INTERVIEW Hong Kong's pioneer ethnic minority social worker champions unity in diversity

Hong Kong's first ethnic minority social worker, Jeffrey Andrews / Korea Times photo by Kwak Yeon-soo

HONG KONG — Hong Kong’s iconic Chungking Mansions, located in the bustling Tsim Sha Tsui district, is a melting pot of cultures, traditions, languages and cuisines. It has been featured in numerous films, including director Wong Kar-wai’s 1994 film “Chungking Express.”

On the 16th floor of the building is a drop-in center for refugees and asylum seekers who come for protection, where Jeffrey Andrews, the city's first registered ethnic minority social worker, has been dedicating his efforts toward fostering a more equal and inclusive society for 14 years.

He is a third-generation Hong Konger of Indian descent.

"My grandfather came to Hong Kong in the 1960s as a hotel chef. Hong Kong was a great place for opportunities back then," he told The Korea Times during a recent interview.

Andrews explained that ethnic minorities in Hong Kong are still overlooked by authorities, although the situation improved over the last 30 years.

"When my sister and I were born and raised here in the 1980s and 1990s, Hong Kong was a very different place because we were under British colonial rule. It was still a cultural melting pot," the 37-year-old social worker recalled.

Growing up, he faced discrimination and racial profiling. Passive-aggressive racism was always prevalent in schools, on public transport and on the streets.

"We went to segregated schools. We weren't taught Cantonese. We were taught English. So I think that was creating a lot of 'us and them,'" he said. "When we were taking public transportation, people would hold their noses. One of the things that I always struggled with back then is racial profiling. Whenever I saw the police, I would get my ID card ready because I was stopped."

The entrance of Chungking Mansions in Hong Kong, home to a drop-in center for refugees where Jeffrey Andrews works, is seen, Dec. 13. Korea Times photo by Kwak Yeon-soo

He and his fellow Indians and Pakistanis were called "EMS" (ethnic minorities), or even worse, racial slurs like “ah cha,” a Cantonese slur referring to South Asians.

"It was tough and I think many of us never had a sense of belonging to Hong Kong. It was a really confusing time. When Hong Kong was handed over to China, we were like, 'what are we?’” he said.

Despite being a third-generation Hong Konger, he constantly struggled with identity and belonging and that confusion eventually led him to join a gang at the age of 16.

"As a youth, I was so disillusioned. I could not see many of my older peers having any upward social mobility or going into higher education. They were joining gangs and I thought that was just a route to take. I didn't have any other alternatives," the activist said.

The life-changing moment came when he got arrested at 18. Andrews realized that institutional bias and punishment for minorities were harsher.

However, his life took a lucky — and transformative — turn when Chinese social worker Fermi Wong, a pioneering advocate for minority rights, came and saved his life. She stood up for him, presented reference letters to the court and asked the judge to give Andrews a second chance, which inspired his career in social work.

"I think that was a big turning point. Before I and two others enrolled in a social work program, there was no ethnic minority social workers. There were only Chinese social workers serving our community, and some of them really lacked cultural competency," he said.

Jeffrey Andrews, center, shows a traditional Muslim prayer rug at a shop in Chungking Mansions in Hong Kong in this undated photo. Courtesy of Jeffrey Andrews

Andrews started as a community worker at NGO Christian Action in 2009. Until now, it is the only drop-in center in Hong Kong for refugees that provides hot meals and counseling to those in need. Many of the refugees come from South Asia, Middle East and South Africa, according to him.

"We run programs to integrate them into Hong Kong society. We provide welfare support such as basic emergency needs and food. We offer skills training classes and help their mental well-being so they feel like home away from home. We put many refugee children into schools. So I would say we fill in the gaps in government services," he explained.

Since Hong Kong is not a signatory of the 1951 Refugee Convention, the city does not officially recognize refugees’ rights to reside. Refugees cannot register the births of their babies born in Hong Kong.

"It's a long waiting room and they wait for resettlement in another country. For instance, we're saying goodbye to a family on Jan. 9. They're leaving Hong Kong after 19 years of no identity who had neither been allowed to work nor volunteer," he said.

Andrews has witnessed progress in inclusivity and representation following years of advocacy, but he looks forward to further changes.

"There are no more segregated schools. There are now over 30 police officers who are ethnic minorities. There are more teachers, firemen and social workers. I do see a lot of changes, but that's because we have had to voice out for year after year and continued to use our political rights to push for those changes," he said.

Refugees in Hong Kong hold a cultural gathering at the rooftop of Chungking Mansions in this undated photo. Courtesy of Jeffrey Andrews

For example, the NGO organizes various tours, including the five senses tour around Chungking Mansions, to promote cultural understanding and share knowledge about the issues refugees face in Hong Kong.

"I would say the younger generation like university students are much more open-minded because (of) what's happened politically in Hong Kong. I think the movement made people a bit more empathetic. The elderly, of course, are harder to change but I think they just don't have the opportunity to have a dialogue and engage with refugees," he said.

He also noted that the city government is in fact spending more on ethnic minorities.

"I think they realize the social cost of having ethnic minorities keep failing or staying unemployed. Some get into crimes when they can actually be an asset to society and be in the workforce. But I also don't want them to keep stereotyping that we should only be in construction, food and beverage sectors and work as security guards and delivery guys," the activist said.

To increase visibility in the public sector, Andrews ran for the pro-democracy primaries in 2020. However, the move caused a huge mess for him, resulting in charges under the national security law and subsequent bail.

“Now I realize my best position and role is in the community,” he said.

Reflecting on his journey, he aspires to impact lives just as Wong impacted his, working tirelessly to bridge cultural divides and strengthen Hong Kong's diversity.

“I remember how a social worker saved my life, so I always feel like I have a responsibility to do the same for someone else. My biggest dream is that we stop using the term ethnic minority. I'm hoping that in 10 years’ time, we are just called Hong Kongers regardless of our ethnicities. I'm now feeling tired of that word," he said.