Racism in GermanyI am not racist, but very frequently you hear these words in
Germany, and they are often used before a tirade against foreigners. Of
course, racism is a worldwide phenomenon, but it is a fact that Germans
have a reputation for being an extremely racist people. Many Germans
are very offended by this and claim that it is not true. Haven't we
taken in more refugees than all other European Union member states
together? Don't they owe their lives to us? Don't we give them homes?
What is racist about that? These are tirades that they argue
vehemently. However, if you look at the matter more closely, you will
see that those arguments are neither sufficient nor convincing.
If you look at the way refugees are treated instead at how many there
are living here, you will not exactly find proof for Germany's
anti-racism. Some refugee camps are so run-down and filthy that even
animals would be extremely unhappy there. Some refugees live in rooms
without windows, and if they earn money, they even have to pay for such
a place to live. Moreover, even decent refugee camps are
always very dangerous places, because they are popular targets for
crazy neonazis who might throw bombs at them. This has happened far too
often already. There is a huge amount of hatred behind all that. What
is worst, and what scares me very much, is that nothing is really being
done about neonazis. Even their political party called NPD (Germany's
nationalistic party, or Nationalsozialistische Partei Deutschlands)
still exists, which I find unbelievable, especially considering
Germanys history. To me, even the resemblance of that party's name to
Hitler's NSDAP (Germany's Nationalist workers party, or
Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei), which existed during
the Third Reich, is very offensive. However, it is not only neonazis
that foster so much hate against foreigners. Near my home town, for
example, an African was killed by policemen some years ago.
Germans always claim to be tolerant and open-minded towards other
cultures. This might be true for certain cultures, namely those similar
to our own, like people from Europe, North America or Australia.
However, the picture is totally different with foreigners from more
exotic places, especially for those with a dark skin. Among those,
refugees are certainly the least popular inhabitants of Germany, but
they are by no means the only kind of foreigners being ostracized. I
have nothing against them, but they should keep to themselves, and so
should we, many Germans argue, completely unaware of the contradiction
within this statement. For reasons probably not even clear to them,
many people think that spending time with blacks will ruin
someone'sreputation. Any person who believes that the German
society is not racist should look at the way many parents react when
their daughter or son has a black partner. Some will even refuse to
regard their child as a member of their family any longer. Moreover,
Germans with black partners walking along the street will merely be
stared at if they are lucky, or if not, they will be called abusive
names. Watching such scenarios will surely make anyone at least doubt
the fact that Germans are friendly towards foreigners. As usual
in such matters, one should be careful not to generalise. There are
German people who are extremely open-minded. An old lady once invited
me and an African friend to sit with her in the tram and spoke to us in
a very friendly way throughout our journey. However, I have found such
people and situations to be the exception. Certainly there is some
degree of racism in any country, but I still have to say that Germany
gives a particularly bad picture, especially compared to other European
countries. During my holidays in Sweden, Ireland or England I have
walked along the street with African, Japanese and Indian people, and I
have never been stared at as I have in Germany. To me, it is
apparent that there is far too much racism in my country and that it
must be fought with much more determination than politicians are
showing at this stage. Tags: racism society europe
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Anonymous says on 2009-10-20 16:08:21 about Racism is alive...
...and pulsating. Leider.
There is a wonderful part from a wonderful book as an answer for those nice fellas who think that they are better than others.
Sorry for being so uncreative, but if I wrote something, it would be too long (nobody would read it anyway) and I hate wasting time. Anyways here ya go:
(49:13) O people, we created you from the same male and female (Adam and Eve), and rendered you distinct peoples and tribes, that you may recognize* one another. The best among you in the sight of GOD is the most righteous. GOD is Omniscient, Cognizant.
*= I would also translate it as "to get to know each other"
And another nice quote from a very good movie with Brad Pitt:
"Listen up, maggots. You are not special. You are not a beautiful or unique snowflake. You're the same decaying organic matter as everything else."
See ? German or not, you're going to die and rot away anyway. The worms and maggots will feast on your body just like everyone else's body. You are not special, nor is any other race. Your blood is neither blue nor purple.
I'm not saying this out of hate, but srsly, you gotta be an alien or cyborg to have a license to feel better than others. |
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Arlington says on 2009-10-16 07:04:19 about Racist Germany?
The problem in Germany is not only racism, but the Germans have very fragile senses for self-esteem. They have not developed a culture that they can be proud of, in spite of the technological advances and scientific discoveries, they have to carry on a stigma that nobody knows how to overcome. They know they are watched, they know they are looked down at for being racist, so they turn their backs to the auto-critics and say, "So what?" to themselves. This degenerates in an attitude of absolute indifference at any positive criticism.
The worst of Germans is not only described in their racist attitudes towards "foreigners". Possibly, those foreigners would not want to know Germans from too close, if they knew how they really are. For instance, there is an insiders' bad habit in Germany for men of the "Stammtisch" (men who meet together in a bar to drink and talk obscenely about other races and other cultures), that is... they play games of who farts worst smelling and noisier among them. When one farts, they all laugh out loud. The "game" is very much anal, but they do it.
Attitudes in Germany against women, the weak and mixed race are also very confrontational. In one of the English-speaking countries, people don't care if you are white and your marriage partner is of color. In Germany, the people tend to intrude in your relationship with questions as direct as "You couldn't find a partner in your own culture, that you had to bring this rabbit here?" The word "Kanickel" (rabbit) is used a lot to define foreign-born people.
Germany also has a very bad tradition of ill treatment of women, even of German women. That's why many German women go for foreign husbands a lot.
However, there are differences between North and South. It seems that the South of Germany is a little bit less troubled than the North, possibly because of the invasion of the Romans that led to Catholic Germany, as opposed to the cold North. Germany has also a very corrupt public administration. In the North the Social Democrats run the country to benefit their own interests. In the South, the Catholics do the same. In both North and South one may find a typical attitude of defiance, in which the Germans often misinterpret being masters of their own land with behaving like asses against those who are different. |
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GermanGuy says on 2009-06-21 16:30:53 about racism in Europe
Let me tell you where I think racism in East Germany comes from.
In the former DDR, there have been lots of political and social programs for youths (socialist or communist ones) that disappeared with re-unification.
This gap was not filled, and many people, and especially youths ended up without anyone who told them what to think, where to work and what to do in their free time. In other words many of those who were used to having a state taking care of them were confused, and worse, the communist "truths" that they had grown up with were questioned.
Now, a minority of, simply put, nazis organized in political parties did the following:
They offered lots of free time and neighborhood activities, especially for youths, and they gave themselves a decent facade, behind which they spread their racist ideology.
In some places, and this is a failure both of the government and German society, these nazi groups ended up offering the most attractive free time activities.
Now here's where the problem of unemployment gets relevant. In East Germany, unemployment rose dramatically after re-unification. Foreigners were used as scapegoats by the neo nazis, who tend to say that they "take away the jobs of the Germans". That's an over-simplified explanation of how neo-nazism spread out, and it also explains to some degree the sort of everyday racism that some of you have experienced.
I would like to apologize for the ignorant and narrow-minded people that do exist in my country. But please don't use double standards when you judge racism in different countries. I've really got the impression that racism in Germany is recognized because of the nazi past, and not because it really is worse than in other countries. In France, I heard people speaking about "arabes de merde" (translates as fucking arabs) in a way that any German I know would be shocked at. Racism and discrimination is a European, or even global problem, not a specifically German one. Still I agree that more has to be done to stop racism in Germany.
Did you know that any time there is a neo-nazi demonstration, there is also a counter-demonstration of usually five times as many people of all kinds of political and social groups, who show that they stand together against intolerance and racism?
I think it is also is a good sign that the neo nazi parties' share of votes in national elections is always below 1%, in several neighboring countries (Denmark, Netherlands, France) similar parties win up to 10 % of the votes.
I just wanted to make sure that you see a few more sides of the picture.
An normal, politically interested 22-year-old German guy
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happyhappy says on 2009-05-11 15:16:14 about racism, germany, never again
I had the "fortune" of living in a German town near Dresden (former DDR) for 6 months... I was sent by my company for training. I am Indian btw..
I can easily say that I have never felt more uncomfortable in any other part of Europe (or the world) as I have felt there.. and I have lived for long periods in a lot of different countries.
The problem in (the former) East Germany is many fold... but OF COURSE you guys have never felt any of these because you are white.. now I'm not whining... But the simple fact is that people in East-Germany DO have things to say/stare/even attack you based on the colour of you skin.. There have been many incidents that left me scared shitless in the 6 months I was there.. a lady almost left a Rotweiler chasing after me, I had beer bottles thrown at me by skin-heads.. but I didnt go to the Police, coz I know it wouldnt been in vain, despite that I have almost native fluency in German..
To say that the Police in that part of Germany is biased is putting it lightly.. I was checked (by the same cops!) again and again and again by them.. sometimes 10 times in a week, including many times when there were Nazi kids just hanging out just down the street.. on asking why this was happening repeatedly.. "Oh.. well you look different, and we are keeping an eye on you".. with a smirk to boot.
As I said, there are different kinds of racism, all too evident, in that part... There's the Right Wing scene.. which doesnt really bother me much 'coz those knuckle heads are good-for nothing idiots with bad parenting. Then there's the police.. which is definitely dsiturbing. Then you have the people who've grown up in the former DDR.. who have the concept of "untermensch" all too fresh in their minds.. for those who don't know what this means, google it.
And when you do talk to normal, educated, well-spoken Germans from the west, they blame it on the deep-rooted economic problems in the east. I say balls.. I don't know what, but the problem definitely has it's roots else where.. I have been to the parts of Europe (and the world) which have unemployment rates higher than this place, worse infrastructure, no social support.. but never this problem!
What is supremely distrubing however, that given Germany's history, it is apparent that most Germans (the good, nice ones) are ignorant or apathtic to this problem. I am not saying they should feel guilty about their country's legacy forever, but there's definitely not being done enough to make it any safer..
Which brings me to my last point.. Well so they don't like (dark skinned) foreigners there in the east and made it quite apparent to me... and yes they have won. I will never ever return to East Germany and advise all the "darkies" i know to never venture there.. A pity, yes, 'coz even East Germany is a really beautiful place (albeit with ugly people)... so yeah, they are getting what they wanted..good for them!
Still, personally I dont regret going there one bit, in hindsight. The experience really made me mentally stronger and now the benchmark has been set so low that I literally count my blessings everwhere I travel. In a way it has made me more appreaciative of small things that go un-noticed and more patient with people... |
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Maximilian says on 2009-05-08 13:36:08 about Germany itself
Hi. I used to live 14 years in Germany and can tell you that most of those comments are completely right. I am half German and half Ghanian but was born in Germany. I cannot say that my childhood in Germany was quite nice. In fact children in nursery were laughing and insulting me because of my skin-colour, Later I got spat at when I went to my piano lessions or I was called names on my way home (just to list a few). Racism is still alive in Germany (although very much people are kind). When I went out shopping with my mum and we passed a group of youths, I was actually scared that they would insult her because the colour of her skin.
Don`t get me wrong: I had really good (Black and white!) friends there but if you are a person from a different cultural background Germany is definately not the country where to stay. I have relatives in a small (and very conservative!) village in the mountains in Rhineland-Palatine and really enjoyed to visit them in my young years till I started to feel that I was atually unwelcome for the people that lived there. I started to feel the starings, the behind-your-back-about-you-talkings and of course the words when a small child with a parent passed and asked: "Mommy, Daddy why is this boy black?"
I attended to a very good school in Düssseldorf and although it is in West Germany it was still very racist (from both: youths and teachers) and I felt that they thought that I did not belong there. Most people acccused me being a typical "African Child with Unemployed Parents" even if that was not true. Everyone, and I can say everyone in Germany will think or say that if you have an ethnic background (apart of Indian, Chinese or Japanese) you live on the taxpayers cost. I finally moved with my mum and my two sisters on August 9. 2008 in the UK and have to say that it was the best day of my live. Here in London I can actually feel free to go to libraries, supermarkets... without the fear of being racially insulted or stared at.
Although I still visit Germany (and even enjoying it) I have to admit that I feel more home in 9 months in the United Kingdom, than in 14 years in Western Germany (which is not as liberal as some might think). I just turned 15 and really think about a future in the UK because even if you are half German, you will be never, never accepted as a German person (and that is no offense to the 82.000.000 people living in Germany).
I hope I was able to help you to make your own mind about Germany up
Thanks for reading,
Maximilian |
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Maximilian says on 2009-05-08 13:35:15 about Germany itself
Hi. I used to live 14 years in Germany and can tell you that most of those comments are completely right. I am half German and half Ghanian but was born in Germany. I cannot say that my childhood in Germany was quite nice. In fact children in nursery were laughing and insulting me because of my skin-colour, Later I got spat at when I went to my piano lessions or I was called names on my way home (just to list a few). Racism is still alive in Germany (although very much people are kind). When I went out shopping with my mum and we passed a group of youths, I was actually scared that they would insult her because the colour of her skin.
Don`t get me wrong: I had really good (Black and white!) friends there but if you are a person from a different cultural background Germany is definately not the country where to stay. I have relatives in a small (and very conservative!) village in the mountains in Rhineland-Palatine and really enjoyed to visit them in my young years till I started to feel that I was atually unwelcome for the people that lived there. I started to feel the starings, the behind-your-back-about-you-talkings and of course the words when a small child with a parent passed and asked: "Mommy, Daddy why is this boy black?"
I attended to a very good school in Düssseldorf and although it is in West Germany it was still very racist (from both: youths and teachers) and I felt that they thought that I did not belong there. Most people acccused me being a typical "African Child with Unemployed Parents" even if that was not true. Everyone, and I can say everyone in Germany will think or say that if you have an ethnic background (apart of Indian, Chinese or Japanese) you live on the taxpayers cost. I finally moved with my mum and my two sisters on August 9. 2008 in the UK and have to say that it was the best day of my live. Here in London I can actually feel free to go to libraries, supermarkets... without the fear of being racially insulted or stared at.
Although I still visit Germany (and even enjoying it) I have to admit that I feel more home in 9 months in the United Kingdom, than in 14 years in Western Germany (which is not as liberal as some might think). I just turned 15 and really think about a future in the UK because even if you are half German, you will be never, never accepted as a German person (and that is no offense to the 82.000.000 people living in Germany).
I hope I was able to help you to make your own mind about Germany up
Thanks for reading
Maximilian |
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Earlybird says on 2009-02-09 18:35:28 about Racism is not everywhere
Hi,
I am a young female student from western Germany and in my city, Bonn, I have hardly ever seen racism. Our society is multicultural, my floormates are Moroccan, Turkish and Persian and on the bus I am listening day by day to Arabic, English, Chinese, French as well as Russian and Polish language and this is quite normal to everybody. I must admit that I am also afraid of the things which currently happen in Eastern Germany, but in my city that is really not the case. Of course there are always narrow- minded idiots who live among us but I have hardly ever seen them. The only problem which I really see in German society is, that, if something happened to another person, even in public places, many people would not have the civil courage to help a person in need.I never experienced something like that but I read about it and find it very alarming. In my opinion everybody should know that one can only be strong and can act in difficult situations if he has the support of the others. Every small child knows that and everybody should act liked that. I know that my English is not perfect but I thought I should demonstrate to you the thoughts of a healthy German mind! If there are any questions I will try to answer them. But please do not think that we are a nation of ignorants, because many people think the way I do and that is kind of encouraging and comforting to me. |
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AnthonyS says on 2008-12-24 21:40:21 about Racism in Germany
I lived in Germany for over 5 years, and I have been (as either a tourist or a resident) in about 20 countries around the world so, I believe I qualify to make an informed comment on the subject. Frankly Germany is no more racist than France for example, but because of its history Germany receives more negative comments than other countries. I find it to be unfair because most of these comments are nothing but prejudice. The fact is that the Germans are victims of their own tolerance. Ever since after the war Germans invited millions of foreigners to their country as workers to help rebuild their country. This is was mutually beneficial for both parties until one party (the foreigners) decided that they are going to remain in Germany for good. And that's where Germans made the mistake of allowing that to happen. You see, it's a one thing to come as a contractor to a foreign land, to work and earn very good money and then return to your homeland, and it's a completely different thing to come to a foreign land, use a loophole in the law and remain there permanently then bring not only your family but also all your relatives and even friends and then simply abuse the system to basically rip off the German taxpayer and live your entire life on government benefits. To add insult to injury the foreigner labels everything German around him (the language and specially the culture) as "bad" and "sinful" and basically brings up his children with hatred for everything German. These children grow up and all they see is their parents literally living off Germans taxpayer money and achieving absolute ZERO progress in their personal and professional life. 90% of these children will follow their parents footsteps, in fact that's all they want in life: Receive money for doing nothing and distance themselfs from Germans and German society as far as possible. They attack Germans by calling them "nazis" and "racists" while glorifying their so called pure way of life and their "righteousness". These people are nothing but lazy lying parasites! And when you have over 10 million of this type of people among your population then you shouldn't be suprised when racism shows its ugly head. And when on top of these lazy lying parasites (who in their vast majority are Turks) you add also millions of refugees Germany took between 1991 and 2006 then you can imagine why racism has unfortunately found a fertile ground in Germany, specially in the East which is yet to be fully developed and reach the same living and working standarts as the West. So, the problem is not Germany and Germans, the problem is the ungrateful, manipulating, lying, deceiving, lazy and sometimes down right criminally minded foreigner that brings heat on him and unfortunately on many thousands of hard working, tolerant and thankful migrants in Germany who have achieved everything they wanted by accepting their hosts, by working for their money and by being open minded and friendly. It's time for the German government to grow some spine and: a)Reform the Welfare System, b)Reduce the annual number of refugees it accepts, c)Deport foreigners with a serious criminal record back to their country of origin and d)Strip the citizenship of any naturalized person who has commited a serious criminal offence. |
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Aziz says on 2008-08-02 18:17:48 about Racism in Germany
Hi,
I agree with the content. I am an engineer, and working in germany, and quite well educated. I must say, racism in germany is deep deep rooted. People which proclaim to be open appears to be quite racist in reality.
Since i finished my studies from germany i had to move away from student appartment, and finding a private appartment came out to be a disaster for me. In a month i had visited around 35 appartments and ALL of them have said the similar answer "we will inform you soon" and then they said we have decided for someone else, and the appartment remained empty because there was no one else....
Among those people there were all kinds, but majority was of educated people, which were either working, or studying in the university or doing their phds.
I must say that hitler is still alive deep inside the heart of germans, they will never never respect you and never accept you. Its for them completely irrelevant if you are a highly educated and cultured person or if you are a layman.
i must say , dont get disappointed if you are of dark skin, african , asian , or someone non-white.. you are not at all welcome in germany... for them you are an animal, and will remain an animal..
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Tom says on 2008-07-31 19:14:02 about
Hallo Andrea,
was soll dieses geschwafel von dir eigentlich? Was erzhlst du hier Lgen ber angebliche menschenunwrdige Flchtlingsunterknfte?
Belege bitte!!
Ist es nicht vielmehr so, dass es diesen Menschen in den ach so menschunwrdigen Unterknften um ein vielfaches besser geht als dort wo sie herkamen?
Was soll diese dumme Propaganda?
Ja es gibt Rassisten in Deutschland.
Ich pflege einen , Aufgepasst!, kulturellen "Rassismus" (so nennen doch Linke wie du die Ablehnung sogenannter kultureller EIgenarten wie zb.: Zwangsheirat, Kopftuch- bzw. Burkazwang, Ehrenmorde ect. pp.). Ich kann es nicht akzeptieren , wenn so getan wird als wre die islamische Kultur der unseren europisch-christlichen Gleichwertig.
Hat irgendjemand mal die angestammte deutsche Bevlkerung gefragt, ob sie es berhaupt mchte, dass sich in ihrem Land Abermillionen kulturfremde Auslnder niederlassen?
Es gibt kein gottgegebenes Recht in Deutschland staatliche Leistungen zu beziehen.
Was denkst du eigentlich ber trkische Nationalisten in Deutschland, welche Trkeifahnenschwenkend und allahu akbar schreiend durchs Brandenburger Tor ziehen?
Ist das Deutschlands Zukunft?
Vielleicht kennst du auch Helmut Schmidt (SPD, ehemaliger dt Kanzler).
Dieser Mann sagte 1981: "Es kommt mir kein Trke mehr ber die Grenze".
"Mehr Auslnder knnen wir nicht verkraften, dass gibt sonst Mord und Totschlag.".
Und derlei Aussagen gibt es viele von Cdu ber Spd usw.
Wer heute sowas ausspricht begeht gesellschaftlichen Selbstmord. Er wrde diffamiert bis zum uersten.
Die Antifa schmeit ihm die Scheiben ein usf..
Deinen verdrngten Rassismus behalt fr dich liebe Andrea.
Deutschland ist nun mal das Land der Deutschen und nicht das Weltsozialamt.
Egal wieviel Schuld unsere Vorvter auf sich geladen haben. Ich habe damit nichts zu tun und sehe es einfach nicht ein weshalb es notwendig sein sollte Deutschland zu balkanisieren. Leuten die in Not sind muss geholfen werden , ganz klar. Doch Leuten die sich ihre Importbrute aus Ostanatolien liefern lassen gehren nicht hier her. |
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GermanGuy says on 2008-05-16 19:09:36 about racism in Germany
Hey Mart,
If you say German people your age make racist comments about blacks and call themselves "aryans" there are several possibilities:
Either, you are about my grandma's age and you were talking to some of those old people who went through the whole Nazi education system and are too stubborn to learn from the past.
If not, and if you didn't happen to hang out with some of the most stupid and frustrated people we have,
be careful with your conclusions. Some younger people make "jokes" about all those nazi issues, it's not exactly funny and very insensitive, but usually they are not really racists or neonazis. Remembering ourselves of horrors beyond any kind of imagination that happened in our country is a kind of civic duty, and it has become a routine. Making jokes about it is an immature way of dealing with it. I'm not excusing it though.
Of course I have no idea what kind of remarks you heard, and if you completely understood them. I just wanted to explain that not everything that seems racist really is meant to be racist. But of course, there is real racism too, I don't deny that, although I have witnessed very little of it myself.
People get racist because they are frustrated , poorly educated and weak characters. Being German won't stop them from being racist, and people who are responsible enough to realize that they should learn some lessons from German history would't get racist anyway.
I defenitely understand the unease you feel in Germany as a jew but I don't think you have a rational reason to be afraid of anything today.
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GermanGuy says on 2008-05-12 20:18:22 about racism
I'm German, and it made me really sad to realize that there are hardly any positive comments about how we deal with foreigners/different races.
Yes, racism is a problem here, especially a subconscious sort of awkwardness with anything or anyone that is different. Very few people would admit staring at black people, but many do it. I'm really ashamed of that, and each time i read in the newspapers that there has been a racist attack on foreigners, I fail to understand why people do that. It worries me that these incidents happen quite often. Myself, I live in a university town with lots of German and international students, and here I've never seen any racist action against anyone. I think a lot depends on where in Germany you go. In some places, especially in the eastern parts of Germany, there are quite a few skinheads who terrorize foreigners. Fortunately, the police don't just watch it or even encourage it like during the Nazi era, which doesn't mean it's not a serious problem.
Still, there are a few things that no one mentioned yet:
First of all, when the NPD has a demonstration, there is usually a counter-demonstration of about five times as many people who gather to show that they are against racism and xenophobia.
Secondly, there have been attempts to bann the NPD (they call themselves "National Democratic Party of Germany", not National Socialist=Nazi), but it is not that easy because they have very clever ways of avoiding to do anything illegal.
Thirdly, German schoolkids learn so much about the Nazi era they actually get sick of it. Many of the former concentration camps are memorials now, and during my time at school, I visited two of them. We are aware of our past and we are comitted not to repeat it. No, we would not be happy to start a war again, and here I'm confident that I'm speaking for nearly everyone in Germany.
Finally, I think there is a difference between generations. I am 21, and I have spent a high school year in Norway, and 2 months volonteering in Ghana. That's not unusual for people my age. The more you get to know other places and people, the less racist you get. And at that point, the passing on of racism stops.
I hope I could prevent you from getting a one-sided idea of Germany.
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Anoud says on 2008-03-16 14:29:46 about racism in germany
Im not black, but im a muslim Arabic girl who wears a vail, so imagine wot sort of hell I went through hell wen I spent ma summer vacation in Munich, Germany!!!
The stares, the way people talk in german and laugh at u in da elevator or restuarant, and they never hesitate 2 actullay look at u and laugh!
We NEVER treat foreginers like dat in my country, NEVER, and I guess u all noe dat dere r black arabs, so no we dont hate blak ppl either, so i was shocked at da way I was treated!!!
The tax free employee -if dats da rite word for it- made fun of ma vail in da airport, and said i cant think well cuz i put it on ma head, and u noe y he said dat? cuz i 4got 2 fill a damn blank!!!!
Im never going bk 2 germany, ever. |
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FYI says on 2007-05-24 04:57:09 about Speaking from personal experience
I really wish that only the fucking stupid people are racist or referring to them as such would make racism easier to deal with or disappear. Unfortunately, its never that easy, especially if you are the one that is being confronted by racism on a daily basis, and I doubt this is something that the writer of the article knows anything about, or at least I didnt get the impression that he did as his article was completely incongruent. Now was he making argument for or against Germans being racists?
Whatever his case in point may have been, I do agree that you cannot generalize the entire population or a country based on isolated experiences, even if those experiences happens to be extremely prevalent. However, as an Asian living in Germany I have had numerous experiences that would qualify as being an encounter of racism.
So, although I dont have the latest figure on how many refugees Germanys take in or what the condition of these refugee camps may be, and moreover, I dont really see the connection between that and the prevalence of racism in the German society, I do know what I have experienced in Germany.
And the saddest part of it all is that when I try to speak to Germans about the issue of racism in their society, most are completely unaware of if, and at best, will often regurgitate the same answer that the writer has given, some sort of a Nuremberg defense, which is to admit that racism is a bad thing, which only the crazy neo-Nazis in the former east and the extreme right-wing NPD supports are guilty of it, and quick to point out some sort of an incongruent proof that most Germans are not that way.
I also wish it was that easy to make racism disappear, merely by saying it isnt so. |
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auslander1 says on 2006-11-02 05:36:14 about nur deutsche fur deutschland
I'm an American who has lived in Germany for almost 4 years. I have to say that this article is pretty accurate in projecting the issues that people of color face in Germany specifically when involved in dating of a German/Russian/Turk/etc. To put it in ways I hope people can understand, the emotional strain from the combination of families of the girl pretty much disowning her, being stared at and talked about as if you're not there literally everywhere you go in public, and the natural uneasiness that comes with dating someone new is overwhelming. I've noticed how easily Germans can separate their unforgiving racially motivated actions in the 20th century and their unconscious racial feelings today. It's in the mind of every foreigner that visits Germany wondering how much they've really changed since the war, a topic that they completely don't like talking about because of shame and also from what I feel is an unwillingness to admit that they were wrong. I'd come here as a black American expecting that, of all countries, Germany would have learned a thing or two about interpersonal relationships in the context of race. But for me it's been an uneasiness from people that know I'm American, and a dislike for me being black. And to end this, I'd like to mention something about what I'd call a form of neo-conservative movement I see going on in Germany right now. Young people who, claiming to have no problems with foreigners, still will unadmittingly and shamelessly show prejudice and a bias against people of different skin tone and nationality. This is all done in complete comfort because, according to them they have no racial issues and tolerate everybody, but are simply asserting their German pride and right conserve a way of like Germany had before. No black boyfriends, no Hip Hop music, hating Bush and to a small extent America, but generalizing and stereotyping in a way that is similar to racism. This makes me more angry when I see this behavior coming from music lovers, an art form that is in many ways open to anyone, in the form of neglecting that the rocl, blues and jazz music they listen to as an alternative to "black music" was in fact created by blacks. Ok, I'm off my soapbox now. Good day to EVERYONE. |
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Michelle says on 2006-07-17 14:09:36 about Racism in Germany
I have to agree with you there. Living in Germany for 2 years because of being a U.S. military kid, I have to say Germany is the most racist European country I visited. I visited Italy, Spain, England, France, and Amsterdam, and those countries don't stare at you weirdly. In truth, I can't stand the Germans. They all call us Americans fat, but yet they smoke dope and listen to OUR music. I can say, I went to a German WALMARt once and became afraid of going there again. At least 3 people gave me weird looks, and the only thing I could do was glare back at them to keep from holdng up the middle finger.
Now, I'm not saying all German people are like that. My German neighbors were very friendly, but I absolutley CANNOT say that this country is open-minded and doesn't have staring issues. My African American friend even tells me that Germans tend to stare at people who don't look white. I'm have white ancestry but don't look it, so I got stared too. I DID NOT like my stay in Germany. |
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| Andrea Lutz
 GOD IS DEAD. HE IS NO MORE. HE IS KAPUT.There is no such thing as church law, sharia law or any other religious law. The law of the land, Government law, or International law applies. Religious entities simply do not have the legal power or authority to create or apply laws.
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