At ESAS, we work to build a safer, fairer Scotland for East and Southeast Asian (ESEA) communities. We’re a community-led organisation rooted in care, creativity, and justice. Formed in response to anti-Asian racism and ongoing exclusion, we centre the voices of migrant, queer, working-class, and precariously housed ESEA people. We challenge hate and exploitation, support those affected by racist policies, and create spaces for healing, cultural expression, and resistance. Through anti-racism education, rights-informed workshops, and strategic advocacy, we push for real change—so ESEA communities in Scotland are not only protected, but respected, heard, and able to thrive.

How We Do This

At ESAS, our work is grounded in the belief that East and Southeast Asian (ESEA) communities in Scotland deserve safety, justice, and belonging. We address the root causes of racial harm through a combination of cultural work, strategic advocacy, and direct support. Our approach is community-led, intersectional, and rooted in lived experience.

We do this by:

Campaigning for systemic change
We advocate for stronger protections, increased visibility, and inclusive policies that challenge racial injustice—particularly those affecting migrant, working-class, and queer ESEA individuals.

Engaging in strategic advocacy with policymakers
We work directly with local and national decision-makers to ensure ESEA communities are not only included in policy conversations, but centred. Our advocacy is informed by the lived experiences and collective insight of our communities, pushing for structural change.

Creating space for healing and resistance
We build spaces where ESEA people can process harm and reclaim joy—through art, storytelling, ritual, and cultural practice. These acts of resistance strengthen community ties and support collective healing.

Supporting those affected by hate and discrimination
We signpost and collaborate with services like On Your Side, providing safe ways to report hate, understand legal rights, and access trauma-informed, language-accessible support.

Providing anti-racism education
Through workshops, talks, and creative learning spaces, we raise awareness of racism, xenophobia, and structural inequality—centred on the lived realities of ESEA people in Scotland and rooted in solidarity across struggles.