If you’re not white, you will experience racism in Europe especially outside of the major cities with large historic immigrant populations and you’ll less likely have bystanders come to your defense compared to like in the US, Canada, Australia
A close friend of mine is African-American. He’s lived in Spain for a very long time and is a highly visible person because he’s also big and tall (6’5"). He says there’s some anti-foreigner sentiment (people will call him a guiri until they realize his Castilian and Catalan are fluent), but he says the racism is far less, and less dangerous, than in the US.
Another close friend is American of Jamaican origin. He lived in London for several years and also found it less dangerous than the US. The risk during cop encounters is far lower.
My sons look Middle Eastern (their mother’s Arab and they have beards-- hipster rather than Islamist, but idiots can’t distinguish) and have travelled extensively all over Europe, as well as North Africa and the US. In Europe, the worst hassle they’ve gotten has been in some of the Slavic countries (rural Czechia was bad, as were non-urban parts of Hungary and Bulgaria), but it hasn’t been that severe. A bit of shit talk, no violence. Compare that to a physical assault in Texas and incidents of police harassment in California and Washington state.
My wife’s experience, having lived in both the US and UK for extended periods, is similar: there’s prejudice in both places, but only in the US have people gotten openly aggressive with her. Well, once in London, a skinhead started shouting at me because I was with her (I had a shaved head and was very fit back then, so I think he assumed I was another skin), but it didn’t escalate.
Regarding the Texas incident: accusing someone of being an Islamic fundamentalist while they’re drinking an IPA in a bar and flirting with a local woman requires a degree of stupidity that’s hard to find outside the US. Especially when the response is “Da fuck’s wrong with you?” Tattoos are also not common on Muslim fundies. Anyway, after the guy threw a punch, my son trapped his arm and held him like that until a bouncer could be stirred from his lethargy. The IPA was not spilled, but he had no luck with the woman.
Yeah, I know, anecdata. But overall, despite the recent rise of the hard right in Europe, I’d say it’s still not as bad as in most of tthe US.
Ya I’d definitely say the US is more violent but in Europe casual and institutional racism is more accepted in my opinion. Especially in regards to non-white non-black people though I have heard comical stories from black friends in Germany of entering bars and like a TV show damn near every stops and stares.
Europe is the current home of, say racist/stereotype based joke then when the other person is upset, act incredulous and be, “it’s just a joke loosen up. You people can’t take a joke.” There’s at least cultural push back for some decades to be aware of racism towards black people especially in terms of microagressions and institutional prejudice but that hasn’t had the attention for the various MENA, Asian and native Hispanic people. Spain though is a place for preference for American Hispanic white immigrants over African and middle eastern immigrants because of racism/colorism and islamaphobia. East/southeast Asian people prepare yourselves for slant eye jokes especially from the drunks and country folks.
It not may not be violent currently but it was in the past and racism and prejudice is a far bigger discussion in the former colonies of Europe in the Americas and Oceania than in Europe. And that plays a role in things like opportunities in media representation, upward mobility and where one is likely to cap out at in a company and in politics, expectations of pricing for services rendered. A whole lot of things that extend beyond violence. It will become more a discussion in various European countries as non-white and non-christian communities grow in them
And the violence of the US is no excuse for European racism both current and historic nor should it be used as attention cover for incidents in Europe especially when it does get violent. Europeans need to observe their own issues of racism and xenophobia rather than paying so much attention to the US. Same for Canadians, Australians, New Zealander, etc. It feels like the whole past 25 years I’ve been watching countries in Europe sliding closer and closer towards racist and xenophobic mainstream governance all the while the people left of center focus on American news rather than their own. It’s not just racism and xenophobia. It’s happening with mass surveillance and censorship. The current trend of, in opposition to Trump sabre rattling, Euro-washing marketing to sell products or push legislation
A close friend of mine is African-American. He’s lived in Spain for a very long time and is a highly visible person because he’s also big and tall (6’5"). He says there’s some anti-foreigner sentiment (people will call him a guiri until they realize his Castilian and Catalan are fluent), but he says the racism is far less, and less dangerous, than in the US.
Another close friend is American of Jamaican origin. He lived in London for several years and also found it less dangerous than the US. The risk during cop encounters is far lower.
My sons look Middle Eastern (their mother’s Arab and they have beards-- hipster rather than Islamist, but idiots can’t distinguish) and have travelled extensively all over Europe, as well as North Africa and the US. In Europe, the worst hassle they’ve gotten has been in some of the Slavic countries (rural Czechia was bad, as were non-urban parts of Hungary and Bulgaria), but it hasn’t been that severe. A bit of shit talk, no violence. Compare that to a physical assault in Texas and incidents of police harassment in California and Washington state.
My wife’s experience, having lived in both the US and UK for extended periods, is similar: there’s prejudice in both places, but only in the US have people gotten openly aggressive with her. Well, once in London, a skinhead started shouting at me because I was with her (I had a shaved head and was very fit back then, so I think he assumed I was another skin), but it didn’t escalate.
Regarding the Texas incident: accusing someone of being an Islamic fundamentalist while they’re drinking an IPA in a bar and flirting with a local woman requires a degree of stupidity that’s hard to find outside the US. Especially when the response is “Da fuck’s wrong with you?” Tattoos are also not common on Muslim fundies. Anyway, after the guy threw a punch, my son trapped his arm and held him like that until a bouncer could be stirred from his lethargy. The IPA was not spilled, but he had no luck with the woman.
Yeah, I know, anecdata. But overall, despite the recent rise of the hard right in Europe, I’d say it’s still not as bad as in most of tthe US.
Ya I’d definitely say the US is more violent but in Europe casual and institutional racism is more accepted in my opinion. Especially in regards to non-white non-black people though I have heard comical stories from black friends in Germany of entering bars and like a TV show damn near every stops and stares.
Europe is the current home of, say racist/stereotype based joke then when the other person is upset, act incredulous and be, “it’s just a joke loosen up. You people can’t take a joke.” There’s at least cultural push back for some decades to be aware of racism towards black people especially in terms of microagressions and institutional prejudice but that hasn’t had the attention for the various MENA, Asian and native Hispanic people. Spain though is a place for preference for American Hispanic white immigrants over African and middle eastern immigrants because of racism/colorism and islamaphobia. East/southeast Asian people prepare yourselves for slant eye jokes especially from the drunks and country folks.
It not may not be violent currently but it was in the past and racism and prejudice is a far bigger discussion in the former colonies of Europe in the Americas and Oceania than in Europe. And that plays a role in things like opportunities in media representation, upward mobility and where one is likely to cap out at in a company and in politics, expectations of pricing for services rendered. A whole lot of things that extend beyond violence. It will become more a discussion in various European countries as non-white and non-christian communities grow in them
And the violence of the US is no excuse for European racism both current and historic nor should it be used as attention cover for incidents in Europe especially when it does get violent. Europeans need to observe their own issues of racism and xenophobia rather than paying so much attention to the US. Same for Canadians, Australians, New Zealander, etc. It feels like the whole past 25 years I’ve been watching countries in Europe sliding closer and closer towards racist and xenophobic mainstream governance all the while the people left of center focus on American news rather than their own. It’s not just racism and xenophobia. It’s happening with mass surveillance and censorship. The current trend of, in opposition to Trump sabre rattling, Euro-washing marketing to sell products or push legislation