Model Minorities... Asian Hate Crimes and COVID-19 by Alexius Sum

"17-year-old currently studying law, RE and History at A Levels."

1. Anti-Asian hate crimes during COVID-19.

While the pandemic has wreaked havoc on people's health around the world, it has also resulted in an increase in hate crimes targeting a specific racial group. East Asians have recently been subjected to more heinous abuse than ever before and with COVID-19's origins in China, many uneducated individuals have taken it upon themselves to racially attack anyone Asian, believing that just because they are of Asian descent they need to be referred to as some disease.

According to data from the UK police, hate crimes against East and Southeast Asians increased by 300 percent in the first quarter of 2020, compared to the same period in 2018 and 2019.

From name calling, to physical abuse, there has been a wide range of attacks and they are damaging the safety of Asians in society.

Jonathon Mok, 23 was just simply walking along Oxford Street when he heard the chants of “coronavirus”. When bravely confronting the chants he heard, four men struck him unexpectedly and violently. The international student from Singapore, now in complete shock had his face left “exploding with blood”. The savage attack has not only contaminated his outlook of the once beautiful city but has left him afraid that the colour of his skin will affect his safety.

It was revealed that one of his attackers was just 16 years old.

The 16-year-old boy was convicted of racially aggravated GBH and given an 18-month youth rehabilitation order, but with strict warning from chair of bench Mervyn Mandell, that the consequences, if he were an adult, would have been much more serious.

The unprovoked assault has left Mr Mok restless and has severely impacted his legal studies due to the time needed off for medical appointments and surgery. The mental misery produced by these attacks sends a clear message to the public that these horrible crimes benefit no one, and that, while the defendant was “disgusted” by his actions, his apology was too late to make an impact.

These attacks aren't simply directed at the general public either; they've also targeted the NHS, workers who dedicate their lives to helping others.

After a patient refused to be treated by him because of his race, Dr Alex Lee received a flood of support from senior NHS officials, MPs, and the public. The British Chinese junior doctor confessed it was a “really bitter pill to swallow”, after the patient “insisted on a white team”. The NHS England’s medical director, Prof Stephen Power says it was “completely unacceptable”.

Unfortunately, this issue is not just limited to our nation, hate crimes in the US have also skyrocketed. In a period of just two months, California alone reported 800 COVID-19 related hate crime incidents. The rise in crimes was not helped by President Donald Trump’s use of wording like “kung flu” and “China virus”, which placed a sense of blame on Asians. Luckily, new president Joe Biden was quick to condemn this behaviour, banning the use of such language in the federal government and signing the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, this May, to further address the attacks.

2. Role of the media and politicians.

The British media’s role in this must be considered. 

Research discovered that some 33% of images used to report COVID-19 in the British media have used the image of someone east Asian, so mixed with the problem of under-representation, the adverse coverage has no balance by positive portrayal, again bolstering an idea that tells society that ethnic Asians are at fault. 

Moreover, the flow of information about other countries' politics through the media and other politicians should be carefully studied. There must be a clear distinction drawn between the actions of those governments and the lives of people of that ancestry, so that public perception does not become racially biased, causing the attacks to continue.

Thankfully, some politicians seem to be taking the matter seriously. Last October, “Chinese and East Asian Communities: Racism during COVID-19” was debated in parliament. MP Sarah Owen conveyed that discussing the issues of racism were “absolutely necessary”. She believes that there has always been an undercurrent of anti-Asian racism, so to her it was “nothing new”, the pandemic just essentially lifted the lid. The British Chinese MP demanded for a clear statement to be made by the Minister condemning the racism as well as targeted support for such organisations. She further appealed to the government to work with media outlets to stop “the lazy overuse of East Asian imagery” when reporting COVID-19, especially when it bears no relation to the story being told.

3. Law and solutions.

Whilst all these attacks are taking place, the increase of crime in this area begs the question, what UK laws are in place to combat this? And are they effective and sufficient? 

The offence of stirring up racial hatred originated in 1965, but it wasn’t until the late nineties, when legislation for hate crimes involving race was introduced in the regime of “aggravated offences” under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998.

The government has quickly responded to the rise in racially motivated hate crime, but are the laws behind it sufficient enough to back it up? The Law Commission has made 3 reports about UK hate crime laws, most recently in 2020. The feedback detailed a disparity in the way the characteristics are protected in the law and found that the laws are too complex and lack clarity. To contest this, a suggestion was made to consolidate the specific hate crime offences and related reforms into a single “Hate Crime Act” and to set up a Hate Crime Commissioner, a role that addresses victim concerns and responses to prevent the harmful effects in the community.

Other solutions have been made in the past to address hate crimes, like the 2016 Action Against Hate plan, aiming to prevent it by raising hate crime reporting and by enhancing victim care. The plan alluded to the fact that racially motivated hate crime remained the most significant strand. From 2014/15, 42,930 racial hate crimes were reported, against a prosecution rate of 12,130. That was just in 2015, so imagine how it is now.

Additionally, there was a satisfying response from the government to a petition (which received 22,060 signatures) created to increase funding for victims of COVID-19 racism. It detailed the awarding of a £1.8 million donation to the Race and Hate Crime Grant Scheme and ideas to tackle the racism against NHS workers, such as setting up the NHS Violence Reduction programme. It also mentioned a consultation in doubling the sentence to two years imprisonment for the Assaults on Emergency Workers Act, which uses the maximum sentence for a common assault of six months to one year.

4. Asian contribution to society.

Asians contribute massively to our society.

The first vaccine given in the UK was administered by a Filipino person. Chinatown is a booming part of London which attracts more than 17.4 million visits a year.

Figures show that 2,757 doctors of Chinese heritage make up the NHS at all levels. So, it is clear, Asians are not outsiders in this country, so it is wrong to treat them like one.

Asian celebrities have been at the forefront fighting this cause. Actress Gemma Chan of ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ fame detailed its importance, mentioning how even her Chinese parents have been subjected to verbal assaults. She too worries for the safety of Asians in society, pledging everyone to support the Stop Asian Hate campaign, which has raised £81,000 to issue grants to organisations to support ESEA and broader communities.

It’s welcoming to have Asian role models when we lack them so much in our society. Catherine West, a member of the House of Commons, acknowledged this and stated that she would "love to see more Chinese people in our media". Other notable examples of role models can be seen in the likes of Henry Golding (Crazy Rich Asians) and Sandra Oh (Killing Eve). 

As a half-Chinese person, I believe it is my responsibility to educate people about the wrongdoings and stereotypes that society perpetuates. Like Gemma Chan, I am too worried about safety in society, to imagine my family or anyone like me being attacked for simply our ethnicity is truly upsetting.

Clearly, COVID-19 and Asians are two separate entities, and for a place who loves our food and culture so much, you’d think it would be easier to differentiate. 

The attacks are unhealthy and completely diminish the idea of the United Kingdom, a place of diversity and tradition which makes it so unique. A western country with so much power becomes unappealing and unattractive with this behaviour, and whilst fighting for inclusiveness, this isn’t inclusive. 

Although it may be easier for some to just not think about, it is still happening, it is still getting worse and must be stopped.

The opinions of this article are solely those of the author and are not intended to provide accurate legal advice for anyone to rely on. While the content is intended to be factually correct, the author does not accept any responsibility or liability arising from the use or misuse of this article or any loss/inconvenience/damage stemming from this. Legal advice should be sought from a qualified professional, not this blog. The opinions represented in this blog are personal and belong solely to the author, and do not represent those of the people, institutions, or organisations that the owner may or may not be associated with in a professional or personal capacity, unless explicitly stated, nor do they necessarily represent those of the blog owner. The views expressed by any podcast guest are their own entirely, and do not necessarily reflect those of the blog owner . The blog owner is not responsible and liable for any discrepancy, if any. Any content provided by this blog or its companion podcast is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organisation, company, individual, or anyone or anything.

References

(Assets.publishing.service.gov.uk, 2021) <https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/927673/2016_Hate_Crime_Action_Plan.pdf> accessed 9 July 2021

(Strawberrytours.com, 2021) <https://strawberrytours.com/london/neighbourhoods/chinatown> accessed 17 July 2021

'Chinese And East Asian Communities: Racism During Covid-19 - Tuesday 13 October 2020 - Hansard - UK Parliament' (Hansard.parliament.uk, 2021) <https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2020-10-13/debates/858E78B5-1049-4480-A1A7-5362FC12F47E/ChineseAndEastAsianCommunitiesRacismDuringCovid-19> accessed 9 July 2021

'Coronavirus: Boy Sentenced For Racist Street Attack' (BBC News, 2021) <https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-54048546> accessed 23 July 2021

'Coronavirus: Student From Singapore Hurt In Oxford Street Attack' (BBC News, 2021) <https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-51722686> accessed 23 July 2021

'Covid 'Hate Crimes' Against Asian Americans On Rise' (BBC News, 2021) <https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-56218684> accessed 9 July 2021

'Gemma Chan Worries For Family As She Backs Anti-Asian Hate Crime Charity' (BBC News, 2021) <https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-57054959> accessed 9 July 2021

'Hate Crime | Law Commission' (Lawcom.gov.uk, 2021) <https://www.lawcom.gov.uk/project/hate-crime/> accessed 9 July 2021

Matsuda T, 'It’s Time To Talk About Anti-Asian Racism In The UK' (Aljazeera.com, 2021) <https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2021/4/1/its-time-to-talk-about-anti-asian-racism-in-the-uk> accessed 9 July 2021

'NHS Chief: Racism Against British Chinese Doctor Is 'Unacceptable' (HuffPost UK, 2021) <https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/british-chinese-junior-doctor-racist-patient-covid-nhs_uk_5f8f081ac5b67da85d21db87> accessed 14 July 2021

'Petition: Fund Additional Support For Victims Of COVID19 Racism And Anti-Racism Programmes' (Petitions - UK Government and Parliament, 2021) <https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/578173> accessed 9 July 2021

'The Guardian View On Anti-Asian Hate: Not Just A Pandemic Problem' (the Guardian, 2021) <https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/mar/18/the-guardian-view-on-anti-asian-hate-not-just-a-pandemic-problem> accessed 9 July 2021