Letters | Hong Kong must leave no ethnic minority youth behind
- Discrimination is still crippling opportunities for ethnic minority youth, which can only lead to a shrinking and less diverse talent pool
- Society must empower them to build up their soft skills and resilience, and give them the space to grow and contribute back
The claim that Hong Kong is a diverse city is supported by the increase in its ethnic minority population. From 2006 to 2016, the number of ethnic minority youth aged 15-24 doubled, reaching 27,651. This number is expected to continue to rise.
With this tremendous growth of the ethnic minority population, have we been an authentically inclusive society? If we have, does that mean discrimination no longer exists?
One 23-year-old of Filipino descent who grew up in Hong Kong doubts an encouraging answer can be given to both questions. “When I tell people I study and work here in Hong Kong, they would be surprised, saying that they thought I was a maid,” she told us. “There are ethnic minorities surviving and actually contributing to Hong Kong, but sadly some people in society still look down on and marginalise them.”
Unfortunately, discrimination is still crippling opportunities for ethnic minority youth. If we don’t work on this issue, serious consequences will emerge, from losing diversity in our future talent pool to people’s basic respect for each other being diminished. When that happens, our claim to being a multicultural inclusive city can only ever be superficial.
04:06
Hong Kong’s ethnic minority groups struggle as city battles Covid-19 and recession
We need to act now. Tackling discrimination can start with intentionally nurturing our ethnic minority youth, investing in the potential change-makers in their midst, just like we would do for any other local youth. First we must change the perception that these youth are “problematic” or “not good enough”, then find ways to discover their potential.
