How the coronavirus pandemic has exposed Hong Kong’s insensitivity to its ethnic minorities

From problems with the food at a quarantine centre to the delay in making information on Covid-19 available in various languages, the lack of attention to the needs of the city’s minority community shows a change in mindset is long overdue

Ricky Chu Man-kin

Published: 11:30am, 31 May 2020

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When over 300 Hong Kong residents returned from Pakistan on a government-chartered flight and entered Chun Yeung Estate for a 14-day quarantine in early May, little did they expect to be served ham sandwiches and cup noodles containing pork – until the Pakistani consulate, the Incorporated Trustees of the Islamic Community Fund, community leaders, NGOs and others stepped in.

Many Pakistanis are Muslims and observe the practice of eating halal food and avoiding pork.

To the further surprise of those who fast during the daytime in the month of Ramadan, for the first few days at the quarantine centre, breakfast was delivered after sunrise and dinner came hours after sunset.

While the Hong Kong government quickly rectified these missteps, they reveal a deeper issue that existed even before the outbreak – our city’s insensitivity to the needs of its ethnic minorities.

When the novel coronavirus first spread, official information on health protection and quarantine measures were published in Chinese and English only. Information was later made available in languages more commonly used by ethnic minority communities, but the translation was often incomplete and, at times, inaccurate.

Information on the coronavirus in Tagalog is posted on a pillar in a subway in Central, where foreign domestic helpers gather on their day off on April 5. Photo: Winson Wong

With limited knowledge of both English and digital technology, some elders in the ethnic minority community were initially confused as to why people were queuing for surgical masks and hand sanitiser. By the time they realised why protective gear matters, supplies had run short and prices had skyrocketed.

In one of the more extreme episodes of communication breakdown, a Nepalese man was hospitalised by mistake when it was his son who had tested positive for the virus.

But the problems go far beyond language barriers. Take foreign domestic workers for example – whether it is the pressure of additional work demands, the unease of living with an employer under home quarantine, or the fear of getting dismissed after going out on a rest day, the pandemic has taken a toll on both their physical and psychological well-being.

The Labour Department has reminded employers of foreign domestic workers that they could violate the Employment Ordinance by forcing them to work on a rest day without their agreement, or by failing to grant rest days.

The Equal Opportunities Commission has also published a list of frequently asked questions about the rights of foreign domestic workers and the obligations of their employers under the Disability Discrimination Ordinance, which states that any discriminatory act based on an infectious disease must be reasonably necessary for the purpose of protecting public health.

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Domestic helpers in Hong Kong pitch in to try and stop the spread of coronavirus in the city

Meanwhile, the pandemic has ravaged industries with a substantial number of ethnic minority employees, including aviation, catering, construction and hospitality. Jobs have been axed, incomes slashed, and families left struggling to pay rent and other bills, let alone afford laptops and high-speed internet connections for their children to access learning.

Some ethnic minority community leaders have told the EOC that values, such as self-reliance, combined with stigma around recipients of social security assistance, may discourage some from applying for financial support even in these difficult times.

The government must work around these cultural deterrents in publicising its subsidy schemes and other relief measures to ensure they benefit all in need.

From advising government departments to issue more guidance tailored for different communities to promoting inclusive workplace practices through a charter for employers and studying the feasibility of an accreditation system for interpreters working with minority languages, the EOC has striven to knock down the long-standing language, cultural and socioeconomic barriers confronting ethnic minorities, heightened by Covid-19.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor visits an ethnic minority family in Yau Tsim Mong district on March 1 to distribute face masks and other daily necessities. Some ethnic minority families have been hard hit by the impact of the coronavirus crisis on Hong Kong’s economy. Photo: Handout

Ultimately, there should be a fundamental shift in the mindset of policymakers, employers and the public alike. Ethnic minorities are an asset to the city – they contribute to the economy and fight the pandemic just as determinedly as every other member of society.

Their well-being is closely tied to the interests of the larger community; an inclusive approach is key to resolving our crises, be it Covid-19 or the economic downturn.

Instead of rushing to defuse problems as they occur, the government should ensure every policy and measure is designed with the needs and rights of ethnic minorities at its heart. Cultural sensitivity should be a priority, not an afterthought.

Ricky Chu Man-kin is chairperson of the Equal Opportunities Commission

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