Origins of Racism and Asian Hate

There are certain things we shouldn’t say, certain things we shouldn’t do because it’s racist. We know racism is bad and we condemn it. But what is racism? Where does it come from? Racism has existed through the ages, but the concept of racism and the usage of the word has only been around since the 20th century. As a relatively new concept, our understanding of racism is still ever evolving. In today’s interconnected world, learning about different cultures and meeting people from different parts of the globe has become more readily accessible. As a result, the fear and ignorance that fuels racism has often given way to understanding and tolerance. However, the stereotypes and structures that have upheld centuries of racism has yet to fade away. As our modern society explores this young concept of racism, we might find racism is imbedded on a much deeper level than we realised, and it subtly infiltrates our everyday lives.

As an Australian born Chinese woman, I believe I don’t face the same hate my grandparents would have faced at my age if they were living in Australia, but I sometimes I feel like I might have been discriminated against without the other party even realising it. Racism was originally used to describe segregation of people of different ethnicities or the violence certain cultural minorities faced, the definition of the word has certainly expanded.

“Racism is the process by which systems and policies, actions and attitudes create inequitable opportunities and outcomes for people based on race. Racism is more than just prejudice in thought or action. It occurs when this prejudice — whether individual or institutional — is accompanied by the power to discriminate against, oppress or limit the rights of others.” — A definition by the Australian Human Rights Comission**

Asian Hate

At its core, racism stems from ignorance and fear of the unknown. Outright hateful racism arises from a place of deep-seated ignorance and fear, perpetuated by a lack of exposure and understanding of different cultures and backgrounds. Racism towards Asians in Australia can be traced back to the gold rush in the 19th century. During this period, many Chinese people migrated to the country in hopes to get their hands on the treasure too. Competition and difference in mining as well as cultural practices was perhaps one of the factors that ignited the resentment European colonies held for the Chinese. Violence against Chinese miners increased as frustrations grew, and there were several anti Chinese riots. This resulted in the Chinese Migration Act and Immigration Restriction Act (also known as White Australia Policy) that was targeted at Asian immigrants.

In our present day, on the surface, it seems we have come a long way from this violence. I rarely fear being attacked due to the colour of my skin as I walk around the streets of Australia. However, as COVID-19 lockdowns swept through the country, alongside it was an outbreak of Asian hate. In the welcoming, diverse suburb of Marrickville two Asian women were subjected to a racist spitting attack. Additionally, councillors of Asian descent have received letters with death threats. Around the same period, there was news from the US of hate crimes against elderly Asian people, and a shooting that targeted at Asian spas. Seeing all this on the news from Australia and overseas, made me wonder if I really were as safe as I felt. All these attacks were fuelled by fear and ignorance, whilst the violence became more apparent as COVID-19 came around, it has always been there under the surface.

Foreign Strange Asians

Though we have come a long way from the 20th century, Asians are perhaps still considered foreign to other white Australians. I always feel like I just don’t quite fit in. When white Australians ask me “Where are you from?”, I realise they don’t necessarily mean which suburb or town I’m from. This is often followed up by “So…. what’s your background?” I don’t blame them for their curiosity, it comes from a good place. More often than not, when I ask them the same question, they say “I’m just Australian”. Majority of these people have an European heritage and no Indigenous bloodline. That said, there’s nothing wrong with that answer. I know that the default image we all have when we think of an “Australian person” is a white Australian person whose ancestors colonised the country. But everytime I have this interaction, it is a reminder that being Asian, I’m not quite Australian enough.

When I share snacks I’ve bought from the Asian grocery store with my white friends, it is often met with either intrigue or disgust for the unknown. I don’t blame them, there’s always a first time for everything. But it makes me wonder how strange and foreign I too must come across. These every day things have no ounce of hate in them, but these small little harmless microaggressions build up to make me feel I don’t quite belong here.

These microaggressions definitely can not be compared to the hatred for Asians that have broke out since COVID-19. The idea that Asians are strange, foreign, mysterious is the seedling that plants fear for the unknown. When showered with ignorance and limited information, it can transform into hatred.

Lack of Representation Breeds Implicit Bias

There is a lack of representation of Asian people in the media, hence ignorance is rife. In the 19th century, the fear of the Asian invasion was spurred on a lot of negative media. The Mongolian Octopus and it’s grip on Australia is an example of the propaganda against Asian immigration. Being exposed to propaganda as such, Australians would have formed an unconscious mistrust and suspicion for Asian people. Upon meeting one, they would have already had that opinion in their minds without being aware of it. Today, cartoons such as this is recognised as blatant racism and frowned upon, but we’d be wrong to think that today’s media is free from racist opinions.

The Mongolian Octopus — Its Grip on Australia, published in The Bulletin on 21 August 1886

Popular media in the 21st century often depicts Asian characters as side kicks, stereotyped as nerdy or weird. The movies that did have Asians as main characters such as Memoirs of a Geisha or Jackie Chan movies would depict the characters as other worldly and exotic- in other words foreign and strange. Mostly written and produced by white Americans, it is rare that Asians are cast as relatable characters to the Western perspective. Even if you don’t have any racist opinions of Asian people, perhaps those characters have already instilled an unconscious expectation of what Asians are like in your mind.

Australian media is dominated by white narratives, and as such, perhaps it is no surprise that “Australian” is associated with white Australians. The occasional appearance of an Asian character also tends to be an East Asian character, and hence “Asian” is generally associated with images of East Asians. These associations are a basis of implicit biases.

Given the lack of relatable Asian characters in entertainment media, our perceptions of Asians may be swayed by news outlets. In Australia, the news often blames the rising house prices around Australia on Asian buyers. This has in turn caused animosity towards Asian immigrants and discrimination when accessing housing. Research shows that the Asian buyers has not affected housing prices as much as the media claims. These claims likely have root in the fear of the Asian Invasion in the 20th Century.

Even though we condemn racist propoganda like the Mogonlian Octopus, the fear it spread is still in our minds. The racist attacks that exploded with COVID-19, has it’s links to years of limited information. The lack of representation of Asians in media means we have unconciously formed an idea, an implicit bias of what Asian people are like. That is perfectly normal. But when we are unaware of this and take in misinformation from the media, it can lead to resentment and hate.

In recent years there have been a rise in popular media that attempt to show a diverse Asian-American perspective. Movies like Shang-Chi, Everything Everywhere All At Once, Crazy Rich Asians have rose to international fame. There is hope that in the future there will be better understanding between Asians living in western countries and the white population.

Fighting Hate

Implicit biases and microaggressions are not the same as the hatred displayed in blatant racism. But becoming aware of this is a step towards understanding where hateful racism comes from. Racism is a much more complex than we realised when it was first conceptualised. Only understanding the unconscious nuances that create a seed for hate can we then fight against racism.

There are many ways to fight against hate, sometimes it might be going to rallies, or it may even be having a discussion with a loved one. There is no right or wrong way to defeat racism, but approaching it with understanding where it comes from is a start.