Cleanromantic Posted October 7, 2023 Share Posted October 7, 2023 (edited) I moved to Germany to study and while allot of people are very nice and warm, I had some ~interesting encounters and I don't know if these were racist interactions or not. Day 1: I was trying to buy a train ticket but the machine would not accept cash, I went to ask a worker at the reisezentrum counter about how to buy a ticket and the woman legitimately ignored me for 5 minutes and kept staring at her computer screen then said in German "I don't speak English". I think this was my fault because I didn't realise I needed to get a ticket to talk to people at the counter. Day 2: A drunk man started making monkey sounds when I passed by. Day 3: I was at the mall looking to buy shoes, I went into a shop and I was taking pictures for my friend to get their opinion on which ones to buy, then I decided to look at other shops at the mall before deciding which ones to get, I left the store and I was still on the phone messaging my friend when a girl working there called me back and asked to search my back pack. I opened it for her and she checked it then she was like "the door scanner sometimes beeps when there is some metal in bags", but the door scanner did not beep. What do you guys think? Edited October 7, 2023 by Cleanromantic 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Digitalism Posted October 7, 2023 Share Posted October 7, 2023 Day one is probably just some rude person The others are racist 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saintlor Posted October 7, 2023 Share Posted October 7, 2023 I'm sorry you went through this, people in Europe always claim that only Americans are racist 8 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bosque Posted October 7, 2023 Share Posted October 7, 2023 A lot of German service workers are just extremely rude to everyone. Number 3 sounds like potential racial profiling, number 2 is just straight up racist 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cleanromantic Posted October 7, 2023 Author Share Posted October 7, 2023 1 hour ago, Saintlor said: I'm sorry you went through this, people in Europe always claim that only Americans are racist What made it worse is that I really liked a pair of shoes at that store and I called my mom and she told me that I was overreacting and to go back and buy them, so I did. They didn't have my size so the very nice woman at the counter sent the same girl to a storeroom outside the shop to get my size, and she came back and gave them to me I felt so mortified and awkward . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Revolution Posted October 7, 2023 Share Posted October 7, 2023 Yes. There is racism everywhere. Acknowledge that the negativity exists but don't cling to it. There are some genuinely good people out there and you are a capable human being. Reorient yourself to these things and live with dignity. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthinos Posted October 7, 2023 Share Posted October 7, 2023 I would say that Number 1 wasn't racist, it's just how some Germans are Number 3 was definitely racial profiling. I think the experience depends on where you live in Germany. People in Berlin for example can be very direct and rude. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terrielle Posted October 7, 2023 Share Posted October 7, 2023 You are asking the wrong forum sis, But yes. I experienced racism for the first time in my life when I went to Europe. Figures! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devin Posted October 7, 2023 Share Posted October 7, 2023 1. Rude 2. Racism 3. Stereotype/Racial Profiling 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cleanromantic Posted October 7, 2023 Author Share Posted October 7, 2023 1 hour ago, Anthinos said: I would say that Number 1 wasn't racist, it's just how some Germans are Number 3 was definitely racial profiling. I think the experience depends on where you live in Germany. People in Berlin for example can be very direct and rude. I'm in east Germany. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProudLBS Posted October 7, 2023 Share Posted October 7, 2023 1) no 2) definitely 3) yes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delirious Posted October 7, 2023 Share Posted October 7, 2023 All Racism. Europe is notorious for its racism but unfortunately it's not well known enough to Europeans themselves LOL 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
makeme Posted October 7, 2023 Share Posted October 7, 2023 12 minutes ago, Dephira said: A lot of German service workers are just extremely rude to everyone. Number 3 sounds like potential racial profiling, number 2 is just straight up racist This. I was traveling through Frankfurt and if anyone has had a layover there know the airport is HUGE. I was lost on my first international vacation alone. I asked an employee which direction to go (his job was to direct people) and he made the most STANK face pointed in a direction and said nothing. Like damn Doja you can't just be polite? Paint the town red I guess Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
X~MoviePoP Posted October 7, 2023 Share Posted October 7, 2023 If it feels like racism. Then its racist. Also u could sue that #3 one btw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vixen Eyes Posted October 7, 2023 Share Posted October 7, 2023 its definitely at least a microaggression. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SleepNoMore Posted October 7, 2023 Share Posted October 7, 2023 (edited) Definitely racist. Europe is apparently getting more racist. I was at Paris Disney with my cousin and her husband, who is black, and we had a reservation for a restaurant and he went to the lady to say we were here, and she made us wait while other people came in with even later reservations and sat them first until I finally complained and asked why were we alone at being seated when we had a reservation also (and I could see an empty table that would fit us) and then she turned to my cousins husband and asked him to pay for the meals upfront. Ive never seen that before. Edited October 7, 2023 by SleepNoMore 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aethereal Posted October 7, 2023 Share Posted October 7, 2023 1.) Not very likely 2.) Yes. 3.) Very likely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
What_A_Mess Posted October 7, 2023 Share Posted October 7, 2023 1 hour ago, Cleanromantic said: I'm in east Germany. Welp. Why are you there? That’s the most racist part of Germany. I have a friend from west Germany who refused to go when I ask him if we could go visit some cities there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScorpiosGroove Posted October 7, 2023 Share Posted October 7, 2023 1 hour ago, Saintlor said: I'm sorry you went through this, people in Europe always claim that only Americans are racist absolutely nobody claims that 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dumbsparce Posted October 7, 2023 Share Posted October 7, 2023 2nd and 3rd days definitely were. How did you restrain yourself from kicking that man in the balls? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G.U.Y_Del_Rey Posted October 7, 2023 Share Posted October 7, 2023 (edited) Going to Europe scares me mainly for that reason , I'm not even white-passing Edited October 7, 2023 by G.U.Y_Del_Rey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tropez Posted October 7, 2023 Share Posted October 7, 2023 10 minutes ago, ScorpiosGroove said: absolutely nobody claims that Actually they do. We’ve had this discussion before on Atrl. The main difference is Americans oftentimes acknowledge their race issues and at least try to make amends. Europeans tend to ignore it by saying it’s not racism, and then claim it’s not like the US. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
What_A_Mess Posted October 7, 2023 Share Posted October 7, 2023 7 minutes ago, G.U.Y_Del_Rey said: Going to Europe scares me mainly for that reason, I'm not even white-passing If you go to a tourist heavy area or English Speaking area like Greece, Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Netherlands, the UK, you should be ok. Barely anyone in Germany spoke English when I visited. And east Germany is worse. But Berlin is pretty open. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthinos Posted October 7, 2023 Share Posted October 7, 2023 Yeah, east Germany really isn't the best place to be if you're black, LGBT+ etc. The AfD (our far right party) is very popular there and the area is not very diverse, it's mostly white Germans. West Germany or Berlin are far more diverse and open. I also heard some terrible stories from east Germany like from a gay couple that had to move because they were bullied by their neighbours because of their sexuality. As a gay guy I wouldn't move there either. Good cities are Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne and I would say Munich, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cleanromantic Posted October 7, 2023 Author Share Posted October 7, 2023 1 hour ago, What_A_Mess said: Welp. Why are you there? That’s the most racist part of Germany. I have a friend from west Germany who refused to go when I ask him if we could go visit some cities there. That's where the only school that accepted me is, unfortunately. 1 hour ago, dumbsparce said: 2nd and 3rd days definitely were. How did you restrain yourself from kicking that man in the balls? Omg, I was so scared. I had to run an errand back where he was standing and I had to go through a longer, more roundabout way to avoid him. Luckily, there was construction in the middle of the road so he couldn't see me passing by from the other side . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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