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3 February 2001
by Wai Kwok Cheung I read "Unfair Dismissal of Dad for Trying to Save His Babies" with much interest and growing empathy for Alan Chan. His story certainly does bring home the culture that we, British Chinese, face working in a Westernised environment.
For many, like us, it was certainly our ambitions and our parent's aspirations that we should study hard and then eventually work for a western organisation, to coin a phrase "to make a living holding a pen". Although we eagerly prepare ourselves with academics, knowledge and the ability to socially interact with colleagues, one thing we did not anticipate is the racially motivated culture which spawns as the mere result of a single ethnic minority entering a predominantly white working environment.
I must admit I have been somewhat fortunate, I am British born and therefore have a much better grasp of British culture and indeed can traverse along the same "wave length" as many of my British work mates and friends. But within each of the roles I've held, even within very large organisations, there has inevitably been office banter. I would imagine in their minds, the use of my ethnicity makes appropriate content for which they can laugh at, or make off the cuff remarks, Hong Kong Phooey, sweet and sour chicken balls, Fu Man Chu, hello my little triad friend. It is with a wry smile that I accept their bantering, whilst cringing inside, I would, however, add that I do give as good as I get.
However it is up to the individual as to how they conceptualise this banter, are they using this humour to say that they are accepting you into their social group and as such feel they are comfortable enough to approach you on this intimate level? From my experience it is also down to the individual, if you regularly joke around, create banter and emanate a relaxed personality, this makes it easier for colleagues to bring up ethnicity within their banter, for some reason they assume you will not mind nor take offence. Indeed you do get to a point where you do not mind, you become assimilated and develop enough comradeship to go on fishing trips with your work mates.
Being Chinese within a Westernised society is constantly in the back of my mind that I am different and have, somewhat, of an urge to ensure that I fit in. Like any person, I have the need to be accepted into the working and social group, so what are our options? Increasingly we laugh it off, we need to present the image that we can take a joke and that really their comments are just light hearted humour. The alternative is to look them stern in the eyes and say nothing, not a whimper of a smile nor a glint of acceptance, with a look that says, "I am offended". But that will create tension, the atmosphere will become tense, your colleagues will start pussy footing around you, they worry that the mere mention of chop sticks or a number 38 will cause an even greater racial divide.
In the case of Allan Chan, this certainly appears to be a disgraceful story, to simply make Allan redundant, in a five minute meeting, after what he has been through is unethical and certainly insensitive. However it is hard to establish whether he was laid off because he took time of from work, or whether it was racially motivated, it is stated that Allan cites racially motivated incidents, this does not mean that he was removed because of that. In any case, the racial incidents which Allan suffered are totally unacceptable, it certainly should not have been allowed to escalate into something that is not much short of racist playground bullying.
This story certainly does paint a picture of racial prejudices in, what is considered, a politically correct working society. Is institutionalised racism still alive and worse still is it still acceptable amongst the rest of our uninvolved work colleagues?
Being Chinese in a Westernized Workplace
'Comments on "Being Chinese in a Westernised Workplace"'
Being Chinese In A Westernised Workplace - Assimilation At What Price?
Being Chinese In A Westernised Workplace - A British perspective
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