Racism

I was watching the documentary about Euro 2012.

I know some personal stories and a lot of research, its astonishing how far-right the whole of Eastern Europe is.

There was something about Russia the other day where over a hundred have been killed in 2-3 years in St Petersburg because they weren’t white, some as little as 9!

Have you ever experienced racism yourself? Have you seen it or reported it?

When i was younger, i honesly had no idea what "color" was. I had friends of every race, age, shape, and size. Then, when i was in middle school, my parents wanted a better education for us and decided to move is to another city. The city we ended up moving to was 98% white, which, at the time didnt even cross our minds as an issue.
The summer came and went, and then the first day of school came. Naturally, my younger brother and I were nervous about going to a new school. Little did we know what we were in for.
Before the bell rang and we were let into the school, I had 3 older girls in my face yelling at me to go back to where I came from. Through out the day, i had people looking at me weird and walking passed me with a look of serious disgust.
When it was lunch time, for the first time in my life, i had to sit at a table alone. No one wanted to sit with me or have me sit with them. So I set my tray down and remembered i needed a drink. I went back to the food court to get a drink, and as i was coming back, i saw two boys laughing and spitting into my food.
I could have created a scene, but knowing that everyone would have taken thier side, i decided to take my drink and go sit outside.
Needless to day, we didnt last there two long. But it wasnt just the students who were racist. The faculty and staff were just as bad. I wasnt allowed to attend my 8th grade graduation or the festivites that followed. Why? I'm still not sure. :(

This situation was the first time I personally got to see how backwards the world is. I had never seen or faced such hate in my life. And as a child, it was a really traumatic experience that I wouldnt wish in ANY ONE.

But the older i got, the more my eyes opened and i realized it doesnt matter if you're in a diverse or a seltered community. Rasicm is STILL everywhere. :(

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^wow...that is bad!!! :( Where did you live?

The only place I ever experienced racism was in UAE...not UK, not France, not Switzerland, not Canada, not Germany BUT United Arab Emirates!!!! From what I saw in that place, if you were not white, a local or did not know anyone powerful it was one hell hole to live in.

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Have experienced it in air India 2 decades ago. Service much better for westerners. Try to avoid flying Ai if I can

I’ve lived in the United States my entire life. It’s pretty bad here. Lol…
When i was un the UK, i was honestly SHOCKED by how understanding and how comfortably everyone lived in harmony.
:bummer:

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I am born and raised in Dallas, Texas and I can honestly say that I have NEVER experienced any sort of racism EVER, until 9/11 happened.

1) about 6 months after the WTC attacks, the FBI showed up at our doorstep at 8:00 am one day, wanting to speak to my husband. They launched a full investigation of him, as he is a commercial pilot. Someone gave a "tip" that he had flown with another student pilot of Arab descent, who was being investigated, when truth was my husband didn't even know who that guy was! They subpoened his log book and the inquiries went on for about 8 months. In the end, it was dropped because there was nothing to find!

2) One time, while at the State Fair, some gora idiot started shouting "go back to where you came from!" and other slurs at my husband and I...I got a little tense...but other people wwho were around us (also goras!) were very kind and sympathetic and asked if we needed security called or an escort to walk with us

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After reading what you wrote, now that I think about it, any racism that I had to face was after 9/11.

I started wearing hijab to school shortly before 9/11. Probably a few weeks before. And I remember, not even thinking about what the affect of me wearing a hijab the following week would be, until someone ripped my hijab off and called me a terrorist.

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When I lived in the UK, there was only one time I saw it happen with my own eyes, not to me though it was to a Pakistani taxi driver, I felt sooo bad for him, he was an uncle ji. These 2 white teens said something really mean to him coz he refused to go into an alley with them (for his own safety), I was about to open my mouth when my gori friend shouted at them saying “White trailer trash like is the reason everyone else thinks bad of us!!”

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Don't get tense. I usually shout back, "Not before I steal your jobs, tee hee!"

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I had an experience with racism after 9/11, and usually because of my hijab people ask me different questions. But I can still say its better than Saudi Arabia, where you are nothing if you are not Saudi, British or American.

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I didn't have too many explicit encounters with racism, I think I was sheltered from a lot of it. The only thing I did notice while growing up was that because I was the only asian girl in my class, and usually the only Muslim, a lot of kids didn't understand my culture or my faith. They didn't try to bully me or anything, but they didn't bother trying to understand either.

Having said that, when you have to assert yourself more, it builds your character more and makes you less likely to take crap, I think.

My sister got some abuse after 9/11, she's worn hijab for a long time and had people spitting/shouting at her because of her scarf. Even now, people do get intimidated by the fact that she wears an abayah.

Depends on how culturally mixed/integrated the community is as well, definitely.

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Khatti that's scary, about your husband I mean :(

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After the cartoons and the following riots in front of the Danish embassies in the Middle East, was my first encounter with racism. I've to admit, it was nothing horrible as some of you described.

I was waiting at the train station (just a few days after incidents) and this danish dude (with scarf uptil his nose) walked by me saying "B*tch".. My reply "Yeah your mother" .. few sec later, I was regretting having answered back, but if someone says it again to me, I will be saying the same **** back ..

Otherwise I have never felt serious racism towards me.

I did have a math teacher in college who was a racist. He didnt hide it very well, but he was super professional so never mixed his personal opinion when it came to grades.

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Khatti- that was crazy with your husband :-/ Glad they finally dropped it.

Miss Manno- That's terrile. What state was that in when you were growing up?

Yes, encountered racism when i was a young'un , but not really anything i can remember after that, even though I was in NYC during 9/11.

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US/Canada is far better then Europe when it comes to discrimination. one just have to read “Choice and prejudice” by Amnesty to understand how huge the problem has become.
Choice and prejudice: Discrimination against Muslims in Europe | Amnesty International

My dad went to uni in early 70s, he have some horror stories to tell, mostly because of color but well that was 70s.
Personally i never face racism in US but once in Italy but it was expected i was at the wrong place at the wrong time, the Priest and dozen other ordinary people apologize for it.

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yeah i watched panorama too! that was crazy, are they holding an investigation? ukraine is not safe.

HEIL.

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Football ka aap ko pata nahi, program aap dekhnay baithee hain muft mey

Re: Racism

hums motd tune

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Considering it takes you 20 mintues to google up Arsenal’s team mujhe bewakoof na banao :snooty:

Re: Racism

aap hain hi bewaqoof, zaroorat nahin hai bananay ki :)