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Chinese and East Asian Communities: Racism during Covid-19
13 October 2020
Lead MP
Sarah Owen
Luton North
Lab
Responding Minister
Kelly Tolhurst
Tags
Crime & Law EnforcementEconomy
Word Count: 8681
Other Contributors: 5
At a Glance
Sarah Owen raised concerns about chinese and east asian communities: racism during covid-19 in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key Requests to Government:
Ms Owen asks the Government to condemn anti-Asian racism, support anti-racism organisations working with British East and South-East Asian communities, work with media outlets to stop overusing East Asian imagery in reporting on coronavirus, hold social media companies accountable for removing racist content, include these communities in decision-making processes, and take action beyond just verbal recognition of contributions.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Ms Sarah Owen is concerned about the rise in hate crimes against Chinese, East Asians, and South-East Asians since the onset of the pandemic. She cites statistics from the organisation End the Virus of Racism showing that there were 261 hate crimes against Asians in April, 323 in May, and 395 in June, with each month seeing an increase as lockdown measures eased. Ms Owen also highlights incidents such as a student being attacked on Oxford Street for allegedly spreading coronavirus and a takeaway owner being spat at by customers asking if he had the virus.
Southgate and Wood Green
The hon. Member highlighted the rise in online hate speech against Chinese and East Asian communities during the pandemic, citing a report that found 200,000 hashtags of hate speech and conspiracy theories. He also mentioned that police forces recorded at least 267 offences against 'Chinese people' between January and March, nearly three times the rate of previous years. The hon. Member called for wider regulation of social media platforms to tackle hate speech and its distribution.
Catherine West
Lab
Hornsey and Friern Barnet
Ms Catherine West expressed concern about the rise in bigotry against East Asian communities, highlighting physical attacks, discrimination, and the lack of role models in media. She also called for increased local government funding to support community cohesion initiatives. Asked Kim Johnson whether international students in the UK were also subject to racist abuse during the pandemic, highlighting a need for action on this issue as well. She intervened twice, asking whether those in authority could have better training on pandemic-specific racism and if there are many cases being prosecuted or if this is an under-prosecuted area. She requested that the Minister speak to the Universities Minister about international students such as Mr Mok, and asked for an action plan to address the issues raised in this debate.
David Linden
Lab
Gloucester
He thanked the hon. Member for Luton North and others for their contributions, highlighting the rise in racist offences against Chinese and East Asian people during the covid-19 crisis, including assaults, robberies, harassment, and criminal damage. He expressed concerns about international students arriving in Glasgow and called on the Government to adopt new action plans to combat racism. He asked the Minister to raise with the Foreign Office that strong representations should be made from Whitehall to Washington, DC, regarding unacceptable language.
Kim Johnson
Lab
Liverpool Riverside
Welcomed the debate on hate crime against Chinese and East Asian communities, highlighting Liverpool's historic Chinese community dating back to the mid-19th century. Discussed forced repatriation of 1,300 Chinese sailors in 1946 which led to many families being separated without proper information.
Rachel Hopkins
Lab
Luton South
Rachel Hopkins highlighted the rise in hate crime against Chinese and East Asian communities during the pandemic, citing a 300% increase in racist hashtags on Twitter. She urged the Government to address online abuse through the upcoming Online Harms Bill and called for accountability from social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Hopkins also criticised politicians, including Donald Trump and Anne-Marie Trevelyan, for using racially charged language and sharing racist content.
Government Response
Kelly Tolhurst
Government Response
Acknowledged the increased hate crimes towards Chinese and East Asian communities during the pandemic, with police reports indicating a significant rise. Condemned the labelling of the virus as 'the Chinese virus' and committed to working with media organisations to address online harms through the upcoming White Paper on Online Harms. Emphasised the Government's zero-tolerance approach to hate crimes and mentioned ongoing efforts to strengthen legislative frameworks, including the creation of a new duty of care for companies towards their users under independent regulation. Highlighted the importance of community support and trust in local police, noting that 87% of the Chinese community surveyed trusted their local police compared to the national average of just over 76%. Mentioned commitments through faith, race, and hate crime grant schemes worth £1.5 million and more than 70 commitments within the integrated communities action plan.
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About Westminster Hall Debates
Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.