The 2021 United Kingdom census recorded a total of 834,262 people (1.25% of the total population) who were born in East and Southeast Asian countries (i.e. does not include British born people of East or Southeast Asian origin) residing in the United Kingdom.
[1][2][3] According to organisations who uses this term, this includes Brunei, Cambodia, China, Timor-Leste, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea (North and South), Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
[7] The term East and Southeast Asian was used regularly by personalities, institutions and media reports in relation to discrimination and racism during the COVID-19 pandemic.
[17][18][19][20] MP Sarah Owen referred to the term ESEA in parliamentary debates in 2020,[21] while the UK Government condemned attacks on ESEA communities in its response to a petition on the UK Parliament Petition Website which called for more funds to support victims of COVID-19 racism and anti-racism programmes.
[25] In 2021, a #StopESEAHate GoFundMe campaign was launched with support from public personalities such as actors Gemma Chan, Benedict Wong and Henry Golding.