Racism against East-Asian / Chinese - your honest thoughts (moving back to England)

[JerryBean]

Hi everyone. I am planning on moving back to England after over a decade in Hong Kong. I posted this in the parenting thread but suspect it was not the right thread!

My wife is from Hong Kong. We do not have children yet but plan to.

My concern is that there has been more and more news about apparently racist attitudes towards people of East-Asian / Chinese appearance, in particular just last week, a lecturer (from China) at Uni of Southampton was attacked after going for a jog: //www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-hampshire-56209881

There was another 'spontaneous' attack on the UCL Singaporean student on Oxford St last year, which I was 'hoping' would be an isolated incident, but obviously there are nasty people out there. Seems Trump and potentially Brexit have had a hand in influencing how people feel (not least people being stuck indoors due to a virus likely originating in China) - but to violently attack someone speaks of a real kind of hatred / tribalism / racism .

I am hoping this passes - but I would be grateful for your honest views on whether you think this will get worse, or what you hear through your friends / family in fact suggests there is an undercurrent of racism?

I ask because my future children may grow up in the UK and I don't want them to feel afraid if they are just going for a jog. I might reconsider moving to a South East Asian country like Singapore if it looks like UK is not welcoming.

[IndecentCakes]

I think the UK has become a lot worse. I'm married to a South American and even in a 'naice' area, we got nasty comments.

[TherapyTankedMySelfEsteem]

Coronavirus hasn’t helped.

I would have said its broadly fine - a little sneery in place with high density populations for example.

But coronavirus in the news + chinese face has shown up some ugly and ignorant sides to people.

[sonnysunshine]

I have a few friends who are Japanese and Chinese (first and second gen). Most of them have had little obvious racism. But awfully around the start of the pandemic two of them had separate incidents of out and out racism. Over the 15 years I've known them this was the only obvious times.

[sonnysunshine]

We do live in a multicultural metropolis though and I haven't seen a huge amount of racism.n

[JerryBean]

Hmm well I'm hoping it is limited to the pandemic and recent nationalist sentimentalities. But it is a bit concerning that someone can just be going for a jog, stands up for themselves and then gets a blood nose.

[Serin]

DD and her East Asian BF had a bit of abuse from a couple of black lads last week as they walked through a park. They asked her why she was with him and called him obnoxious anti Chinese terms.
This is the first time they have ever experienced this and I think it was a shock for both of them.
DH has a lot of East Asian children in his inner city school, he is not aware of any overt racism towards them there. I am also aware of several families from Hong Kong moving into our very small town recently and they have been made very welcome.

[Namenic]

I’ve lived in a university city (many East Asian language and uni students) for nearly 10 years, and also in a prosperous small, majority white town. No issues with racism. 1 fellow East Asian student at uni was punched by a drunk person once - but he never mentioned any racist overtones. My siblings live in London and haven’t mentioned anything they have personally experienced. I haven’t been out and about much during this pandemic as I am pregnant and wfh - so haven’t got the full picture since covid. I suspect different areas of U.K. will be different.

Singapore is a different culture - you are probably less likely to get punched by a drunk person there. I personally have not experienced sexual harassment in U.K., but my brothers’ friends say it is a problem. It happens in Singapore, but they are much stricter about it and I think it’s probably less of an issue. I think I’d be happier my kids going out to playgrounds or at night (for teens) on their own in Singapore. But the school system can be pressured and it can be quite a small place and maybe a bit restrictive as they grow into teenagers. Public services run smoothly, corona- is well managed and it’s a nice place (too hot for DH though!)

[Pinotpleasure]

FYI - if you settle in Singapore you need to be aware that sons of Permanent Residents will have to do full time National Service as soon as they leave secondary education and then for a couple of weeks every year until they are 40 years old.

If they leave Singapore for university or employment and wish to retain residency in Singapore then a bond (costing many thousands of $$$$) will be forfeited if the son doesn’t return.

OTOH our family enjoyed living in Singapore for a few years but with an equatorial climate (no Spring, Autumn or Winter) and daylight hours being the same all year round it did get a bit tedious.

There are many Chinese in the UK including Malaysian, Singaporean, Indonesian and Hong Kong Chinese as well as mainlanders; just look for Facebook and expats in the UK websites and they can tell your wife about life here.

[CatChant]

I am half-Chinese, have lived all my life in London and have had no problems with racism since the 1970s (name-calling by one or two bigots at school).

My DC have never had any issues. Mixed race children of various backgrounds are pretty much the norm in all the schools they've attended.

[icelolly12]

I witnessed racist abuse - some scrotes shouting insults at people coming out of the Chinese supermarket and friends have also witnessed abuse. Is staying in Hong Kong not an option?

[Snog]

My friend is a nurse and has had a lot of abuse since Covid. Nurses seem to be expected to tolerate some awful behaviours at work 😞

[countrygirl99]

My DSs partner is from Hong Konv and works in a public facing role. She had a few problems during the first lockdown but generally only comes across the occasional idiot. Ironically DIL from a nordic country had far more bad experiences around the time of the Brexit referendum.

[madisonbridges]

Honestly, if you're always going to be worried and scared for your family to live here, you're probably best not coming back. Singapore is a fantastic country. I loved it. And having a majority Chinese population might make your wife feel more secure and put your mind at rest.

[sergeantmajor]

I would like to redress the balance of comments in this thread. The UK is one of the most 'successful' multi-cultural nations out there, and big cities are well accustomed to people with international roots. Indeed in some parts of the capital you are a bit different if you don't have any heritage from elsewhere. I am from a minority group and although occasionally there are idiots, the overwhelming majority of Brits are fair-minded, unprejudiced, unbothered about different heritage. Good manners and decent values reign, friendships and marriages flourish across races, now more than ever, despite Brexit. Yes, it is no doubt a different experience coming from somewhere where you blend in completely but it would be entirely disproportionate to say don't move here on that basis.