Denial and Minimization of Experiences of Racism Among Middle- and Upper-Class Individuals of Asian Origin in France

This article draws on the REACTAsie project (The Experience of Discrimination and Racism Among People of Asian Origin), a research-action project conducted in France between 2020 and 2022, funded by the French Human Rights Defender. Through 32 biographical interviews with young, highly educated individuals of Asian descent, the study highlights the persistence of anti-Asian racism affecting even those with high levels of qualification. It also underscores the significant role that physical appearance plays in shaping everyday experiences of discrimination. The study also reveals a particularly noteworthy finding: a significant discrepancy between participants’ actual experiences of racism or discrimination and the ways in which they recount these experiences. More than half of the participants (n=17) denied or downplayed the incidents they described. Why did these respondents—who voluntarily agreed to share their stories—choose to deny or minimize such experiences? What structural mechanisms contribute to this denial or minimization? This article seeks to contribute to a deeper understanding of the specific forms of racism and discrimination experienced by individuals of Asian origin who occupy relatively privileged positions within French society. In particular, it aims to examine the lack of knowledge of racism, the distancing from other ethno-racial minorities, and the identification with a perceived superior or non-racialized social position.