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.


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