The conversation on race that Britain needs to have

As the debate on immigration rages, there is a group that is prolific but often overlooked. Zing Tsjeng interrogates the silence around the east and southeast Asian communities

- Zing Tsjeng

When I grew up in the UK as a teenager, I’d usually wait months before I saw a single east or southeast Asian (ESEA) face on TV. I clung to the few Asian faces that I saw in NME and filed them away for reference. I have Karen O, the Korean-American frontwoman of the indie band Yeah Yeah Yeahs to thank for the truly tragic fringe I once had done.

Today, British east and southeast Asian representation is everywhere. At this year’s Glastonbury, you could catch London-born rappers Natty Wylah and Jianbo and dance to DJs including Oh Annie Oh and Ying. Jamaican-Chinese singer Griff’s critically acclaimed new album Vertigo came out in July. Filipino-born Beabadoobee, who has headlined Radio 1 Big Weekend and supported Taylor Swift, has just released her third album This Is How Tomorrow Moves.

Central Cee – probably the most talked-about British rapper right now – is of Guyanese, Chinese and English heritage. In September, Margins United, the first music festival celebrating alternative east and southeast Asian culture, makes its debut in London, as does the ESEA Lit Fest which is being held at the Southbank.

On TV, British-Japanese actress Sonoya Mizuno burned up screens on HBO’s House of the Dragon. Salford’s finest, Benedict Wong, was one of the big leads in Netflix’s big-budget project sci-fi epic 3 Body Problem and A24 has found incredible success with shows and films all centering the Asian experience – Beef, Past Lives, The Farewell and the Oscar smash hit Everything Everywhere All at Once.