Deep Dive: Hong Kong’s ethnic minority communities need support to overcome language barrier

Jobseekers from Hong Kong’s ethnic minority communities stumble over the language barrier when looking for work, and many end up doing low-skilled, manual work, according to official data and a recent study.

A survey on the employability of people from ethnic minority communities by Lingnan University professor of cultural studies Lisa Leung Yuk-ming showed that most found it hard to break out of working-class jobs such as deliverymen, security guards, and construction workers.

Stereotypes of ethnic minority communities also persisted in the workplace despite Hong Kong’s claim to be inclusive and diverse, she said.

The survey done last year involved about 600 ethnic minority individuals aged mainly between 18 and 44. They were asked about the difficulties they faced in finding jobs and how they sought help from employment support services.

“A lot of the time when they face discrimination, it is due to the language barrier,” Leung said, adding that even qualified individuals with degrees struggled to find a job if they could not speak Cantonese.

According to the 2021 census report, 444,280 employees of ethnic minority backgrounds, including Caucasians, South Asians, and Southeast Asians, worked in Hong Kong.

Merely 1 in 10 Hong Kong ethnic minority students get government-subsidised university spots in last 5 years

Almost 72 per cent were in “elementary occupations” such as domestic helpers, cleaners, food preparation assistants, messengers and deliverymen.

Most of this group comprised South and Southeast Asians, including Filipino and Indonesian domestic workers.

Leung said there was an “entrenched impression” that people from ethnic minority communities were only capable of working in certain fields, and that meant fewer opportunities for job interviews in other professions.

“Stereotypes sometimes are hard to explain,” she said.

Although the Labour Department set up the Racial Diversity Employment Programme in 2020 to provide job-matching help through two NGOs, Leung said few knew about the service.

The department said 882 jobseekers had gone through the programme since its launch, half of whom were of Pakistani and Indian descent. As of last December, 518 had found jobs.

Staff writers

Question prompts

1. List THREE jobs often held by ethnic minorities.

2. According to Leung, which statements about the employability of ethnic minorities are false?

(1) Ethnic minorities face discrimination due to education levels and language barriers.(2) More than 70 per cent of surveyed respondents work in elementary occupations.
(3) People hold entrenched impressions about ethnic minority communities regarding their work abilities.
(4) The Racial Diversity Employment Programme is not helpful for non-Chinese jobseekers.

A. (1) and (2) only
B. (1) and (4) only
C. (2) and (3) only
D. (3) and (4) only

3. Suggest TWO measures the government could take to help ethnic minority individuals find jobs.

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Question prompts

1. List TWO observations from the chart.

2. Using News and your own knowledge, explain how the trend could impact Hong Kong’s ethnic minority communities.

• NGO survey finds 82 per cent of ethnic minority respondents had no internship experience

• Schools should also provide more resources, education to explore career opportunities

Hong Kong should do more to develop job opportunities for young people from ethnic minority backgrounds, an NGO has said, after a survey last month found that more than 80 per cent of respondents were unable to find internships in Hong Kong.

KELY Support Group said last month that schools should provide more career support for young members of ethnic minorities, arguing that companies could benefit from diverse cultural backgrounds and talent.

The group surveyed 509 people aged 16 to 25, of whom about 64 per cent were from non-Chinese Asian minorities.

It found that 82 per cent of respondents had no internship experience, despite about three-quarters considering it the most valuable resource for identifying a career path.

Only 17 per cent of respondents surveyed spoke Cantonese as their first language, compared with 63 per cent who spoke English. An additional 15 per cent spoke Cantonese as a second language.

“It’s important for us ... to really understand [that] internships are not just a chance for them to work, but it’s also their first contact with our society in a workplace concept,” said Cindy Ng Tsz-man, the group’s senior manager for programmes and services.

“The government may consider taking the lead and developing more policies to encourage [ethnic minority] employment so that young people from these backgrounds will be able to have equality in the workplace,” she added.

The social struggles of ethnic minorities

But Ng said that while language barriers were a “big” hurdle they faced, schools had also failed to provide adequate resources and education for them to explore career opportunities.

She said many were unsure where to find a job and lacked mentors to help them navigate career choices. This also created mental health issues such as anxiety and a lack of confidence, she added.

To help alleviate some of the pressure, the group developed the Open Door Work Placement Programme to help connect young people from ethnic minority backgrounds with internship opportunities.

Since last year, the programme has provided 20 people with job placements at 10 small-to-medium-sized enterprises.

Wayne Fong Wai, head of corporate affairs for Prudential Hong Kong, which worked with KELY Support Group to develop its work placement programme, argued that young people from ethnic minority backgrounds were a talent pool companies could tap into.

“They can truly contribute to the economic development of Hong Kong if we give them a chance to shine,” he said.

Staff writers

Question prompts

1. Which of the following statements about the KELY Support Group survey are correct?

(1) It surveyed 509 non-Chinese Asian minorities aged 16 to 25.
(2) More than 80 per cent of respondents had no internship experience.
(3) About 75 per cent of the respondents considered internships a valuable resource.
(4) More than half of the respondents spoke English as their first language.

A. (1), (2), (3) only
B. (1), (2), (4) only
C. (2), (3), (4) only
D. All of the above

2. According to Cindy Ng, why are internship opportunities important for ethnic minority youth?

3. In what ways can young members of ethnic minorities serve as a talent pool for companies? Explain using News, Issue, and your own knowledge.

Question prompts

1. Which group of people is represented in the illustration, and what might the wall refer to?

2. Using News, Issue, and Chart, suggest TWO factors that may contribute to the situation the people in the illustration face.

ethnic minority: individuals belonging to non-Chinese ethnicities. According to the latest census report, there are a total of 619,568 people from ethnic minority groups residing in Hong Kong, accounting for 8.4 per cent of the entire population.

working-class jobs: jobs that provide low pay, require limited skills or physical labour, and usually have reduced education requirements.

Racial Diversity Employment Programme: launched in 2020 by the Labour Department in collaboration with NGOs, this government programme aims to provide tailored employment support services to ethnic minority jobseekers, with the goal of supporting their career development and fostering inclusive workplaces.

Open Door Work Placement Programme: established by the NGO KELY Support Group, this programme offers employment skills training and subsidised work placements to disadvantaged young people from ethnic minority backgrounds. The objectives of this programme are to increase professional and personal development opportunities for this target group and increase their exposure to work experience.

talent pool: the database of potential job candidates you can pull from to fill open roles

News

1. Common jobs held by ethnic minority Hongkongers include domestic helpers, cleaners, food preparation assistants, messengers and deliverymen. (any three)

2. B

3. The government can enhance educational opportunities for students from ethnic minority backgrounds by offering scholarships, vocational training programmes, and language support to improve their employability. Additionally, it can also strengthen anti-discrimination laws and regulations to protect ethnic minorities from unfair treatment in the workplace based on their ethnicity or language. (accept other reasonable answers)

Chart

1. The number of ethnic minority pupils sitting the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) examination has increased slightly over the past five years, from 1,094 in 2018 to 1,224 in 2023.

However, the number of non-Chinese students who are able to secure a government-funded university place remains low, with an increase from 116 in 2018 to 149 in 2023, which indicates that only one in 10 ethnic minority pupils are able to gain admission to university.

2. The limited access to university education for ethnic minority individuals can result in fewer career options. It could lead to a concentration of ethnic minority individuals in low-skilled or manual labour jobs, which reinforces stereotypes and restricts their potential for career advancement. (accept other reasonable answers)

Issue

1. C

2. Internships provide ethnic minority youth with an opportunity to explore career possibilities and have their first contact with society in a workplace context.

3. People from ethnic minority backgrounds can bring different perspectives from their diverse cultural backgrounds, which can drive innovation, diversity, and growth within a company. Additionally, the bilingual skills possessed by many ethnic minority individuals can foster better communication with people from different cultures. This ability to bridge language barriers and facilitate effective communication can be valuable for companies, especially in multicultural and globalised environments. Furthermore, tapping into non-Chinese talents can enhance the company’s reputation by demonstrating diversity and inclusion to attract diverse customers. (accept other reasonable answers)

Illustration

1. The people in the illustration are ethnic minority students, as indicated by the girl wearing a hijab, a garment worn by some Muslim women. The wall could symbolise the challenges faced by ethnic minorities in the city, such as limited employability and restricted access to university education.

2. They may face challenges arising from factors like language barriers and a lack of career support from schools and the government. (accept other reasonable answers)