Letters | Want to fight racism in Hong Kong? Start young
- Many educated young Hongkongers are practically illiterate when it comes to cultures, identities and religions
- Build racial harmony by improving upon a curriculum that still lacks content about the different racial and religious groups that exist in Hong Kong
Although these are admirable efforts that may help dozens of youngsters from the ethnic minorities, this is not the best step forward in terms of integration and harmony on a larger scale. Further, this only further divides ethnic minorities from Han Chinese Hongkongers. The government needs to take a different approach towards building racial harmony, by improving upon a curriculum that still lacks content about the different racial and religious groups that exist in Hong Kong. Everything starts in the classroom.
In fact, I am certain the vast majority of students, even if they are considered intelligent on paper, would fail to differentiate an Indian from a Pakistani, a Sikh from a Muslim, or a Pinoy from an Indonesian. Looking at the bigger picture, one could say students here are blind to race and I would agree. However, they are simply blinded by ignorance (“‘They looked at me like I was from outer space’: charter to fight workplace racism”, December 1).
The problem that is not being addressed is that people from the ethnic minorities are still considered second-class citizens in Hong Kong. This has to stop.
It is high time that the Education Bureau stepped up its game. If the government wants true racial integration, harmony and equal opportunities without enforcing affirmative action, it will address the lack of the kind of social education Hong Kong students should be receiving in “Asia’s world city”.
Sukhdeep Singh, Southern District