“ 1. Yes, I think particularly being treated differently due to my appearance as well as becoming the centre of jokes about my ethnic background.
2. I feel this has massively affected how I feel about showing my Asian culture. When I was younger I did try to hide who I am as I was in a predominantly white school. By suppressing my ethnicity/culture I felt like it would prevent people from singling me out.
3. Yes, they have privilege. I feel that I have to work harder because they are valued whereas I have to prove my worth; I have to earn my position. So no, as much as I’d want to be treated equal, I am not.
4. Yes, I feel that my opinion is not valid. Asian racism is not viewed as a major issue; people don’t believe you when you tell them about your experiences. I feel unheard and often question my experiences and feelings because racism towards the Asian community isn’t taken seriously.
5. Yes, especially at the start of the pandemic at my workplace. Customers would avoid my checkout or make comments under their breath that I would give them COVID-19. Even my own colleagues would avoid me and move checkout. I did notice this behaviour before but more so now.
6. No, because you are the minority at the end of the day and no one will back you up. You learn to take everything with a pinch of salt and begin to accept that this is how it’s going to be.
7. Most of the racism I’ve experienced was at work. I was fortunate to not experience it so much at school or in public. When I was younger I did experience comments from other kids – people are so quick to highlight your differences and it can be hard growing up in an environment where you are singled out because of something you cannot control.
8. It depends on the circumstance and the people. Being mixed you don’t fit in and don’t really feel accepted anywhere. When people learn about my background they do stereotype me; other people define you and you often find yourself trying to break out of that and prove that their assumptions are wrong.
9. No, I don’t tell them immediately. If people keep asking me where I am really from I continue to say Belfast. I don’t owe them an explanation – people act as if they have a right to ask those questions because you are different. It’s so normalised that we neglect to see it.
10. We were raised suppressed being surrounded by mostly white people. From the bus, to school, to work. Even though I may not realise I’m doing it, I am suppressed in some way. You want to blend in because it’s easier. There is little room for diversity here as people are narrow-minded. ”
2. I feel this has massively affected how I feel about showing my Asian culture. When I was younger I did try to hide who I am as I was in a predominantly white school. By suppressing my ethnicity/culture I felt like it would prevent people from singling me out.
3. Yes, they have privilege. I feel that I have to work harder because they are valued whereas I have to prove my worth; I have to earn my position. So no, as much as I’d want to be treated equal, I am not.
4. Yes, I feel that my opinion is not valid. Asian racism is not viewed as a major issue; people don’t believe you when you tell them about your experiences. I feel unheard and often question my experiences and feelings because racism towards the Asian community isn’t taken seriously.
5. Yes, especially at the start of the pandemic at my workplace. Customers would avoid my checkout or make comments under their breath that I would give them COVID-19. Even my own colleagues would avoid me and move checkout. I did notice this behaviour before but more so now.
6. No, because you are the minority at the end of the day and no one will back you up. You learn to take everything with a pinch of salt and begin to accept that this is how it’s going to be.
7. Most of the racism I’ve experienced was at work. I was fortunate to not experience it so much at school or in public. When I was younger I did experience comments from other kids – people are so quick to highlight your differences and it can be hard growing up in an environment where you are singled out because of something you cannot control.
8. It depends on the circumstance and the people. Being mixed you don’t fit in and don’t really feel accepted anywhere. When people learn about my background they do stereotype me; other people define you and you often find yourself trying to break out of that and prove that their assumptions are wrong.
9. No, I don’t tell them immediately. If people keep asking me where I am really from I continue to say Belfast. I don’t owe them an explanation – people act as if they have a right to ask those questions because you are different. It’s so normalised that we neglect to see it.
10. We were raised suppressed being surrounded by mostly white people. From the bus, to school, to work. Even though I may not realise I’m doing it, I am suppressed in some way. You want to blend in because it’s easier. There is little room for diversity here as people are narrow-minded. ”