The volume and severity of hate crimes perpetrated against ESEA communities in the UK and across Western countries continues to be met with an appalling silence and a lack of action.
To show how bad the situation has gotten, through Dec. 2020, the group Stop Asian American Pacific Islander Hate received more than 2,808 first-hand reports of anti-Asian hate across 47 states and Washington, D.C. Roughly 71% were cases of verbal harassment, while shunning or avoidance made up about 21%.
Unsurprisingly, this has led many members of the ESEA community to feel more at risk from racial attacks.
This has occurred despite ESEA countries having far fewer deaths, cases and having no known mutations of COVID-19. Despite this, the ESEA community has been the target of bitterness, racism, and rampant Sinophobia in both virtual spheres and in real life – often merging the two.
For example, most non-ESEA people probably never have thought about having to open your newsfeed and potentially see posts or comments (https://www.instagram.com/p/CLW5MEujx0v/) that invariably direct hatred towards many ESEA countries – particularly China in light of COVID-19.
Whether you’re Chinese or not, this behaviour from the British public can equally incite the fear that people could be thinking this about you when you’re walking down the street (racists don’t tend to differentiate between any ESEA countries and China).
As white people, we are vehemently aware this is something our white privilege guards us against in our daily lives - through indirect exposure to the vast amounts of racism both our partners endure regularly. It is important, now more than ever, that we as white people utilise our privilege to support the whole ESEA community.
Below is a list of steps and considerations to take as a white bystander confronting ESEA hate.
How to be an Active Bystander
Before
If the ESEA person is a close-friend/partner/relative, consider having a discussion to understand what they feel comfortable with when confronting a racist.
Set a plan of action for different circumstances and signals/safe words for each situation. Racist incidents pass very quickly so speed is key. We would recommend signals for:
When an incident happens
When the person doesn’t feel safe
When the person wants you to intervene
When the person wants you to ignore the racist
When the person wants to exit the situation
Be sensitive to the range of attacks and micro-aggressions ESEA people can face
Examples of COVID-19 specific racism:
Passer-by being overly aggressive about social distancing/mask wearing, or even shouting to get away
Passer-by putting on a mask/covering their mouth
Being stigmatised for wearing a mask
Making ‘jokes’ about “Kung-flu”, “China virus” etc.
Being called ‘COVID’/Corona
General racism/micro-aggressions:
Racial slurs
Alienation within their own country
Sexual exoticisation
Homogenising and invalidating ESEA inter-cultural and ethnic differences
Pathologizing or xenophobia towards aspects of ESEA cultures
Failing to integrate by viewing them as a second-class citizen
Making them invisible or viewing them as ‘submissive’ or ‘weak’
Be mindful of the hierarchy of risk factors depending on who the ESEA person is with/not with
For example, ESEA people can feel less at risk to experiencing racism whilst in the presence of white people – simply as within the eyes of racists it can ‘legitimise’ their existence (‘oh they’re not that foreign’) or can make the potential perpetrator more afraid of confrontation. Whereas they can feel more at risk when alone or in a group of ESEA people.
The ESEA person may live in a state of hypervigilance when in public, pre-empting racist incidents. Don’t let them go through this alone, stay alert to risk of attack and be prepared.
During
How you act during the incident should be according to what the ESEA person needs you to do (as far as you are able). Focus on the actions which are most important to them. Below are some of our suggestions…
Stay calm
retain neutral body language
Try not to raise your voice
Confront them/assist in confronting them if appropriate
Ask them why they committed the act. Ninety percent of the time, people who do this are cowards who don’t bite back and are more scared of being called a racist than being racist.
In many cases, bias and discrimination go unchallenged because the behaviours and words are disguised in ways that provide cover for their expression and/or the belief that they are harmless and insignificant.
However, try not to escalate the confrontation – the goal is to make the ESEA person feel safer, not potentially incite further abuse or act as a ‘white saviour’.
Remember, the confrontation is not about changing the racists mind. It is not even about the racist. It is about the ESEA person you are with and supporting them in making them feel safe.
Ask other bystanders if appropriate for added support or intervention
This can also set an example for witnesses and set the tone for 0 tolerance of racism for future relations
If possible, attempt to educate or change the perpetrators mind
Factor in your own identity into the situation and how you may be perceived by others.
Eg. If you are a man, getting loud and aggressive is more likely to incite aggression in the perpetrator. Try to be firm but not aggressive.
Or if it feels unsafe or threatening attempt to remove yourselves from the situation
This can be achieved by walking away, calling the police or security, or getting backup from other witnesses
After
Provide emotional support according to how the person likes to receive support where possible.
Listen. Focus on empathy, not sympathy. If you are white, you cannot understand how they feel, so don’t pretend that you do, just allow them space to feel what they feel. Don’t try to ‘fix it’ or make them feel better, however strong this temptation is. It is much more comforting to be allowed space to hurt than it is to be told, even kindly, to ‘feel better’.
Don’t let the ESEA person gaslight themselves
Validate and provide confirmation for what happened
Do not trivialize the incident or give the perpetrator the benefit of the doubt. In all situations, intentions account for something but actions are what are key. What’s more valuable – the potential ambiguity of a stranger actions or the feelings of the person who received the attack.
Avoid the diffusion of responsibility
You must try not to decrease your responsibility for inaction just because there were other people or bystanders around
Similarly, if you did speak out, don’t demand recognition.
Like anything you may not get it perfect the first time or even the second time. What is important however doing whatever you can and always trying to do more. By using this list and continually educating yourself with other resources online and on the Racism Unmasked page, you can use your white privilege to support members of the ESEA community.
Authors: Alasdair Cameron, Cait De Lacy and the Racism Unmasked Admins