Before you bash me, hear me out. My intention is not to accuse. If I wanted to pick a fight, I’d be a politician— not a teacher.
So be kind as you read this.
When I came to Hong Kong 13 years ago, I remember speaking to a local friend. I said, “I am glad that people like you are not racist towards Filipinos like me.”
That person said, “Haha! It’s okay! Many of us like Filipinos. It’s those Indians and Pakistanis we don’t like.”
I heard this kind of statement for many years, and I eventually had the courage to call people out on it. Racism is racism, no matter who the target is. And it hurts everyone— not just the people they talk about.
The recent comments about our South Asian sisters and brothers are hurtful. It is irresponsible, for anyone in a position of influence, to overgeneralise characteristics and impose these beliefs on any group of people, particularly those in the minority.
For many, this seems harmless— “It was a careless statement that wasn’t intended to cause damage.”
But it does. I recently saw a video of a local child who was interviewed after a cultural exchange experience. She said, “I didn’t realise that South Asian people are so nice. I thought they were dirty and criminals, but they are actually good.”
It is in subtle conversations where we reinforce social stereotypes. However, it is in our conscious daily conversations where we have the power to break it.
I am encouraging you now to make that positive choice. Acknowledge racial insensitivity where it is— let’s even look inside ourselves to see where we can be better. (Even I need a lot of this.)
Then, let’s say, “the hate stops there. From hereon, the change comes from me.”
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