The experience of discrimination and racism of people of Asian - East and South East Asian - origin in France (REACTAsie)

Rights Defender Contract (2020-2022)
Coordinator: Simeng Wang, Cermes3

The REACTAsie project ("The experience of discrimination and racism of people of Asian origin - from East and South-East Asia - in France") is funded by the Defender of Rights for a period of 18 months (October 2020 - March 2022).

This research-action project deals with the experience of discrimination and racism of people of Asian origin (from East and South-East Asia) in France, focusing on those of young graduates or qualified people (20-35 years old). This project builds on an already established partnership between the MAF research network (Migrations de l'Asie de l'Est et du Sud-Est en France) and the Association des Jeunes Chinois de France (AJCF). The two organisations wish to cooperate in order to better understand and combat contemporary racism and discrimination affecting people of Asian origin.

This research-action has a double objective. Scientifically, it aims to analyse the forms of discrimination suffered by young graduates or qualified people of Asian origin in France, the mechanisms of production of discrimination in the different social spaces (school, work, care, public service, places of sociability, etc.), as well as the subjective experience of the victims. We are trying to study the variation of discrimination experiences according to social trajectories, migratory generation (descendants and newcomers), gender, social position, etc., but also the typical interaction situations that characterise the discrimination experience of people of Asian origin.

On the social level, this project aims to offer psychological support to victims. The aim is also to raise awareness among the French population in general, in order to strengthen the reflexivity, resilience and capacity for action of qualified people of Asian origin in French society; all this through the creation of a space for discussion and exchange between the researchers and the people of Asian origin involved in the project. We will organise events for the general public (such as "conference-debates") in this respect. We also plan to design new multimedia tools to disseminate scientific knowledge, as well as new mechanisms to raise awareness of discrimination, collect testimonies and provide support to victims.