Lawyer throws the book at racism

Editor's note: This news column showcases stories from around the world that bring a touch of positivity to the fight against the deadly coronavirus.

Alongside the grim tally of deaths and infections, there's another count that some are watching closely during the coronavirus pandemic: The steady climb in incidents of racism against Chinese in a number of countries.

In the United Kingdom, 267 reports of discrimination against Chinese were recorded for the first three months of this year, compared with 360 for all of 2018 and 375 in 2019, said Xiaojiu Zhu, president of the UK Society of Chinese Lawyers.

Around that time, COVID-19 was raging around the world and Zhu was among those following the trend in reports of racism against Chinese linked to a pandemic that has gone on to kill almost 1.4 million worldwide. Zhu also believed many more incidents were going unreported, in line with people's experiences shared on Chinese social media platform WeChat.

"Being Chinese, many who have been mistreated and suffered racist treatment would not want to have anything to do with police or officials, due to traditional views," she said.

In February, Zhu began writing articles and making videos in which she urged people in Chinese communities to self-isolate for two weeks when traveling back from China. She said this would help undercut the blame that had been falsely directed by some at Chinese for bringing COVID-19 into the UK. More broadly, she has been trying to raise awareness of racism against Chinese people in the country.

Zhu, who was born in China, held an online forum in May to raise the awareness of the racism that Chinese were being subjected to.

Global nature

More than 8,000 people from more than 10 countries tuned into the event, and some 10,000 viewed the replay of the discussions, she said. That success prompted her to establish the International Chinese Alliance against Racism, reflecting the global nature of the problem.

The alliance was set up on May 29, within days of the online forum. Among the members are more than 100 lawyers, overseas Chinese, and media practitioners from more than 30 countries and regions. Zhu also formed a volunteer group, whose members help summarize, edit, and report on racism cases in their WeChat groups.

Zhu said that some cases of racial discrimination are not obvious, as the definition of racial prejudice is very wide, covering a wide range of verbal and behavioral manifestations.

Sometimes, it is difficult to stop such discrimination, but "we need to fight on", she said, adding that the mission of the alliance is to keep up the fight internationally against racism.

"As a minority, you must fight to get your rights recognized, not by staying home doing nothing, or saying nothing," Zhu said.

She said that due to the influence of some aspects of traditional Chinese thinking, Chinese tend to be reluctant to stand up and protect their rights in the face of racism.

The UK Society of Chinese Lawyers has been offering pro bono legal services to the Chinese community in London since 2017, and Zhu was last year awarded a Member of the British Empire medal by Britain's Queen Elizabeth II for services to law and the Chinese community.

Zhu said: "We should all do our citizens' duty and help the society we are living in. In addition, we Chinese are one of the minorities in the UK, but what we do will have a bearing on how others see and understand China and its image."