19 minute read
Anything else you want to say? 你有其他想分享的嗎
Question 7
Do you think the protests are relevant to you? Could you explain why?
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Reasons (Combined)
Reasons (Breakdown by Yes/ Somewhat/ No)
Notes:
The excerpts below are some examples of responses coded under the specified category.
Experienced racism/oppression - Many people said being part of the minority in the US is why they find BLM relevant to them. It shows that they see BLM not only as a movement against a single incident of police brutality or racist policing, but a movement against systemic racism and oppression.
“I myself have experienced racial discrimination before and I know how it feels like to be treated in an undesirable way merely because I'm an Asian. I think BLM is relevant to everyone, regardless of whether they have been victims of racism.” “I think the protests are relevant to me. I stand in solidarity with BLM because racism, colorism and white supremacy remains dominant in the workplace, on the streets and in the media. I am also deeply unsettled that Black people have suffered the worst from this racism and are consistently targeted and murdered.” “[...] to someone that is living in us, especially new york, blm is real to us, more than ever. this is literally the inequality and racism and police brutality that all of us have to deal with every once is real and have affected all of us, either directly or indirectly.
Similar state oppression - A lot of those who may not reside in the US saw similarities between BLM and the struggle against police brutality in Hong Kong and some believed we should stand in solidarity because of this shared struggle against state oppression.
“[...] The situations that we find ourselves in, while had obviously developed from [different] historical/social contexts, share commonalities in their logic (eg a militarized force that police communities to protect the few’s interests & ‘safety’) & perhaps historical (colonial) roots […]” “[...] It is because I participated in the HK protests which share the same purposes as the BLM protests, fighting against police brutality and fight for rights for a group of people (i.e. youngsters)” “Yes. 1. Racism affects my community too: On one hand East Asians face a lot of racism outside of Asia. On the other hand other ethnicities face racism in our East Asian communities. However it is an unspoken truth that racism in the East Asians, on the receiving or inflicting end, is often not spoken of or addressed in the wider discussions of race. 2. As above, Black people are victims of our prejudice at times. 3. On many levels parallels can be drawn between the BLM protests and Hong Kong's protests since Last June. Police brutality, the unopposed and unaccountable power they hold etc. especially is relevant and something that I personally fight against as well […]”
Notes (cont’d):
“We are all fighting against state violence. US is violent towards Black folks. HK fighting against CCP. There is oppression here and there is oppression there. I think we need to unite.” “[BLM 與我] 有關係，因為香港⼈也是受壓迫，我們的⾃由和性命同樣受到威脅，受壓 迫群體更應互相⽀持” [BLM is relevant to me because Hong Kongers are also being oppressed. Our freedom and lives are also threatened. Oppressed groups should support each other.]
Complicity in systemic racism/Model minority myth/Duty to support Black
Liberation - Some highlighted (East) Asians’ complicity in global systemic racism as the ‘model minority’ and hence the duty to work towards Black liberation from systemic racism.
“As a non-Black person in America, I have benefitted from the systemic racism Black people go through. I must support them, follow their lead, and work to change.” “Because I live in America and there is widespread [belief] within my immigrant community that Asian-Americans are the model minority. Many Chinese and Hong Kong immigrants are proud of this label and they don’t see that we are also hurting the black and Latino communities in our silence. We are the model minority because we help white people punish other immigrants […]”
Collective liberation - Some respondents supported BLM because they believed the liberation of Black people is tied to the liberation of other racial minorities from global systemic racism. A few respondents also explained their support citing the connection between Black liberation and the fight for rights for the LGBTQIA+ community.
“i’m also a victim of white supremacy. and with the liberation of black people, i'd also be liberated.” “As a minority group, we, Asian Americans, are beneficiaries of this BLM movement. It is not right to sit idly by and reap the benefits without making any contributions.” “Racism is not just a fight of black people and they are merely leading the fight for all of the other minorities. either we support them or the cops and people in power will come for us then destroy us one by one […]” “As a LGBT advocate, I side with the fight of minorities in demanding their rights. Also Stonewall Riot was started by black queer folks and we owe it to them to supprot their fight for respect and safety.”
Notes (cont’d):
“跟我有關，因為周遭很多事物都是inspired by black culture. For instance rap, hiphop and R&B […] AAVE language (eg trippin / cool / PERIOD / bougie ) [...] plus the reason why LGBT+ are accepted in the society is because a BLACK trans woman Marsha P. Johnson fought for it so if anybody thinks “ooh I’m from Hong Kong and BLM is none of my business” SHUT THE FUCK UP.” [it’s relevant to me, because many things around me are inspired by black culture. For instance rap, hiphop and R&B […] AAVE language (eg trippin / cool / PERIOD / bougie ) [...] plus the reason why LGBT+ are accepted in the society is because a BLACK trans woman Marsha P. Johnson fought for it so if anybody thinks “ooh I’m from Hong Kong and BLM is none of my business” SHUT THE FUCK UP.]
Anti-Black racism and racism against ethnic minorities in Hong Kong - Some supporting BLM saw the protests as a reminder and opportunity to confront the antiBlack racism and racism against ethnic minorities in Hong Kong and more generally in East Asian communities.
“[...] BLM protests are not just confined to US, it is all around the world and could be a chance for us to realise how far racism goes. Even in Hk, people has a sort of blackphobia: girls are afraid to get tan and want to keep pale, people thinking that black people are more dangerous etc.” “[...] the Asian community also share some form of discrimination in Western societies, though probably not as serious. It is possible what happened to the black people can happen [to] the rest of the "ethnic minorities”.” “[...] HK is experiencing frequent police brutality at the moment too (cases of police brutality against SE Asians)” “[...] The BLM protests aim to fight for black rights and police corruption - these are closely linked to myself because 1) in HK, racism does exist towards non-HK people but this was never brought up to us in education; 2) I am a non-black POC so I am still privileged albeit being POC; it is still a duty of mine to participate and be anti racist towards the black […]”
Question 8
Do you think the protests are relevant to or bear similarities with protests in Hong Kong? Could you explain why?
Reasons (Combined)
Notes:
Respondents were asked to compare the BLM movement and the anti-ELAB protests in Hong Kong and many saw parallels in the shared prevalence of police brutality and state oppression. We noticed quite a number of comparisons were centered around (i) the lack of a functional accountability system in Hong Kong and (ii) which movement has more ‘advanced’ demands.
(i) About the US having a functional accountability system that is absent in Hong Kong
Quite a lot of respondents said the US is a functional democracy and has a functional judicial system that will hold officials legally accountable if enough people had demanded it:
“[...] The system is definitely rigged and biased in favor of government in Hong Kong. But in U.S., there are different mainstream media reporting from different perspective and we know people's voice will eventually be heard. And if not, elected officials will have a lot of explaining to do in upcoming election.” “[...] in the US the government would at least listen to the protestors and act after the protests (eg changing the police officer’s offence to 2nd murder), but in HK the government or police turned a blind eye even though 1/7 of its population came out to protest; even worse, the government exerts more pressure onto the protestors and blames them.” “[...] USA has well-developed democracy that the government must [respond] to people anger and request in order to uphold their mandate, unlike HongKong people.” “[...the US situation is] clearly different from the situation in HK in terms of the consequences that they will face (eg legal proceedings/disciplinary action).” “Incidents of police brutality on both sides show the fact that governments use armed forces to uphold authority against dissidents is universal. Legal repercussions on police who employed excessive force in the US display a somewhat functional system that held offenders accountable, whereas the absence of such consequences to HKPF over the course of last year shows a complete collapse of accountability."
Some respondents, however, disagreed that the existing institutions in the US had been functional and effective in holding officials and officers accountable:
“I see similarities between the Black Lives Matter movement and Hong Kong democracy movements. Even though some white cops in America face some consequences in their actions, there is still widespread police brutality every day that goes unchecked, similarly in HK. I also believe there is state-sanctioned violence against black people (War on Drugs as an excuse to persecute black people, media bias, housing issues, depriving young black people of opportunities and equal treatment etc.) much like how Hong Kong people are deprived of affordable housing, free speech and media, social benefits (“Mainland Chinese immigrants first”), persecution for learning about Hong Kong history and Cantonese culture and language etc. State-sanctioned violence from the CCP.”
Notes (cont’d):
“lots of differences, but also many similarities: issues with a violent government that does not listen to its people, and with a police force that is badly trained, overfunded at the expense of other institutions (education, welfare, etc.), responds to peaceful protest with violence, frequently violates regulations, and is not properly held accountable.”
While several respondents think the movements are incomparable or that we shouldn’t compare the two, some claimed the BLM movement is more ‘advanced’ as it pursues values like racial equity that can only come after democracy and freedom are secured. On the other hand, some argued the Hong Kong movement is more ‘advanced’ as it is a fight for political freedoms and not fundamental equality rights. This raises multiple questions: Are there certain rights that are more fundamental than others? Can certain struggles be more advanced? Is determining which struggle is more advanced or fundamental helpful for the movements? etc.
Democracy and liberty antecedent to equality rights ‣ “[...] 香港⽰威是爭取⺠主⾃由，是作為⼀個⼈的最基本權利。⽽BLM⽰威涉及種族問題 及美國司法機構內的不公平。我覺得blm是在⼀個相對較⺠主⾃由的國家爭取⾃⼰/他⼈ 權益，⽽香港還在為基本⺠主⽽戰。 BLM⽰威是香港⽰威的第⼆步” [[...] Hong Kong’s protests are fighting for democracy and freedom, which are basic rights of an individual. However BLM protests involve issues about race and injustice within the
American judicial system. I think BLM is fighting for individual/others’ rights within a relatively democratic and free country, and Hong Kong is still fighting for basic democracy. BLM protests is Hong Kong’s protests next step.”] ‣ “They are similar in the sense that both parties are fighting for rights, freedom and elimination of police brutality. However, there are many differences between these two - [...] in the US the protestors are fighting for equality / equity / justice so that the black can be treated the same as the white, but in HK the protestors do so because everyone did not have the rights to start with […]”
Equality rights antecedent to democracy ‣ “[...] BLM movement fights for the most basic concept of equality among all men whereas the HK protests pursue something of a higher level i.e. democracy.
Democracy cannot exist without the basis of equality among men and hence the BLM movement is more important than the HK protests. Also there shouldn’t be anything like a stance with regards to the BLM movement, racism is wrong and everyone should stand against racism.”
Notes (cont’d):
Incomparable ‣ “At the fundamental level both groups are fighting against a system, the status quo, and fighting for their future. Both groups face a reality that oppresses and limits them, as well as violence, or violence in the future. The differences between the two protests should not invalidate one or another, we should not try too hard to draw 1:1 comparisons.” ‣ “The movements require us to look at the history of each society. I think drawing a parallel between any two movements can be tricky. Because such comparison can be used as rhetorics by different parties. For example, how the CCP frames police brutality in the states but never addresses that of Hong Kong […]”
Some respondents think neither democracy nor equality should be prioritized over the other and saw BLM as a “wake up call” for Hong Kongers to address racism within their communities and recognize the intersectional nature of any and all struggles against oppression.
“I think BLM and the HK protests are both fighting against government suppression and police brutality and violence. Hong Kong is a product of colonialism and also needs to dismantle power structures that encouraged class separation and dangerous disregard for ethnic minorities. I also think BLM serves as a wake up call for Hong Kong protesters who are relying on right-wing figures and Trump to save Hong Kong. Hong Kong is being used as a pawn and China is taking advantage of US hypocrisy and using police brutality abroad to justify their brutality in HK. I think HKers should ally with BLM— they are the ones truly standing for the values HK protesters believe in.” “Othering in hk is an issue, eg on cantonese slurs that ppl use based on assumption minorities don't understand the language” “We are both fighting against an oppressive government, and also fighting against police brutality. ACAB!!!! We have the same goal. and it's [awesome] how there's so much transnational information sharing [...] about protest roles, tactics in fighting tear gas/making shields, yellow [economic] circle, freehkmaps.live etc. it's amazing. it's very inspiring […]”
Question 9
How familiar do you think you are with United States history?* (Scale 1 to 10; 1 - not familiar at all, 10 - extremely familiar)
Question 10
Have you ever spent time (traveling not included) in the United States? If yes, how many years?
Question 11
Anything else you want to say?
Below are excerpts of some responses to Q11. (Content warning: a few
comments are racist)
Role of Media
"There are many skewed reports on both sides. There are also many independent points of view offered on the internet. Keep an open mind about what you see/hear. Most mainstream media (as well as major political groups) these days all try to sensationalize things, ready to ignore some truths, and choose to report only the parts of a story that serve their own agenda, so be careful of what you are fed [...] 香港⼈， 加油！！ ” […..Hong Kongers, we can do this!] “[...] How do we distinguish community guidelines from censorship? As media platforms, how do they provide a public space that allows all citizens’ participation regardless of differences in their views but at the same time safeguard the communities? [...] by not providing a platform or not listening to people with opposite views, we can never close the gap between two polars.”
On why it is Black Lives Matter and not All Lives Matter
“I hope hk people stop saying alllivesmatter. I wish everyone take the time to recognise why there is a need to emphasise on “black” lives. If hk protestors want to gain more international attention and gain we need to stop the “all lives matter” at once. People need to understand the meaning behind #blacklivesmatter and why not “alm”... I wish everyone understood the history of black lives struggles (ie slavery, colonialism, neocolonialism, etc) and how they have fought a long way to come to this stage (still very much struggling and unfairly treated, with people not recognising there is a problem)... revolutions are never contradictory, we achieve better by working together as allies rather than diminishing one another’s worth. Try thinking what we would think if we want people to #standwithhongkong but they respond with #standwiththeworld instead.” “This is disappointing the number of HKers that demand the world [including the] US to support HK to fight against injustice, but refuse to understand the struggle of the blacks and chant all live matter. We, the oppressed, shall at least not rally along the oppressor. However, while local HKers have the reason to be unfamiliar with US politics, a disgusting number of HK Americans are just simply racists.”
BLM in relation to Hong Kong
“Many americans helped us in our efforts to get the hk human rights and democracy act passed in the usa. obviously hkers have their own things to prioritise right now, but i think that those who have some time/energy to spare should help support blm as well. we are fighting for very different overarching causes/history, but share in the struggle against police brutality.”
“Although there are similarities, I also understand the difference between two situations. The racial tension in US has been affecting black lives for [centuries]. [Whereas] in HK, the tension [between] protesters and police/gov is due to political unrest in recent decade. This is possibly one of the reasons why the issue in HK is much less supported vs BLM. And of course because people are scared of China while everyone is free to shit on US.” “I cannot understand the logic of people who supports BLM but at the same time supports PRC/HK gov because that is basically double standards”
On the BLM being ‘hijacked’
“美國左膠思想嚴重，此風不可再長，危害美國⾃由” [The US has serious leftard ideological problems. This trend cannot continue, or it will endanger American freedom.] “I think they're hijacked by politicians and the people who have other purposes” “美國種族歧視問題不是現在才有，⼀直都有的問題，不單是⿊⼈，任何國家來的新移⺠ 都有經歷過⼤⼤⼩⼩的對待，今次只是有另⼀些陣營的⼈或⼼存不⿁的⼈在帶動起其他 ⼈情緒，⽽且美國⼈新冠疫情下待家太久，經濟衝擊下影響⼤家情緒等，才引發這埸事 件” [US’s racism issue didn’t just begin today, it’s something that has always existed. Not only Black people, but any immigrant from another country would have experienced some kind of racist encounter. The protest this time is just people from other camps or people with bad intentions who are agitating the emotions of others. This movement only happened because Americans have been staying at home for too long under the pandemic, and the economic shock is affecting people’s moods.] “Blm could be extremely harmful to Hong kongers, uyghurs, tibetans and others fighting Chinese communists. Marxist, communist groups have influenced , if not [outright] infiltrated blm and antics protests. Chinese communists are delighted to have media attention at blm, away from Hong Kong.”
On looting
“One YouTube clip that went viral touched me deeply is where an African American woman said that the looters were not destroying their own communities because nothing in the communities belonged to them. It is a profound statement. How did we, as a society, lose them?” “⽀持BLM 但不⽀援looting and looters” [Support BLM, but I don’t support looting and looters] “呢個⽰威，我指晚上嘅⽰威根本吾可以做⽰威嚟形容！ ” [The protests at night can’t even be described as protests!]
Prejudicial comments about the BLM movement
“BLM promotes hatred. Things asking are selfish, only care for the Blacks. They attack freedom of speech. It is kind of dividing the country instead of [uniting] them. However, Blacks are not majority in the protest. Many protesters are Whites which tells us [in] this country Black racism is not a mainstream.” “Black lives matter my ass. All lives matter.” “[Push] education reforms, [and] the importance of contraception/using condoms”
Final Notes
We at @unskilledandconfused believe that All Black Lives Matter, and that’s nonnegotiable. The United States’ systematic exploitation, oppression, and racism against Black people began with chattel slavery, and it didn’t end with abolition 1 , didn’t end with the civil rights movement, and it surely didn’t end today as we see mass incarceration, racist policing, segregated housing, economic inequality and its lasting effects everywhere around us 2 . Racism is baked into the system we are living in today, as this nation’s foundation is rooted in generations of indigenous genocide, enslavement of Black people, and imperialism abroad. It is clear this nation has never been built for non-white people. We are aware that, for many of us, this current struggle isn’t just for equality or inclusion into this current system but for liberation and freedom. We support those who actively work towards abolishing oppressive systems like police/policing and prisons, while reimagining and building the necessary conditions for a future where all of us can be free. Reimagination beyond the status quo can be daunting, especially for those of us who have just learned about these ideas. But we can always find strength in the wealth of wisdom and experiences shared by Black radical thinkers, and support in the many communities and individuals around the world who are committing themselves to this fight 3 .
We believe the BLM movement’s fight against fascism and oppression is connected to Hong Kong protestors’ fight against authoritarian rule and for self-determination. Our struggles are interlinked because we see systemic oppression, like racism and authoritarianism, as part of a social control structure that is global in nature. Our liberation requires abolishing this global structure and we know we cannot count on
1 Black People in the US Were Enslaved Well into the 1960s https://www.vice.com/en_us/ article/437573/blacks-were-enslaved-well-into-the-1960s? utm_content=1592578825&utm_medium=social&utm_source=VICE_facebook&fbclid=IwAR38r U32F_21RewzqY_J2fFedL2rcAqxLhuHvIZVwhLh3vDRM6qcgWM0nr8
2
如何理解 Black Lives Matters？暴動是不被傾聽者的語⾔ (陳啟睿&周永康) https:// matters.news/@ckysamuel91/如何理解-black-lives-matters-暴動是不被傾聽者的語⾔-陳啟睿and-周永康-bafyreidvj2pu3qo3ota7r6ctrla2rrcjfnycbvxmjr5whyhkkbeciylvf4? fbclid=IwAR38rU32F_21RewzqY_J2fFedL2rcAqxLhuHvIZVwhLh3vDRM6qcgWM0nr8 (English translation: https://lausan.hk/2020/to-hongkongers-how-can-we-understand-black-livesmatter-a-riot-is-the-voice-of-the-unheard/) 3 For example, Critical Resistance (http://criticalresistance.org/), Survived and Punished (https://survivedandpunished.org/), INCITE! (https://incite-national.org/), BYP100 (https:// www.byp100.org/), the Global Prison Abolitionist Coalition (https:// www.worldwithoutprisons.org/).
political elites and administrations but ourselves. We should learn from and stand in solidarity with each other.
The misinformed and racist comments we have seen in the survey are a reminder of the prevalent anti-Black racism plaguing our communities, both in Hong Kong and among (East) Asian Americans. We believe solidarity-building begins on the personal level and it starts with confronting racism and other forms of bigotry within our own communities. We commit ourselves to, at the very least, initiating these uneasy but necessary conversations within our social circles, educating and holding each other accountable, and encouraging a culture of unlearning bias and bigotry.
Last but not least, “No rioters, only tyranny” and may we “be water, my friend”.
