The German filmmaker, author and television presenter Mo Asumang knows how racism can make one feel: as a daughter of a German mother and a father from Ghana, she has experienced enough racist insults and discrimination in her everyday life. When she started to engage in fighting against racism and xenophobia, she received threatening letters. Mo Asumang has not been intimidated: in her documentary, Die Arier (The Aryans), she carried out a personal research on extreme right-wing circles – from German neo-Nazis up to the Klu Klux Klan in the United States. Her film was awarded the German Directors Award “Metropolis” in 2015 and was nominated for numerous awards. She tries to find out what is the idea behind “The Master Race” and why it is always about exclusion and violence against “the others”. Mo Asumang’s book Mo and the Aryans: Alone Among Racists and Neo-Nazis has always been a bestseller in Germany.

The Hong Kong Holocaust and Tolerance Centre (HKHTC), the Goethe-Institut and the Hong Kong Baptist University were honoured to invite Mo Asumang to Hong Kong during the week of March 26 to present her film, give readings from her book and discuss with our audience the danger of racism and xenophobia today. Ms Asumang spoke at the Hong Kong Baptist University, the Chinese International School, Elsa High School, as well as the Jewish Community Centre during her trip in Hong Kong.

The Hong Kong commemoration of Yom Hashoah 2018, which was hosted by HKHTC, welcomed Anne Frank House’s Ronald Leopold as our keynote speaker. Many people attended this year’s ceremony which was a full house at our venue in the Jewish Community Centre.

Mr Leopold, who delivered an excellent, thought-provoking keynote speech during the commemoration, was also interviewed by the RTHK (Hong Kong’s public broadcaster), SCMP Young Post and the Chinese-language Hong Kong Economic Journal Monthly during his stay in Hong Kong.

HKHTC marked the International Holocaust Remembrance Day on 25 January 2018 with a moving, well-attended ceremony at the Sai Ying Pun Community Hall. With this year’s theme, “Holocaust Remembrance: Resistance and Resilience,” the commemoration was very successful with nearly 300 local Chinese and Jewish community members in attendance. Feedback was highly positive. Over thirty diplomats and dignitaries also attended, including Consuls General representing many European countries, the United States and Canada. The Under Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Jack Chan, represented the HKSAR government and delivered an excellent speech at the beginning of the ceremony.

HKHTC was deeply honoured that Mr Reich, a 90-year-old survivor of multiple concentration camps and the infamous death march, travelled from the United States to Hong Kong to share his story with the Hong Kong public. In addition to giving a keynote speech at the UNHMD ceremony, Mr Reich also visited different local schools and universities to share his experiences with young audience.