Space for EVRyone: Introducing Timothy Cheng
Timothy Ka Chen Cheng has an international career in the areas of social impact; diversity, equity and inclusion; and racial equity in investment. He has been volunteering with EVR since October 2023. He has helped us to develop our approach to community care.
What is your heritage?
I am a migrant from Hong Kong. I was born there, and I lived most of my life there for 28 years. I regard myself as a global citizen because I have connections to different parts of the world, including Canada, Laos and Prague. I enjoy and absorb different cultures and how people live.
What reflections and experiences have led you to volunteer with EVR?
I want to focus on equality and non-discrimination. It is relevant to myself because I’ve become part of an ethnic minority since moving to UK. I’ve experienced microaggressions. And there are intersectional issues. I want to contribute and support the UK to be a more equitable society for everyone. Hopefully we can make race or ethnicity not a determinant for access to a dignified life. It’s my passion. I want to achieve to learn more about the UK context. The UK context can be unique. I want to make connections with people who are like-minded.
What does antiracism mean to you?
We should be proactive in going against racism. It’s not just being non-discriminatory and ensuring equal access but taking a role in speaking out, and being against racist activity. Actively speaking out and intervening when others are racist. There’s an idea of “bystander intervention”. We are not trying to be passive bystanders.
What is your favourite thing about your heritage?
I came to the UK as a tourist in 2016 when I was still in university. I found London familiar already, probably because of our colonial history in Hong Kong. Signs and traffic light control buttons – in Hong Kong we have a good mix of Chinese culture and Western influences. For instance, we go to Hong Kong tea cafes called cha chan teng – we put macaroni in cream of chicken soup for breakfast. I love it.
What are your hopes for the future?
I’ve had lots of reflections since moving to the UK due to my experiences of migration. Moving can be a very challenging experience. I see lots of value in EVR’s promotion of community care because I see the value of focusing on mental health, especially in winter. I hope we can build a stronger support network for the ESEA community in the UK so we can not feel lonely and have a stronger collective voice, to make a non-discriminatory community UK.
Personal website: https://timothykc.com/
