A study conducted by Dutch universities shows that more than one in three people of Southeast Asian origin claim to be victims of discrimination in the Netherlands. The first such study in the country.
“Spring roll” or “Ching Chang Chong” are words regularly hurled at Dutch people of Asian origin. Indeed, more than one in three (36%) people of Southeast Asian origin claim to have recently experienced discrimination in the Netherlands, according to a study commissioned by the Ministry of Social Affairs and conducted by the University of Amsterdam and Fontys University of Applied Sciences.
The researchers examined the scale, nature, and extent of perceived discrimination against Dutch people from Southeast Asian immigrant backgrounds: people of Chinese origin (81,735 in the Netherlands), Indonesian origin (352,266), and other Southeast Asian backgrounds (130,279).
A situation exacerbated by the Covid-19 crisis
Among the 2,505 Dutch people of Southeast Asian origin surveyed, it was those of Chinese origin who were most often subjected to discriminatory behavior: more than half of them said they had recently been victims.
The proportion is lower among immigrants from Indonesia (one in six, or 16%), a former colony of the Netherlands.
The grounds for discrimination most frequently mentioned by respondents in the 12 months preceding the survey were “origin” (75%) and “skin color” (43%). Notably, individuals who are often mistakenly assumed to be of Chinese descent, irrespective of their actual heritage, reported experiencing mockery or insults in public spaces. Commonly used derogatory terms include “ni hao,” “spring rolls,” and “ching chang chong.”
Numerous study participants expressed feeling heightened discrimination since the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, sensing unjust blame for the pandemic. Conversely, others noted a decrease in discrimination, attributing it to reduced social interactions during lockdowns, which mitigated opportunities for contentious encounters.
This is the first time in-depth research has been carried out into the experience of discrimination within this community in the Netherlands. Previous studies have often focused on discrimination against people of Moroccan, Turkish, or Surinamese origin, says University of Amsterdam sociology researcher Allard Feddes.
“A model minority”
“As little is currently known about perceived discrimination against Dutch people of Southeast Asian origin, little is known about the causes and consequences of this phenomenon,” explains researcher Yong-Qi Cong of the University of Amsterdam. “Our research shows that people who experience a lot of discrimination feel less healthy mentally and physically.”
Researcher Iris Andriessen from Fontys University of Applied Sciences underscores, “People of Asian descent are frequently stereotyped as a ‘model minority,’ with the prevailing belief being that they thrive and succeed in the Netherlands. However, ongoing research provides compelling grounds to reassess this perception, particularly regarding the misconception that they are immune to discrimination.”
Discrimination is not limited to verbal abuse. Some also experience disadvantages, for example when looking for work or housing.
Results are, according to Social Affairs Minister Karien van Gennip, “unfortunately not a surprise” for Dutch people of Asian origin. “The extent of this discrimination is now visible to all. It brings recognition, but above all, it gives us a task as a society.”
In response to these results, the Knowledge Platform for an Inclusive Society will organize meetings in Dutch municipalities to “raise awareness among local populations.” In addition, the national coordinator against racism and discrimination will examine how the results “can lead to a strengthening” of the next national program aimed at addressing these issues.
Similar findings in France and the USA
A similar study carried out by the French fundamental science agency CNRS and supported by the Défenseur des droits reports that people of Asian origin living in France face “trivialized” and rarely denounced racism.
This qualitative study of 32 people concludes that there are distinctive characteristics to anti-Asian experiences of racism, such as the “trivialization” and “ordinariness” of their manifestations, often expressed “in the guise of humor,” summarized one of the study’s co-authors, Simeng Wang, director of research at the CNRS when interviewed by radio France Inter.
Simeng Wang also cites the term “model minority” as responsible for the lack of reaction to anti-Asian racism. “This label, which locks Asians into positive stereotypes, encourages them to minimize discrimination,” she says.
The study also shows that the Covid-19 pandemic accelerated awareness of such racism. Simeng Wang describes the young people surveyed as “catalysts for individual or collective awareness” of discrimination.
Situations are also perceived differently depending on the origin of the people interviewed. For example, those of Japanese origin were more likely to “distance themselves from anti-Asian racism, associating it with people from other Asian countries.” On the other hand, for those “descended from political refugees from Southeast Asia, the interweaving of family history and colonial history predisposes them to reflection and debate on race relations,” according to the study.
A Pew Research Center study conducted in 2023 found that around six out of ten Asian adults (58%) say they have experienced racial discrimination or been treated unfairly because of their race or ethnic origin. This includes 53% of Asian adults who say they have occasionally experienced racial discrimination and 5% who say they have experienced it regularly.
