"We are so multicultural and we need to appreciate that"

By Sarah RaparoliLex Kleren Switch to German for original article

Being discriminated because of appearance and origin is part of everyday life for some people - is Luxembourg an exception? No. Nevertheless, not every person has the same experiences and goes through very different situations. Some honest conversations about prejudices and stereotypes towards people of Asian origin.

Racism is widespread and remains a sad reality in Luxembourg, too. On June 5 last year, at least 1,500 people took part in a demonstration against racism in front of the US Embassy. The killing of the African-American George Floyd on May 25, 2020 in Minneapolis had triggered a wave of protest, indignation and solidarity. While he was not the first Black person to die as a result of police brutality, actions against structural racism and violent police action followed worldwide.

The fact that racism is not only directed against black people was once again demonstrated by recent events in the USA. In the Atlanta metropolitan area, a 21-year-old white man shot eight people, including six of Asian origin, in three massage parlours on March 16; seven victims were women. According to the police officers in charge, the perpetrator stated during questioning that he had not acted out of racist motives. The reason was his sex addiction. The security authorities are still trying to clarify the motive for the crime.

Violent acts against people of Asian origin have increased since the outbreak of the pandemic, which is documented on different platforms (link: ichbinkeinvirus.org). They are denounced as scapegoats for the coronavirus. Videos are surfacing on social media showing them being verbally and physically attacked. Last July, racism was also an issue in the Luxembourg Parliament and a motion was passed to conduct a study.

The aim: to determine the extent of racism in Luxembourg. As Justice Minister Sam Tanson explained during the debate, the police dealt with 50 cases of hate speech in 2019 and 20 in 2018. 292 reports of racism were registered on the BEE SECURE stopline last year, 240 of which were classified as illegal and forwarded (the Lëtzebuerger Journal reported). Racism is a sad reality, even in 2021. Although not everyone experiences it in the same way.

The Journal spoke with people of Asian origin who report very different experiences and perspectives.

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"We are so multicultural and we need to appreciate that"

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