In December 2024, GREC completed a research project to feed into the design and future work of the Anti-Racist Observatory for Scotland (AROS). We spoke with 35 ethnic minority people from many different communities in the North East about their experiences of systemic racism, and what can be done to improve things. According to the Scottish Government, systemic racism means “political and social disadvantages which unfairly affect the life chances of people in certain groups […] often a result of historical, cultural or institutional practices.”
Participants talked about children’s experiences of racism at school, and their own experiences in employment, healthcare, public services and public transport. The report also highlighted racism in interactions with social workers, the police, and the legal system. People spoke about personal attacks and bullying, being held to unrealistic standards, and “harassment through bureaucracy” making their lives more difficult. Barriers to reporting racism and the damage of racism and negative narratives in the media was also mentioned.
The goal of the research was to contribute to building the new Anti-Racist Observatory for Scotland (AROS), and participants highlighted several ways AROS can make things better for ethnic minority people. They felt that AROS should include people from all ethnic minority groups, including immigrant groups and religious minorities, and all different geographies across Scotland. They want AROS to develop anti-racist policies, but also be able to enforce those policies, and they emphasised the importance of education and political representation. They hoped AROS could do something about negative media stereotypes and also encourage people from all different groups to share and learn about each other. Overall, they saw a positive role for AROS in building understanding, respect and community across Scotland.