Southeast Asians in the United Kingdom

Last updated

Southeast Asians in the United Kingdom
Total population
Flag of England.svg  England and Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Wales only:
267,288 – 0.45% (2021) [1] Does not include any Southeast Asians who may be in the 'Other Ethnic Group' as provided by the Office for National Statistics for the 2021 census.
Regions with significant populations
London, Belfast, Liverpool, Manchester, Oxford, Cambridge, Glasgow, Edinburgh
Languages
Tagalog/Filipino – 60,899
Thai – 22,966
Vietnamese – 18,518
Malay – 8,014
Number of speakers in England and Wales as a main language, of all usual residents aged 3 and over, from the 2021 census. [2]
Religion
Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Non-religious, others
Related ethnic groups
Asians

Southeast Asians have lived in the United Kingdom for several centuries, arriving from Southeast Asia and primarily originating from countries and territories such as the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Burma, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Contents

Population history

Southeast Asian is not a category used in official statistics in the United Kingdom, [3] but has been considered as a particular ethnic identity, [4] [5] [6] including by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, [7] and Southeast Asians have been studied academically as a distinct group. [8] [9]

The country had a small population of Filipinos, Singaporeans and Malaysians until the late 20th century. The number started to grow in the 1970s after the passage of the Commonwealth Immigrants Act and its amendment in 1968 which curtailed extensive rights to immigrate to the UK for Commonwealth citizens. This Act had the effect of more immigration from non-Commonwealth countries, such as the Philippines.[ citation needed ]

The 2001 UK census recorded 9,924 Burmese-born people residing in the United Kingdom. [10]

2021 Census

Country of birth

The figures below represent data collected for the 2021 United Kingdom census with the country as a reported birthplace recorded (i.e. does not include British born people of Southeast Asian origin). The census in Scotland was delayed for a year and took place in 2022. [11]

State/TerritoryFlag of England.svg  England
(2021) [12] 		Flag of Scotland.svg  Scotland
(2022) [13] 		Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Wales
(2021) [12] 		Northern Ireland
(2021) [14] 		Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
(2021/22)
Flag of the Philippines.svg  Philippines 149,4746,2455,5423,701164,962
Flag of Malaysia 23px.svg  Malaysia 59,6745,2951,83687167,676
Flag of Singapore.svg  Singapore 39,6373,7251,28736045,009
Flag of Thailand.svg  Thailand 47,5976,9482,112725–
Flag of Vietnam.svg  Vietnam 36,442772237
Flag of Indonesia.svg  Indonesia 11,858320239
Flag of Myanmar.svg  Myanmar 10,41021448
Flag of Brunei.svg  Brunei 4,35016324
Flag of Cambodia.svg  Cambodia 1,5003327
Other Southeast Asia 15,582108–
Total376,52422,21412,3486,232417,318

Ethnic group

Ethnic group [lower-alpha 1] Flag of England.svg  England
(2021) [15] 		Flag of Scotland.svg  Scotland
(2022) [16] 		Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Wales
(2021) [15] 		Northern Ireland
(2021) [17] 		Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
(2021/22) [lower-alpha 2]
Filipinos 155,996To be published,
only 2011 figures
available [18] 		6,1424,449166,587
Thai 38,2791,68337340,335
Vietnamese 36,64381511737,575
Malay 12,40746614313,016
Burmese/Myanma 7,338177187,533
Indonesian 7,1451991247,468
Total257,808TBC9,4825,224272,514

In media

In 2008, ABS-CBN reported that acting parts in the British film industry were rare for Southeast Asian British people. [19]

Subgroups

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Only Southeast Asians who identified under the broad 'Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh' category are included. Those who identified themselves under the 'Other ethnic group' are excluded.
  2. ↑ Excluding Scotland

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">French migration to the United Kingdom</span> Ethnic group

French migration to the United Kingdom is a phenomenon that has occurred at various points in history. The Norman Conquest of England by William the Conqueror in 1066 resulted in the arrival of Normans, while in the 16th and 17th centuries Protestant Huguenots fled religious persecution to East London. Other waves are associated with monasticism, particularly post-conquest Benedictines and Cistercians, aristocracy fleeing the French Revolution, expulsion of religious orders by Third Republic France, and current expats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Filipinos in the United Kingdom</span> Ethnic group

Filipinos in the United Kingdom are British citizens or immigrants who are of Filipino ancestry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spaniards in the United Kingdom</span> British residents of Spanish descent

Spaniards in the United Kingdom are people of Spanish descent resident in Britain. They may be British citizens or non-citizen immigrants.

East Asians in the United Kingdom are East Asians living in the United Kingdom. They have been present in the country since the 17th century and primarily originate from countries such as China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. They are called "East Asian" or "Oriental", although – dependent upon the context – the use of the term "Oriental" might be considered by some to be derogatory or offensive. In the 2001 British census, the term Chinese or Other is used.

British Iraqis are British citizens who originate from Iraq.

Kenyan migration to the United Kingdom has been occurring for many decades. As a result, many people in the UK were born in Kenya, or have Kenyan ancestry. Many Kenyan people who migrated to the UK are of South Asian extraction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Africans in the United Kingdom</span> Citizens and residents of the United Kingdom with origins in South Africa

South Africans in the United Kingdom include citizens and residents of the United Kingdom with origins in South Africa.

Canadians in the United Kingdom, or Canadian Britons, are people from Canada living in the United Kingdom and their descendants. In 2001 some 72,518 people born in Canada were living in the UK according to the UK census. Of the ten census tracts with the highest Canadian-born populations, nine were in London, with the other being Cambridge West. The Office for National Statistics estimates that, in 2009, 82,000 Canadian-born people were living in the UK. In 2011 this was the third largest community in the Canadian diaspora after Canadians in the United States and Canadians in Hong Kong.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Singaporeans in the United Kingdom</span> Ethnic group

Singaporeans in the United Kingdom may refer to people who have full or partial Singaporean origin or descent, born or settled in the United Kingdom, or Singaporeans in Britain which are high-income expatriate professionals as well as skilled workers, with many still maintaining close ties with Singapore, especially those who continue to retain Singaporean citizenship while having permanent residency in Britain, as well as students.

Malaysians in the United Kingdom are British citizens who have full or partial Malaysian origin or descent and Malaysian citizens residing in the United Kingdom. The 2001 UK Census recorded 49,886 Malaysian-born people. The 2011 census recorded 62,396 people born in Malaysia living in England, 2,117 in Wales, 4,721 in Scotland and 705 in Northern Ireland. The largest concentrations of Malaysian-born residents were recorded in Greater London and South East England (11,331). The Office for National Statistics estimates that 75,000 Malaysian-born expatriates were residents in the UK in 2017.

Iranians in the United Kingdom or British Iranians consist of people of Iranian nationality who have settled in the United Kingdom, as well as British residents and citizens of Iranian heritage. Iranians in the United Kingdom are referred to by hyphenated terms such as British-Iranians, British-Persians, Iranian-Britons, or Persian-Britons. At the time of the 2011 census, 84,735 Iranian-born people resided in the UK. In 2017, the Office for National Statistics estimated the Iranian-born population to be 70,000.

Dutch people in the United Kingdom, also known as Anglo-Dutch people, include British people of Dutch ancestry and people born in the Netherlands who live in the United Kingdom. The 2001 UK Census recorded 40,438 Dutch-born people living in the UK. More recent estimates by the Office for National Statistics put the figure at 56,000 in 2013. The 2011 Census recorded 57,439 Dutch-born residents in England, 1,642 in Wales, 4,117 in Scotland and 515 in Northern Ireland.

Czechs in the United Kingdom refers to the phenomenon of Czech people migrating to the United Kingdom from the Czech Republic or from the political entities that preceded it, such as Czechoslovakia. There are some people in the UK who were either born in the Czech lands or have Czech ancestry, some of whom descended from Jewish refugees who arrived during World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Zealanders in the United Kingdom</span> Citizens or residents of the UK who originate from New Zealand

New Zealanders in the United Kingdom are citizens or residents of the United Kingdom who originate from New Zealand.

Hong Kongers in the United Kingdom are people from Hong Kong who are residing in the United Kingdom or British nationals of Hong Kong origin or descent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lithuanians in the United Kingdom</span> Ethnic group

Lithuanians in the United Kingdom include individuals born in Lithuania who have migrated to the UK, among them Lithuanian citizens of Russian descent and Polish Lithuanian citizens, as well as their British-born descendants. The 2011 UK Census recorded 95,730 Lithuanian-born residents in England, 1,353 in Wales, 4,287 in Scotland, and 7,341 in Northern Ireland. The previous, 2001 UK Census, had recorded 4,363 Lithuanian-born residents. The Office for National Statistics estimates that 144,000 Lithuanian-born immigrants were resident in the UK in 2013.

The terms British East and Southeast Asian (BESEA) or simply East and Southeast Asian (ESEA) are used to refer to people in the United Kingdom (UK) who identify with the cultures and ethnicities of East and Southeast Asia. The 2021 United Kingdom census recorded a total of 834,262 people who were born in East and Southeast Asian countries residing in the United Kingdom. This was split near evenly with 417,318 from the Southeast Asian region and 416,944 from the East Asian region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demographics of Glasgow</span> Demographics of the most populous city in Scotland

Glasgow is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth most populous city in the United Kingdom.

Central Asians in the United Kingdom are Central Asians living in the United Kingdom. They have been present in the country since the 21st century and primarily originate from the countries Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

References

  1. ↑ "TS:002 Ethnic group (detailed)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  2. ↑ "TS024 - Main language (detailed)". Nomis: Official Census and Labour Market Statistics. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  3. ↑ Aspinall, Peter J. (2003). "Who is Asian? A category that remains contested in population and health research". Journal of Public Health Medicine. 25 (2): 91–97. doi:10.1093/pubmed/fdg021. JSTOR   45161903. PMID   12848395.
  4. ↑ Martin F Norden; Robert F Weir (2019). Pop culture matters : proceedings of the 39th Conference of the Northeast Popular Culture Association. Cambridge University Press. p. 195. ISBN   978-1-5275-3068-3. Prevailing racist codes – be they denigrating African Americans in the United States, or Southeast Asians in Britain.
  5. ↑ Anna Triandafyllidou (2011). Handbook on tolerance and cultural diversity. European University Institute. p. 14. Indeed people of different ethnic backgrounds may share the same religion (e.g. southeast Asians in Britain, Moroccans and Turks in the Netherlands or in Germany).
  6. ↑ Raymond MacDonald; David J. Hargreaves; Dorothy Miell, eds. (2017). Handbook of Musical Identities. Oxford University Press. p. 535. ISBN   978-0-19-967948-5. While some ethnic minority groups may be related to recent or old migration waves (e.g., Mexicans in the USA or South East Asians in the UK), others refer to populations that gained minority status over time (e.g., the Aboriginal in Canada).
  7. ↑ "The South-East Asia Diaspora in the UK" (PDF). Foreign and Commonwealth Office. 2015.
  8. ↑ K. White; J.A. Lawrence (2018). "Racial/Ethnic Residential Segregation and Mental Health Outcomes". In Morgan M. Medlock; Derri Shtasel; Nhi-Ha T. Trinh; David R. Williams (eds.). Racism and Psychiatry: Contemporary Issues and Interventions (Current Clinical Psychiatry). Humana Press. p. 46. ISBN   978-3-319-90196-1. The evidence for associations between residential segregation ... among Asian Americans is sparse, although studies of Southeast Asians in the UK are more common.
  9. ↑ David Matsumoto (2016). "Culture and Psychological Disorders". Culture and Psychology. Cengage. p. 307. ISBN   978-1-305-64895-1. A comparison of white British and South-east Asian British adolescent females diagnosed with anorexia
  10. ↑ "Country-of-birth database" (XLS). Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development . Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  11. ↑ McNeill, Kirsty (18 March 2021). "March 21st is Census day - but Scotland will have to wait". Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  12. 1 2 "Country of birth (extended)". www.ons.gov.uk. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  13. ↑ "Table UV204 - Country of birth: Country by Country of Birth by Individuals". National Records of Scotland. Retrieved 24 May 2024. > 'All of Scotland' > 'Ethnic group, national identity, language and religion' > 'Country of birth: UV204'
  14. ↑ "MS-A18: Country of birth - full detail". nisra.gov.uk. Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  15. 1 2 "TS022: Ethnic group (detailed)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  16. ↑ "Table UV201 - Ethnic group: Country by Ethnic Group by Individuals". National Records of Scotland. Retrieved 24 May 2024. > 'All of Scotland' > 'Ethnic group, national identity, language and religion' > 'Country of birth: UV204'
  17. ↑ "MS-B02 Ethnic group - full detail". Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  18. ↑ "Ethnic group (detailed)" (PDF). National Records of Scotland. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 December 2015.
  19. ↑ Gene Alcantara (27 January 2008). "Fil-Brit 'maid' in BBC comedy show explains why she did it". ABS-CBN Corporation. Acting jobs for southeast Asians in the United Kingdom (UK) are few and far between, so Filipino actors and actresses take what is offered when they come up.
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