Havant MP Alan Mak launches awards to celebrate Britain's Chinese community amid surge of racial attacks during Coronavirus lockdown
THE coronavirus lockdown has ‘triggered the worst possible prejudices’ in people, with racists hurling unacceptable abuse at Britain’s Chinese community, an MP has said.
Alan Mak has warned how yobs are targeting innocent Chinese nationals, wrongly blaming them for the pandemic which originated thousands of miles away in China.
The Havant MP, who was the first Anglo-Chinese politician elected to parliament, has now launched a new awards scheme to shine a light on the positive role the Chinese community plays in the UK.
Mr Mak insisted he had received no reports of racial abuse against Chinese citizens locally but said he had been contacted by people elsewhere in the country who had been wrongfully targeted.
Writing for The Yorkshire Post – York-born Mr Mak’s hometown paper and sister title of The News – the MP said coronavirus was ‘testing all of us’ and ‘bringing out the very best in most’.
‘But, in others, it’s triggering the worst possible prejudices, with British-Chinese people – and others of east Asian background – often the target of hostility and racism,’ he wrote.
‘Some have told me they’ve been shunned or shouted at in the street, at school or on public transport. Others have said they feel like outsiders for the first time in their lives.
‘We need to be clear and firm: the 400,000-strong British-Chinese community, many born and bred in this country, have nothing to do with the outbreak of coronavirus in China, and no connection to Beijing’s handling of it.’
Mr Mak has since launched the Blossom Awards, open to British-Chinese nationals nationwide.
The effort is aimed at celebrating the positive contribution the community has both locally and nationally and has been welcomed by Chinese leaders in Portsmouth.
Albert Choi, chairman of the Portsmouth Chinese Association representing about 2,000 Chinese residents in the city, said it could help stamp out racism.
‘This is a great idea,’ he said. ‘Anything that raises awareness of the great contribution of the Chinese community in the country and here in the city will certainly help.’
Mr Choi added there had been a ‘limited number’ of racial attacks on residents in the city and said that, broadly speaking, Portsmouth was faring far better than other cities.
‘Portsmouth has been very supportive and we have only had a few incidents – we are doing very well,’ he added. ‘But we are very much working together to eradicate this kind of problem.’
The deadline for nominations to the Blossom Awards is Friday, June 12.
Mr Mak added: ‘British-Chinese people, born and bred in this country, are hardworking and patriotic and the Blossom Awards recognise their contributions from working in the NHS to starting small businesses.’
For more details about the awards, or to make a nomination, visit: theblossomawards.org.uk