Why It’s Time To Stand Up To Anti-Asian Hate Now

Posted on 3 June 2021 by Mabel Kwong

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The recent rise in Asian hate crimes is alarming. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, many Asian communities are facing a lot more racist attacks and discrimination, fearing for their safety.

Asian-American health workers have been spat on and accused of spreading the ‘Chinese virus’ in the US. Six Asian women were killed in the Atlanta spa shootings this year. In New York, an elderly Asian woman was kicked on the streets as bystanders watched on.

Such harassment has also been felt here in Australia. 8 out of 10 Asian Australians reported facing discrimination during the pandemic. Chinese Australians experienced verbal and physical assaults going about their day.

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COVID-19, Asian-Australian Racism And Media: What This Pandemic Says About Us

Posted on 23 April 2020 by Mabel Kwong

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With COVID-19 racing across the world, it’s become a different reality overnight.

Some of us feel fear hearing COVID-19 cases rise in other countries. Feel uncertainty as toilet paper disappears from the shelves at the grocery store around the corner.

For some of us Asian-Australians, we feel the slap of racism once again amidst this pandemic.

Melbourne Central (MC) 2020 (1)

Being an Asian-Australian who once aspired to be a journalist in Australia, it’s disappointing seeing recent anti-Asian sentiments in the media and racist incidents on the streets. It’s undoubtedly disappointing seeing certain cultural groups get accused of spreading coronavirus.

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7 Types Of Everyday Racism Asian-Australians Experience

Posted on 24 May 2018 by Mabel Kwong

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Asian-Australians experience a lot of racism. It’s not uncommon for Asian-Australians to experience racism and discrimination most days. Or even every day.

As an Australian of Chinese heritage living in Melbourne, racism is something that I’ve experienced all my life. I don’t expect racism to stop anytime soon.

Racism is left, right and centre, and within | Weekly Photo Challenge: Twisted.

According to a study by the Australian National University, 82% of Asian-Australians surveyed reported they experienced discrimination in Australia. A survey of 6,001 Australians found over 30% experienced racism on public transport or at work.

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Asian Women And Gender Discrimination Experiences

Posted on 15 March 2018 by Mabel Kwong

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Gender discrimination is something many Asian women constantly face.

Passive, docile and submissive are just some of the common stereotypes ascribed to Asian women.

As I wrote in Why Males Are the Favoured Sex In Asian Cultures, in Asian cultures women are seen as less capable than males. The mentality ‘boys over girls’ or ‘men are better than woman’ is often championed at home and at work.

It’s time we recognise each other for who we are | Weekly Photo Challenge: I’d Rather Be…

Growing up in Singapore, Malaysia and Australia, this sentiment surrounded me in subtle and non-subtle ways. As a kid brought up in a traditional Chinese family, I never agreed with this train of thought. These days I still don’t.

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What Is The Difference Between Race And Ethnicity?

Posted on 10 August 2017 by Mabel Kwong

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Race and ethnicity are terms used to group and categorise people.

While these two terms are often used interchangeably and have similar overlapping ideals, they have distinct meanings.

At some point in our lives, we might get asked, ‘Where are you from?’. Or ‘What is your ethnic background? What is your race?’

Endless faces of race and ethnicity | Weekly Photo Challenge: Elemental.

That’s when we might realise each word can be hard to define and understand.

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8 Common Stereotypes And Misconceptions About Australians

Posted on 12 January 2017 by Mabel Kwong

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As someone who was born in Australia and has lived here for many years, some stereotypes, myths and perceptions about Australians ring true. And some don’t.

Australia is a diverse country, with the outback and city side by side as I wrote in this blog post about the geographic land of Oz itself. Naturally, Australians are a pretty diverse bunch in general, diverse in terms of what they like, the way they choose to live their lives and who they chose to be.