‘There’s a lot of respect’: how ethnic minorities are thriving in Belfast

Alan Lui, a martial arts instructor and organiser of lunar new year celebrations in Belfast. Photograph: Paul McErlane/The Guardian

When Alan Lui moved from Hong Kong to Northern Ireland in 1981 he joined a Chinese community that was tiny, isolated and often abused.

Chinese migrants worked seven days a week, usually in shops and restaurants, and kept to themselves, says Lui. “Life was very plain. We didn’t go anywhere. The racism was wild. We were insulted in the street.”