YouGov interviewed 1,270 BAME adults, between 10th – 17th June 2020, about issues and experiences racism today and compared to 30 years ago[1]. The findings showed that ‘virtually identical numbers of people believe racism exists in the country today (84%) as believe it existed 30 years ago (86%)’[2]. However, only 47% think racism was present to a great deal compared to 68% previously, which may indicate that the nature of racism has changed.
The findings also showed that 75% of the BAME respondents think it is racist to dislike people who live in the UK and speak other languages in public, compared to just 58% of Britons in general. Some 65% have witnessed someone telling a joke featuring a racial stereotype about their own race, 52% have been on the receiving end of assumptions based on race and 44% have experienced an impact on their career. 76% of Chinese had a racial slur directed at them compared with 64% for all the BAME respondents.
Could this be because, by preferring to keep quiet and not make a fuss, the Chinese community has made itself more vulnerable to racism?