Kwanghi Chan,
Chef and star of the Six O’Clock Show, Virgin Media One

Growing up, I was the only Chinese kid in a small town in Donegal through the 80’s and 90’s. Small towns can be a lot more intense than a city, when you’re ‘different’. I was spat at, called “chinky”, “fanny eyes” and “chicken curry” a lot! Because of this I felt the need to retaliate, to defend myself, in a way that children shouldn’t have to.

I would skip school a lot because of the bullying, but also work in my uncle’s restaurant that extra bit harder to prove to myself and to others that I deserved to call this place home.

On the positive side, Ireland has become much more multicultural, especially in Dublin. I think that’s why I settled in the capital with my wife and kids, so we could focus on the normalities. I would hate for my children to experience the hatefulness, bullying and name calling I had to endure. Working in a professional kitchen for 28+ years of my life was tough as bullying went on there too, mostly because I was the only Chinese in a top end kitchen.

Racism still very much exists: we all know someone that has a parent, granny, uncle etc that can make a racist comment that’s nearly accepted as entertaining because they ‘don’t mean it’.

But a lot has changed in the last twenty years. The majority know now that racism and discrimination are wrong.

Discriminatory comments or abuse should never be accepted. I think, if the feelings of those affected were highlighted more, it would help to wipe it out. But the older I get, the more comfortable I am in my own skin. It wasn’t always this way, but I can now say confidently that I am very happy – and very proud – of being Irish Chinese.

This contribution featured in Part 1 of 100 Voices: #AllAgainstRacism. Read Part 2 in the current issue of Hot Press:

Special thanks to the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission for their support in this project.