Ethnic minorities in Hong Kong: how community centres can foster integration
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The push for greater integration of non-Chinese Hongkongers, including those of South Asian descent, into Hong Kong society has led to multiple initiatives. The enactment of legal instruments and the establishment of the Equal Opportunities Commission have provided a legal remedy and oversight in the fight against discrimination.
More recently, the city has set up
care teams and community centres focused on members of ethnic minority groups in various districts to help them better integrate into the community. There are 10 such centres, providing various services such as language classes, recreational activities, psychosocial support and after-school tutoring.
While these services are important and the government's commitment to helping the ethnic minority community is sincere, it must be asked whether these centres are doing enough to promote integration, or if they are unwittingly maintaining the status quo. A vital step towards integration would be to initiate programmes that foster connections between ethnic minorities and the majority group.
It appears that the centres supporting ethnic minorities have yet to move the needle in favour of comprehensive integration. Free courses to improve language and soft skills might increase job opportunities for members of ethnic minority groups. But that's a far cry from citywide integration. The absence of shared spaces between ethnic minorities and the majority Chinese population is the missing link that these centres must bridge to achieve greater success.
The first step towards this would be scrapping the 'ethnic minority' label attached to these centres and turning them into community centres that serve everyone, with staff members from all ethnic groups at all levels. This would not only broaden the scope of the centres but would also increase the chances of interaction between Chinese and ethnic minority Hongkongers, thereby establishing new points of connection and understanding.
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