Most Chinese-Australians feel they belong, but discrimination remains a factor: survey

The Lowy Institute study, the largest ever undertaken of the community, found that 71 per cent of respondents felt they belonged ‘to a great or moderate extent’ to Australia

But close to four in 10 say they have been treated ‘differently or less favourably’ due to their heritage, while some in the community have criticised the survey’s approach

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There are about 1.2 million people who have a Chinese background among Australia’s population of nearly 26 million. Photo: Reuters

Published: 9:05pm, 2 Mar 2021Updated: 10:43am, 5 Mar 2021

Most Chinese-Australians feel a great or moderate sense of belonging to Australia, according to the largest survey ever undertaken of the community, but close to four in 10 say they have been “treated differently or less favourably” in the past year due to their Chinese heritage.

The study by Australia’s Lowy Institute found that 71 per cent of respondents felt like they belonged “to a great or moderate extent” to Australia, while 65 per cent felt the same way about China.

Meanwhile, those who experienced discrimination were called offensive names and physically threatened or attacked. Most respondents in this group cited the Covid-19 pandemic and deteriorating China-Australia relations as contributing factors, with about 28 per cent saying racism played a role, according to “Being Chinese in Australia: Public Opinion in Chinese Communities”, for which 1,040 Australian residents who self-identified as having Chinese heritage were interviewed last November.

There are about 1.2 million people who have a Chinese background among Australia’s population of nearly 26 million. Some have families that have been in the country for multiple generations, with migration to Australia from mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and some parts of Southeast Asia ongoing since the 1800s.

But tensions between Canberra and Beijing in the past two years, fuelled initially by allegations of Chinese government interference in Australian politics, have heightened suspicions on both sides and exposed the Chinese-Australian community to greater scrutiny as well as racist behaviour.

Tensions between China and Australia have heightened in the past two years. Photo: Reuters

Australia’s Department of Home Affairs, which is responsible for migration and border security, paid more than A$1.8 million (US$1.4 million) for the survey of Chinese-Australians under the Lowy Institute’s “Multiculturalism, Identity and Influence Project” programme over three years, awarding the funding through a limited tender.

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