British East and Southeast Asian

East and Southeast Asians living in the United Kingdom

The terms British East and Southeast Asian (BESEA) or simply East and Southeast Asian (ESEA) are used to refer to people in the United Kingdom (UK) who identify with the cultures and ethnicities of East and Southeast Asia. The 2021 United Kingdom census recorded a total of 834,262 people (1.25% of the total population) who were born in East and Southeast Asian countries (i.e. does not include British born people of East or Southeast Asian origin) residing in the United Kingdom. This was split near evenly with 417,318 from the Southeast Asian region and 416,944 from the East Asian region.[1][2][3]

According to organisations who uses this term, this includes Brunei, Cambodia, China, Timor-Leste, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea (North and South), Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.[4][5]

## Introduction

[edit]

The term East and Southeast Asian has emerged in a UK context where the category 'Asian' is predominantly used to refer to those from a South Asian background.[6] It has been adopted to replace the derogatory racialised term 'Oriental'.[7][8] The term has gained currency following the outbreak of COVID-19[9][10] which led to a rise in anti-Asian racial violence[11] and the creation of a number of groups that have organised under the ESEA term.[12][13][14] However, pan-ethnic mass mobilisation among East and Southeast Asians in the UK has longer histories – such as Mulan Theatre, New Earth Theatre (formerly Yellow Earth Theatre) and BEATS (British East & South East Asians in the Screen & Stage Industry) in the arts.[7][15]

A 2020 pilot study of East and Southeast Asian people in the United Kingdom found that close to 95% of respondents identify or feel comfortable with the term British East and Southeast Asian (BESEA) or East and Southeast Asian (ESEA) to describe their identity.[16] In a 2021 article exploring an East and Southeast Asian identity in the Britain, Diana Yeh describes ESEA as a 'pan-Asian' political identity and alliance which has grown out of wider anti-racist organising in Britain.[7]

## COVID-19-related discrimination and racism of ESEA

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Further information: Xenophobia and racism related to the COVID-19 pandemic

The term East and Southeast Asian was used regularly by personalities, institutions and media reports in relation to discrimination and racism during the COVID-19 pandemic.[17][18][19][20] MP Sarah Owen referred to the term ESEA in parliamentary debates in 2020,[21] while the UK Government condemned attacks on ESEA communities in its response to a petition on the UK Parliament Petition Website which called for more funds to support victims of COVID-19 racism and anti-racism programmes.[22] Academic communities have also discussed this term including studies on COVID-related racism[23][24] and discussion panels on the experiences of ESEA with discrimination and racism.[25] In 2021, a #StopESEAHate GoFundMe campaign was launched with support from public personalities such as actors Gemma Chan, Benedict Wong and Henry Golding.[26][27]

## Groups which use the term

[edit]

The term ESEA is used in the names and mission statements of several organisations and initiatives such as:

* Artist Working Group [28]
* Asian Leadership Collective[29]
* Besea.n[30]
* BEATS[31]
* Campaign Against Racism Group[32]
* China Exchange [33]
* Daikon[34]
* Don't Call Me Oriental[35]
* East and Southeast Asians for Labour[36]
* East and Southeast Asians in Scotland[4]
* East and Southeast Asians North East[37]
* Edinburgh University ESEA Queer Society[38]
* End Violence and Racism Against ESEA Communities (EVR)[39]
* ESEA Archives Book Club[40]
* ESEA Artists' Futures[41]
* esea contemporary[42] (formerly Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art[43])
* ESEA Green Lions[44][45]
* ESEA Heritage Month[46]
* ESEA Lit Fest[47][48]
* ESEA Music[49]
* ESEA Online Community Hub[50]
* ESEA Outdoors UK[51][52]
* ESEA Publishing Network[53]
* ESEA Sisters[54]
* ESEA Young Londoners[55]
* ESEAS Bristol[56]
* Every Asian Voice[57]
* Foundling Productions[58]
* Hackney Chinese Community Services[59]
* Half East Records[60]
* Have you eaten yet? Collective
* Hidden Keileon[61]
* Horizons Collective[62]
* Kakilang[63] (formerly Chinese Arts Now[64])
* Kanlungan[65]
* kindredpacket[66]
* Liverpool ESEA Network[67]
* Moongate Productions[68]
* New Earth Theatre[69]
* On Your Side[70]
* Papergang Theatre[71]
* Racism Unmasked Edinburgh[72]
* Remember Resist [73]
* Rising Waves[74]
* SOAS dis-Orient Society[75]
* Southeast and East Asian Centre (SEEAC)[76]
* Southeast and East Asian Women's Association (SEEAWA)[77]
* Tan's Topics [78]
* UK Civil Service Race Forum's East and South East Asian (ESEA) Working Group[79]
* Voice ESEA[80]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Country of birth (extended)". www.ons.gov.uk. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
2. ^ "Table UV204 - Country of birth: Country by Country of Birth by Individuals". National Records of Scotland. Retrieved 24 May 2024. > 'All of Scotland' > 'Ethnic group, national identity, language and religion' > 'Country of birth: UV204'
3. ^ "MS-A18: Country of birth - full detail". nisra.gov.uk. Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
4. ^ a b "ESA Scotland". ESA Scotland. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
5. ^ "Yellow Earth Theatre". Yellow Earth Theatre. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
6. ^ Aspinall, P. J. (2003-06-01). "Who is Asian? A category that remains contested in population and health research". Journal of Public Health. 25 (2): 91–97\. doi:10.1093/pubmed/fdg021. ISSN 1741-3842. PMID 12848395.
7. ^ a b c Yeh, Diana (2021). "Becoming British East Asian and Southeast Asian". British Journal of Chinese Studies (11). doi:10.51661/bjocs.v11i0.131.
8. ^ "Rallying banners: How did the terms 'ESEA' and 'Asian American' take root?". besea.n. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
9. ^ "East and Southeast Asians: Documenting a Category in the Making". Public Data Lab. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
10. ^ Bao, Hongwei (2021-09-07). "Envisioning and Enacting a Pan-Asian Political Identity: The Cultural Politics of the First 'Stop Asian Hate UK' Protests". The Sociological Review. doi:10.51428/tsr.crwi5533. S2CID 239654703.
11. ^ "Hate Crime Data". End Violence and Racism Against ESEA Communities. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
12. ^ "Network | ESEA Online Community Hub". ESEA Community Hub. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
13. ^ "Map of ESEA Organisations". End Violence and Racism Against ESEA Communities. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
14. ^ Chan, Emily (22 January 2023). "How ESEA Sisters Found Community Amid A Wave Of Anti-Asian Hate". British Vogue. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
15. ^ "B E A T S". wearebeats.org.uk. Retrieved 2022-09-15.
16. ^ Bao, Hongwei (July 20, 2021). "A pilot study on East and Southeast Asian (ESEA) people's experience of racism and hate crime in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic". Centre for Contemporary East Asian Cultural Studies.
17. ^ "How the UK's East and South-East Asian communities are fighting COVID-related violence". openDemocracy. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
18. ^ Tsjeng, Zing (September 27, 2021). "'We Want to Share Our Joy' – The Women Behind the UK's First ESEA Heritage Month". Vice. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
19. ^ Phillips, Ronke (October 7, 2021). "Covid racism fuels 80% rise in hate crimes against east and south east Asians in London". ITV News. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
20. ^ Mohdin, Aamna (August 9, 2022). "UK helpline launched for east and south-east Asian victims of racism". The Guardian. Retrieved September 16, 2022.
21. ^ Owen, Sarah (July 22, 2020). Hate Crimes: South and East Asian Communities. Hansard Volume 678. Retrieved September 16, 2022.
22. ^ "Voice ESEA - Petition". Voice ESEA. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
23. ^ "News - Covid-related racism has traumatised East and South East Asian communities, study finds - University of Nottingham". www.nottingham.ac.uk. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
24. ^ UCL (2020-10-03). "We are not the virus". UCL Grand Challenges. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
25. ^ "Discrimination and racism during the COVID-19 outbreak – a community response". LSHTM. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
26. ^ Iqbal, Nosheen (May 9, 2021). "Celebrities unite to back #StopAsianHate campaign". The Guardian. Retrieved September 16, 2022.
27. ^ Lai*, Ching Kaitlyn (2022-05-27). "6 Asian Women On Racism And The Impact Of The #StopESEAHate Campaign A Year On". ELLE. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
28. ^ "Artists call for 'white-run' UK Chinese gallery to be defunded in racism row". the Guardian. 2021-06-21. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
29. ^ "Asian Leadership Collective". Asian Leadership Collective. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
30. ^ "besea.n". besea.n. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
31. ^ "B E A T S". wearebeats.org.uk. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
32. ^ "ABOUT US". CARG. 29 October 2020. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
33. ^ "Ways to access support for ESEA racism – China Exchange". 17 March 2021. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
34. ^ "Home". daikon* zine. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
35. ^ "Don't Call Me Oriental". Don'tCallMeOriental. Archived from the original on 2022-09-03. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
36. ^ "East and Southeast Asians for Labour". East and Southeast Asians for Labour. Retrieved 2022-10-26.
37. ^ "ESA.NE". ESA.NE. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
38. ^ "EdiUniCorn - UoE ESEA Queer Society (@uoe_eseaqueersoc) • Instagram photos and videos". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
39. ^ "End Violence and Racism Against ESEA Communities". End Violence and Racism Against ESEA Communities. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
40. ^ "ESEA Archives Book Club (@esea.archives) • Instagram photos and videos". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
41. ^ "ESEA Artists' Futures". ESEA Artists' Futures. Retrieved 2025-03-02.
42. ^ "esea contemporary". esea contemporary. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
43. ^ Chow, Vivienne (9 January 2023). "A Prominent Asian Art Center in the U.K. Drops 'Chinese' From Its Name Amid Growing Geopolitical Tensions". Artnet. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
44. ^ "ESEA Green Lions (@esea.green.lions) • Instagram photos and videos". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
45. ^ "Green Lunar New Year". Museum of the Home. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
46. ^ "ESEA Heritage Month". ESEA Heritage Month. Retrieved 2025-03-02.
47. ^ Sarah, Shaffi (23 January 2023). "First UK festival for east and south-east Asian writing announced". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
48. ^ "ESEA Lit Fest". ESEA Lit Fest. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
49. ^ "ESEA music - Every Sound Every Action". www.eseamusic.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
50. ^ "ESEA Online Community Hub". ESEA Community Hub. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
51. ^ "ESEA Outdoors UK". eseaoutdoors.uk. Retrieved 2025-01-16.
52. ^ "ESEA Outdoors UK (@eseaoutdoorsuk) • Instagram photos and videos". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2025-01-16.
53. ^ "ESEA Publishing Network (@eseapn) • Instagram photos and videos". ESEA Publishing Network. Retrieved 2023-01-06.
54. ^ "Esea.Sisters (@esea.sisters) • Instagram photos and videos". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
55. ^ "ESEA Young Londoners (@esealondonyouth) • Instagram photos and videos". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
56. ^ "Colston project aims to create 'grassroots' change in Bristol". BBC News. 2021-08-28. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
57. ^ "Every Asian Voice (@everyasianvoice) • Instagram photos and videos". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
58. ^ "FoundlingProductions (@foundlingproductions) • Instagram photos and videos". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
59. ^ "Hackney Chinese | Home". Hackney Chinese Community Services. Archived from the original on 2022-09-15. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
60. ^ "Half East Records (@halfeastrecords) • Instagram photos and videos • Instagram photos and videos". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2023-11-01.
61. ^ "ABOUT". Hidden Keileon. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
62. ^ "Horizons Collective". Horizons Collective. Retrieved 2023-03-04.
63. ^ "Kakilang - Southeast and East Asian Contemporary Arts". Kakilang. Retrieved 2023-01-07.
64. ^ "Chinese Arts Now". Chinese Arts Now. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
65. ^ "About Us – KANLUNGAN". 14 July 2020.
66. ^ "kindredpacket". kindredpacket. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
67. ^ "Home". Liverpool Esea Netwo. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
68. ^ "HOME". moongateproductions. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
69. ^ "New Earth Theatre". New Earth Theatre. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
70. ^ "On Your Side". On Your Side. Retrieved 2022-10-10.
71. ^ "Papergang Theatre". Papergang Theatre. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
72. ^ "Home | Racism Unmasked Edinburgh". Racism Unmasked Edin. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
73. ^ "Home". remember-resist.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
74. ^ "Rising Waves". New Earth Theatre. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
75. ^ "SOAS dis-Orient Society (@soasdisorient) • Instagram photos and videos". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
76. ^ "Southeast and East Asian Centre". Southeast and East Asian Centre. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
77. ^ "Southeast and East Asian Women's Association". Southeast and East Asian Women's Association. Retrieved 2025-03-02.
78. ^ "Tan's Topics". Tan's Topics. February 5, 2025.
79. ^ "Empowering East and Southeast Asian officials was a highlight: Civil Service Race Forum looks back on 2022". Civil Service World. 2022-12-13. Retrieved 2022-12-15.
80. ^ "Voice ESEA". Voice ESEA. Retrieved 2022-09-16.

## Further reading

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* Lee, Helena, ed. (2022). East Side Voices: Essays Celebrating East and Southeast Asian Identity in Britain. London: Sceptre. ISBN 9781529344479.
* Yeh, Diana (2021). "Becoming British East Asian and Southeast Asian". British Journal of Chinese Studies (11). doi:10.51661/bjocs.v11i0.131.