‘Are you a Catholic Chinese or a Protestant Chinese?’: Belfast's ethnic minorities and the sectarian divide

Abstract

This paper reflects on the rapidly changing demography of Belfast and the (potential) role of ethnic minorities in facilitating the city's move to a more progressive and pluralistic society. Focusing specifically on two films about the migrant population-Lab Ky Mo's Oranges are Blue (2005) and Stephen Don's Faraway (2013)-it assesses the extent to which increased cultural diversity and alternative identities are complicating the dominant image of Belfast as a paradigmatic 'divided city' (between Catholics and Protestants). The paper also explores the city's alarming problem with racism-the number of racially motivated attacks increased by 30% from 2013 to 2014-as well as ongoing sectarian tensions and the ways in which these severely hinder the ability of migrants to contribute to the reconstruction of the city in imaginative and enlightened ways.