On August 3^rd the Daily Telegraph reported that the dean of Oxford University’s law faculty revealed that porters questioned whether she had the right to enter college, all because her skin colour looked “out of place”. She told The Telegraph that similar incidents often happen, and she feels “alienated” and “exhausted” by it.

During the forum Ms. Sarah Owen, the first female MP of East or South East Asian descent in the UK Parliament, discussed how she has been working to highlight the worrying rise in hate crime faced by East and South East Asian communities in the UK during the pandemic. She highlighted the discrimination against misogyny and hate against East and South East Asian people.

Dr. Lianlian Lin shared two takeaways from the forum. She mentioned that both the U.S. and U.K are facing the same challenges and Chinese people need to join forces internationally to fight against racism. People should take a share of responsibility to stop hate crime and violence, she said.

Guangfeng Ren, president of the UK Chinese Entrepreneurs Club said: “We must all do two things: First, we must unswervingly oppose racial discrimination and speak up for ourselves, and let the racists be punished by the law. The second is to actively integrate into the mainstream society, communicate with the British closely, and tell true Chinese stories, so that the views of racists cannot stand firmly.”

Feng Zhang, president of the Chinese Students and Scholars Association UK added: “Those studying in the UK must strengthen the awareness of safe study abroad, and at the same time strengthen the sense of unity. If you encounter similar racial discrimination, please contact the British police and lawyers in time!”

Hai Li, president of the Beijing Association said: “We firmly oppose and resist all forms of racism. When encountering unfair treatment, we must bravely speak up, take up legal weapons to uphold justice, and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese people.”, “At the same time, overseas Chinese should pay attention to enhancing their own image, increase our participation, voice and influence, and uphold the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind. People of all ethnic groups have the right to live in an equal, diverse, civilized and peaceful society.”

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