The policy discourse in Hong Kong concerning minoritised students’ education and well-being are heavily dominated by Chinese language issue where minoritised students are mostly seen from a deficit perspective. For example, minoritised students are officially referred as non-Chinese speaking (NCS) students indicating their lack of Chinese language skills. The policy makers may leverage from this labeling to limit their policy efforts only to Chinees language support, however, such a labeling itself constitutes the racialization of minoritized groups (Bhowmik & Gube, 2022). Despite the policy discourse highlighting language as the main barrier to successful educational outcomes, empirical research suggests that many other interrelated factors also contribute (Bhowmik & Kennedy, 2016). This paper will highlight the ways in which adoption of critical race theory (CRT) (Gillborn & Ladson-Billings, 2010; Ladson-Billings & Tate, 1995; Taylor, Gillborn, & Ladson-Billings, 2009) and related methodology (López, 2003; Solórzano & Yosso, 2002) have helped to widen our understanding beyond language deficiency model. Such an undertaking uncovers an array of factors that racialize minoritised students of South Asian heritages and contribute to their unfavorable educational outcomes in a society characterized by 92% Chinese majority. Among others, teachers’ low expectations, segregating school system, unfavorable school policy, negative stereotypes, differential treatments and behaviors, and lack of cultural understanding are in effect. The paper will elucidate how these factors operate to racialize minoritised students and create a systemic barrier that inhibits their successful transition to post-secondary education and beyond. It will highlight the bold policy measures needed to alter the situation and ensure that diversity is truly valued and celebrated in this Asia’s world city. The paper will also discuss the issues and challenges of situating and doing CRT in a context that privileges Chinese and oppresses South Asians.

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