10 Most Racist Countries in Asia

In these 10 most racist countries in Asia racism is alive and well. A race is a social construct, a concept, an idea that only exists in people’s mind. Numerous anthropologists, genetics and other scientists have emphasized that biological races do not exist. Although race does not exist, racism does. You will see in this article that racism can take many different forms and it is not only confined to a division between black and white people…. For instance, in Arab countries divisions between poor expat community and rich natives is based on the same logic and has same consequences as the opposition between people of different skin color.

Palestinian writer Susan Abulhawa explains that people in Arab countries don’t have a racial consciousness similar to the one existing in the western world. However, these societies are divided into many levels and one of the most obvious and a dangerous divisions is between natives and expats. Foreigners who work in menial jobs are often perceived as less worthy citizens and human beings. The laws do not protect them in any way and they are left at the mercy of their employers who can exploit and abuse them with impunity. Besides poor expats, refugees are another group which has become the target of racist behavior and violence in recent years.

In creating the list of 10 most racist countries in Asia we applied the same method as in our article 25 Most Raciest Countries in the World. We relied on information from World Value Survey 2010-2014 which included two questions relevant for this ranking. One asked respondents whether they would not like having as a neighbor people of different race and the other asked how often participants witnessed racist behavior in their neighborhood. We ranked countries by percent of people who would not like to be living near people of different race and also by percent of people who said that racist behavior was present in their neighborhood. Finally, we calculated average ranking to come up with this list of most racist countries in Asia. Countries which have the same average ranking are placed in alphabetic order.

10. Kyrgyzstan

Percent of respondents who don’t want people from a different race as neighbors: 28.1%

Racism ranking based on this criteria: 16

Percent of people who observed racist behavior in their neighborhood: 35.9%

Racism ranking based on this criteria: 20

Average rank: 18

Overall rank among Asian countries: 10

We start today’s list of most racist countries in Asia with Kyrgyzstan. In this Asian country of 5.7 million population Kyrgyz represent the largest ethnic group. They account for 70.9% of all residents, while largest minority group are Uzbek who constitute 14.3% share of the population.  The relationship between these two ethnic communities has been marked by tensions. According to Euroasianet, Kyrgyz media as well as prominent figures among Uzbeks have contributed to the development of racist narrative in the public speech.

9. Iraq

Percent of respondents who don’t want people from a different race as neighbors: 27.7%

Racism ranking based on this criteria: 17

Percent of people who observed racist behavior in their neighborhood: 37.7%

Racism ranking based on this criteria: 18

Average rank: 17.5

Overall rank among Asian countries: 9

According to Al-monitor, media portal which focuses on the issues in the Middle East, a small black community of 1.5 million members have suffered discrimination for decades in Iraq. Although racism has been prohibited under country’s law since 1921, black Iraqis are excluded from political and social life. They are also marginalized by media. Moreover, in 2013, Jalal Diab, the founder of Free Iraqi Movement, the organization which represented a black minority, was assassinated.

8. Malaysia

Percent of respondents who don’t want people from a different race as neighbors: 31.3%

Racism ranking based on this criteria: 12

Percent of people who observed racist behavior in their neighborhood: 34.4%

Racism ranking based on this criteria: 22

Average rank: 17

Overall rank among Asian countries: 8

Malaysia, next on our list of most racist countries in Asia, is one of the rare countries that have not ratified International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. Racism is present in Malaysia on many different levels – in the educational system, labor market, finance, health care and welfare system racial discrimination is supported and encouraged by country’s laws which favor one ethnicity over another.

7. South Korea

Percent of respondents who don’t want people from a different race as neighbors: 29.6%

Racism ranking based on this criteria: 14

Percent of people who observed racist behavior in their neighborhood: 36.5%

Racism ranking based on this criteria: 19

Average rank: 16.5

Overall rank among Asian countries: 7

Seoul Institute survey, which tried to establish the prevalence of ethnic, racial and other forms of discrimination, found that 94.5% of foreigners in South Korea were discriminated because of their nationality, appearance, education, income… At the same time, among all complaints that National Human Rights Commission of Korea received over last 14 years, 90% were connected with discrimination based on race and nationality. Korean Observer documented racism against black and Asian community, and it also notes that “institutionalized racism is common in Korea among recruiters, hagwons, and parents”.

6. Palestine

Percent of respondents who don’t want people from a different race as neighbors: 44%

Racism ranking based on this criteria: 3

Percent of people who observed racist behavior in their neighborhood: 32%

Racism ranking based on this criteria: 29

Average rank: 16

Overall rank among Asian countries: 6

Palestine occupies a sixth place among 10 most racist countries in Asia. According to Al-monitor, black Palestinians are victims of different forms of racist behavior in Gaza Strip. The racism is most often expressed verbally – “chocolate”, “cappuccino”, “brown one” are words commonly used to refer to a black person. Sometimes racism takes non-verbal forms as well. For instance, some African descendants testify that white people avoid shopping at groceries where Africans work.

5. Kuwait

Percent of respondents who don’t want people from a different race as neighbors: 28.1%

Racism ranking based on this criteria: 15

Percent of people who observed racist behavior in their neighborhood: 37.9%

Racism ranking based on this criteria: 17

Average rank: 16

Overall rank among Asian countries: 5

In many Arab countries, including Kuwait, next on our list of most racist countries in Asia, racism targets expats who work menial jobs and who often become victims of a severe exploitation. Foreigners from poor countries come to Kuwait expecting to earn enough money to support their poor families back at home.  Many of them end up trapped in the circle of modern day slavery as domestic laws do not protect their rights in any way.

4. Philipines

Percent of respondents who don’t want people from a different race as neighbors: 20.6%

Racism ranking based on this criteria: 26

Percent of people who observed racist behavior in their neighborhood: 49.1%

Racism ranking based on this criteria: 5

Average rank: 15.5

Overall rank among Asian countries: 4

Discrimination in the Philippines is based on skin color. The lighter skin a person has the more opportunities are available to them, while vice versa can be said for people with darker skin. The division has the roots in the colonial period when Spaniards ruled this part of the world. Since then white skin has been associated with some sort of inherent worthiness and consequently higher social status.

3. Bahrain

Percent of respondents who don’t want people from a different race as neighbors: 31.1%

Racism ranking based on this criteria: 13

Percent of people who observed racist behavior in their neighborhood: 85.7%

Racism ranking based on this criteria: 1

Average rank: 7

Overall rank among Asian countries: 3

Like in previously mentioned Kuwait migrant workers are in greatest danger of experiencing racial discrimination and violence in Bahrain. Expats coming from Asia represent an especially vulnerable group. Although the government has addressed this problem through introducing new laws and regulations, Human Rights Watch warns that many of the reforms haven’t been implemented in a satisfactory way.

2. Lebanon

Percent of respondents who don’t want people from a different race as neighbors: 36.3%

Racism ranking based on this criteria: 6

Percent of people who observed racist behavior in their neighborhood: 64.5%

Racism ranking based on this criteria: 2

Average rank: 4

Overall rank among Asian countries: 2

In last few years racism in Lebanon, one of the most racist countries in Asia has been on the rise. After the war conflict broke in Syria the country has become a home to 1.1 million refugees. People fleeing the war have not been welcomed, especially after terrorist deadly bombings in the capital for which two Syrian refugees connected with ISIS were blamed. Last year civil activists organized a protest against racism targeting Syrians.

1. India

Percent of respondents who don’t want people from a different race as neighbors: 43.6%

Racism ranking based on this criteria: 4

Percent of people who observed racist behavior in their neighborhood: 64.3%

Racism ranking based on this criteria: 3

Average rank: 3.5

Overall rank among Asian countries: 1

India ranks as first on our list of 10 most racist countries in Asia. African immigrants, many of whom are students, are the most often targets of racist behavior.  At the same time India is the most racist country in the world, according to our previous article. It may seem strange that the state with one of the largest diaspora in the world is a home to widespread racial prejudice and stereotypes. However Indian society is deeply segregated. Religious, social, economical, and regional divisions among Indians have been firmly established and racism deploys the same kind of binary reasoning.