Racism and Micro-aggressions against Asians in Ireland
By Béline Chan
As someone with an Asian ethnic and cultural background, experiencing racism and micro-aggressions has unfortunately been something that I have had to deal with while living in Ireland. Unfortunately, I know that this is a common thing that many Asians go through, having to endure racist treatment and remarks just for our difference in culture and appearance. I feel like Asian racism isn’t talked about enough, and that it is easily ignored, but this shouldn’t be the case, we should raise awareness and bring this serious issue to light.
Being the subject of racism can lead to numerous issues for victims. They can start to feel ashamed of their culture or insecure about their appearance, they can develop anxiety around being in public for the fear of being attacked, they can feel alienated and outcast, and they can feel like they’re alone. No-one should be judged or be the subject of prejudice because of their background. Racism can come in all different forms, and micro-aggression is something I see as ‘subtle racism’, a way for people to make racist comments and shamefully get away with it. Violence doesn’t need to be involved for something to be considered as racism. There are endless amounts of comments that people make such as..
• “But where are you really from?”. I know that my fellow Asians have definitely been asked this in some shape or form. If we say we are from a certain place, why do people feel the need to question it further by invalidating our response? If someone says that they are from Cork because they have been living there for years, then there is no need to say “but where are you really from?”.
• “Do you eat dogs”?
• “Ch*nk”
• “They all look the same”. This is a really hurtful and offensive insult to make. There is ignorance in this racial comment
• “You look Asian”. You would be surprised how many times that people have felt that it was normal or appropriate behaviour to judge someone’s appearance and make comments on it. I still remember getting a comment from someone who said to me “no offence, but you look Asian”. Why should it be offensive to look Asian? Pointing out someone’s difference in appearance is completely unnecessary and rude. This is micro-aggression at its finest, yet it is completely normalised behaviour.
It’s okay to be curious about someone’s background and to show an interest in different cultures, but it is not okay to make hurtful and alienating comments about someone’s appearance, or further questioning someone’s identity if they have already told you how they identify as. Our race, ethnicity and/or cultural background shouldn’t be debated, or always be a topic for discussion for people. Why can’t we Asians be viewed and treated like everyone else?
People, including friends, can make racial comments, intending to come across as ‘jokes’, yet in reality, trying to be funny about someone’s race doesn’t make it any less rude or offensive, and can have a negative impact on the person. I myself have experienced people making ‘jokes’ about my race, and racial ‘jokes’ about my eyes or culture isn’t something I or many
others find light in. Although I am completely happy with myself and my identity, it doesn’t make the racial comments any less hurtful. There are many of those who have unfortunately grown up feeling embarrassed of their background because of these comments.
Some people in the Asian community gave me some of their experiences with racism in Ireland, with one girl saying that her work placement wouldn’t accept Cork as her hometown (her family are from Macau originally). Another girl said that she would get approached for being Asian, and get flirted with. A third person said that strangers would come up to them and say “ni hao” (which is Mandarin for hello) to them while they are at work, despite having a stronger connection to Irish culture as they were adopted.
Someone else told me how they feel like they get stared at due to wearing a mask, as it is generally Asians who are still to be seen taking mask-wearing seriously in Ireland. I’ve dealt with my fair share of comments, and I continue to get hurtful comments by Irish people. I’ve had comments being made on my appearance, my eyes, my name, my cuisine and other inappropriate comments about my Chinese background. It’s also common for non-Asians to assume that most Asians they come by are Chinese. As if that is the only Asian country to exist.
Another issue which is important to bring up is the fact that the Asian community is so highly fetishised. The same people who make hurtful jokes and comments are also the ones who take an unsettling interest in Asian people, developing an obsession. Sexualising and even copying them (altering their physical appearance to appear more Asian). With Halloween having recently passed, and people getting dressed up, it’s important that people aren’t dressing up as other races. Costumes such as Geishas for example, shouldn’t be allowed. Unfortunately, a couple of weeks ago, I saw an “Asian lady wig” being sold in a Halloween costume department. You can’t pretend to be a different race for the day, especially when Asians face discrimination at the hand of others.
Especially after the Covid-19 breakthrough, Asians in particular were targeted for hate crimes. The Irish Network Against Racism reported a significant increase in racial crimes against Asians, with 700 cases being reported in 2020. Asians were being brutally attacked physically and verbally, and even killed. When the first Covid outbreak occurred I remember the fear of being attacked for being Chinese, worrying that someone would make hateful comments or physical advances due to the pandemic. In 2021, a 51 year old woman named Mina Choi, was physically and verbally tracked on Henry Street in Dublin by a group of Irish teenagers. They also filmed her attack while calling her racist slurs in connection to the pandemic. In 2020, two Chinese men in their 20’s were physically and verbally attacked by a group of teenagers in Cork. They both ended up in hospital with significant injuries and had negatively impacted their mental health in social situations after the attack. Another shocking incident happened in 2020, when a then 50 year old Xeuda Xiong was attacked by Irish boys, by being pushed into a river canal. She was called degrading terms and had to endure racist chanting. This attack was also filmed by one of the attackers, none of whom were punished by the Gardaí. These racial attacks are not being taken seriously, and these attacks should be considered as punishable crimes. These are only a handful of examples of racial attacks in Ireland. The safety of Asians was not taken into consideration during this fragile period, and a lot of us had to be fearful while being out in public. Unfortunately Covid-related racism was, and still is an issue not only in Ireland, but all over the world. We are called “bat-eaters” and also told that Covid is a “China-virus”. It is unfair to blame innocent people for a virus that they had no control in.
If you see or hear racist comments being made, whether the victim is physically present or not, call out their behaviour, and make them aware that racial comments or ‘jokes’ are unacceptable. If someone is being harassed, intervene if it is safe to do. If racial comments and violence keep being ignored, people will carry on to repeat these actions without any consequences.
There is no excuse for racism, especially in such a diverse country like Ireland. We should all be treated equally regardless of what we identify as and what our backgrounds are. It’s important that we call out and stand up for those who are being racially targeted, and to not glance over racial remarks and ‘jokes’ that can have long-lasting effects on victims. No-one should be made to feel unsafe or embarrassed about their culture. Diversity should be embraced.