From Critical Analysis to Breakthrough: EdUHK Prof Erni's Research on Ethnic Minority Media Representations Reaches UN Forum
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Despite Hong Kong's multicultural heritage, racism persists in the city's mainstream media. In October 2022, TVB, the largest broadcaster, faced public criticism for using blackface in a drama episode, shortly after an actress apologised for wearing brown makeup to portray a Filipino domestic worker.
Recognising the void surrounding a sustained and meaningful debate on the problem of racism in the city, Prof John Erni, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities at The Education University of Hong Kong, has emerged as a leading voice through his cultural research. His scholarly work that spans nearly 20 years examines how ethnic minorities are portrayed across Hong Kong's mainstream media. Through his research, he hopes to elevate public consciousness while fostering genuine cultural diversity within the city.
Findings: Misrepresentation & Underrepresentation
Erni's books on ethnic minorities
Gaps: Lacking Connections
Erni's findings indicate South Asians and other ethnic minorities in Hong Kong are consistently underrepresented and misrepresented in mainstream media. They are cast in roles reinforcing mostly negative stereotypes, mainly as criminals, gangsters or comedic characters, thereby contributing to their characterisation as the racialised Other. His co-authored book on the images of non-Chinese in four decades of Hong Kong cinema, citing Wong Kar-wai's Chungking Express, states: "The portrayal of South Asians was relatively negative and stereotypical. These characters were either drug dealers or thieves, willing to break the law for money." Erni added that while such patterns are not unique to Hong Kong, they deepen social divisions and perpetuate the symbolic annihilation of ethnic minorities.
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Erni's research exposes blind spots within the media industry and in society as a whole regarding ethnic minorities' lived experiences. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the shortcomings. "The pandemic revealed our dangerous lack of direct connections with these communities," explains the specialist. "Their infection rates may have been disproportionately higher, but since statistics were aggregated with general population data only, we could not quantify the true impact."
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Asia Times
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Thai-Cambodia clash through a US vs China lens
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Thailand and Cambodia, meanwhile, cooperate on several vital issues, including trade and security, which may help temper their feud. Their relations are so tight, for example, that they are jointly accused of helping each other crush political dissidents, according to New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW). 'The Cambodian and Thai governments have engaged in transnational repression – government efforts to silence dissent by committing human rights abuses against their own nationals outside their own territory — through reciprocal arrangements targeting dissidents and opposition figures, colloquially known as a 'swap mart',' HRW said. 'Both governments have facilitated assaults, abductions, enforced disappearances, and the forced return of people to their home countries where their lives or freedom are at risk,' the rights group said in April. 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Excerpts from his two new nonfiction books, 'Rituals. Killers. Wars. & Sex. — Tibet, India, Nepal, Laos, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka & New York' and 'Apocalyptic Tribes, Smugglers & Freaks' are available here.
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