Why Sheffield’s Chinese community believe racist abuse will increase

There have been reports of racial attacks on the Chinese community all over the world since news of coronavirus broke.

In Sheffield, a student was attacked on West Street in January.

There are now fears that racial attacks on Chinese people will increase further following the UK government’s announcement to allow millions of Hong Kong residents to relocate here.

A 23-year-old Sheffield University student, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “Media reports about what is happening in Hong Kong now is unclear.

“People are immediately jumping to the conclusion that loads of Hong Kong people are coming to the UK solely to steal jobs.

“They’re fleeing a war - all rights to freedom have been taken away, but it will only be those who are relatively well off that will actually be able to flee.

“I have relatives in Hong Kong and they are torn between a place they have always known as home and the chance of giving their families a better life.

“It is a desperate time and I know many don’t even want to seek refuge in the UK because they think there is a war here too with all the racist abuse.”

Cases of hate crime believed to be linked to coronavirus, were raised at Sheffield’s Chinese community centre earlier in the year and South Yorkshire Police provided advice to individuals on how to report such issues.

However, it is thought that the number of cases of hate crime is actually much higher, due to some of the community ‘just putting up with it’.

21-year-old Jonny is another Sheffield student, currently back home in Singapore.

He said: “The Chinese community tends to be quiet on that front. They think that confronting conflict may lead to more conflict so just put up with it. Coronavirus just made it worse.

“I actually couldn’t wait to leave Sheffield. I thought it was a really friendly city when I first came here but now I’m afraid to come back in all honesty.

“All East Asian people, not just Chinese, are being blamed for bringing the virus to the UK, for being a carrier, for being the virus itself - a whole bout of negativity.

“A large part of that problem has come from the media and I honestly can’t tell you how much it gets on my nerves. For example, I see a lot of coronavirus articles depicted with a person of East Asian ethnicity in the accompanying image. Just why?

“Coronavirus is a virus, anyone can get it. It's non discriminatory unlike some of society.

“I am only speaking today because I want more Chinese people to speak out and I want more non Chinese people to call people out when they witness hate crime.”