Posted in Germany forum
I just read a story on Spiegel online which shocked me: According to a new study, more than 14% of German teenagers can be considered as "anti-foreigners", while more than 5% fall into the category of the righ extreme with Nazi-tendencies.
Surprisingly, the bad reputation of foreigners seems to be higher in those regions with little foreigners (so those regions where people don't even know what they talk about!!!).
The original article is here: http://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/0,1518,613844,00.h
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To me - this is just another example of human ignorance, but for a foreigners living in Germany, these numbers are pretty scary!
What are your opinions and personal experiences with the way Germans see foreigners?
Uk and USA
posted by Jet Setter in Germany forum
I find other millionaires mostly boring and shallow, I am not like that and I am discreet about my status in public (this is a forum where we talk openly) but i dont really go around throwing it in peoples face that i am rich,...however after a whole they get to know from seeing my lifestyle now i cant live like a pauper just to fit in with others. My close friends are all rich but i try to mix with everyone....actually the french friends i have who call me maharaja are all rich themselves, they are from aristocratic backgrounds or very wealthy french business families. The english rich or poor are all messed up and rich british are really uncultured people, they are tacky and low class and very stupid as well....look at Gordon Ramsey ...thats a typical example of a rich arrogant Brit...they are all passive aggressive people with no class. Rich french are way more sophisticated...and rich Americans are the trashiest of all. In uk i was mixing with professional well educated people who themselves made high enough salaries, they were not jealous because i was rich, they hated Indians and British are very two faced about this. Very few British are nice people the majority are very nasty and no one really likes them in Europe.
@Jet Setter what?
posted by Sumon Swagger in Germany forum
Dude what are you saying?? "Us and Uk have better working rights" Probably UK, but us doesn't, their working rights suks, EU has the best working rights of the world.
"the British hated me for being an indian and when they find out i am a rich Indian they hate me even more"
Probably because you tried to be friend of normal people instead of millionaires. The truth is normal people (including me) doesn't like the rich guy because of their money (yes, we are gelouse, only because we aren't lucky to have lot of money like you) and also because they're superficial. As you said: "I carry myself well, I dress well" this isn't the most important thing of the world, some people don't give a shit about this, the important thing is how you are as person.
I'm also from east asia like you, I live in Italy and I've been a few times in French, German and I've also friends from UK and they don't seem racist to me, maybe because I'm in their same social level, who knows?? Yes, there are few ignorant people who are racist, just ignore them and you'll resolve your problem.when I was 7-8 I lived for 2 years in India, and I can tell you also there are lot of ignorant racist people.
I think you've confused the meaning of racist, if the french call you maharaja that doesn't mean that they like you, maybe they only want your money and they're pretending to be nice with you. If accepting you means that the people have to call you maharaja, then you're in the wrong planet dude.p.s. if you have so much money and you don't know how to spend them then why don't you give it to me?? or give me a job, so I'll resolve my problems.
p.p.s. You tried to be friend of other millionaires?? I think they'll accept you.
Racism in continental Europe vs. UK / USA
posted by Jet Setter in Germany forum
I am an indian who has lived in the US, UK and france as well as spent considerable time in Germany , switzerland, italy, spain, malta, netherlands, belgium, and monaco. I am not a typical indian looking person, a lot of north indians have very mediterranean looks and I am one of those ...blue eyed, light skinned, chiselled face ...so wherever i go i ak thought to be greek or italian mostly...even in the US everyone thought i was italian. However in the US many times people would approach me thinking I am european but upon finding out I am an Indian they would ignore me, abuse me or just pretend to like me but lose interest gradually in a subtle way....and this happened many times over the ten years i spent in the US. Frankly I found americans also very uncultured, ignorant and rather dumb, boring and lacking in any depth so I gladly left the US and moved to UK....the boggest mistake of my life. UK was undeniably the most racist hell on earth ...despite looking like a european i faced constant abuse and racism at all levels in UK....from immigration to the police to racism in social life...constantly being reminded i am a foriegner and an indian. British are the biggest bullies in the world...and mind u ...i didnt move to Uk to work there or steal jobs....i am a millionaire..have always been one...and am very down to earth so i like to mingle with all sorts of people...the British hated me for being an indian and when they find out i am a rich Indian they hate me even more. I moved to France and have spent more than 2 years in france already...although the french have many issues, i can easily say that they are more human and sweet than english speaking westerners. The french love foreigners like me...they call me a maharaja and have zero prejudices against me...because I carry myself well, I dress well, behave well and respect the culture, way of life and rules in any country where I go...but all this didnt work for me in the US and UK...those countries may have better working rights and laws to protect foreigners but socially they reject foreigners ....the french on the other hand have bad working rights for immigrants but socially accept everyone if u make an effort to fit into their society. As for Germany....ive been to berlin several times...i am not white like a german...ive travelled alone in germany..walked around at 2 am in the night in Berlin...taken their underground all alone late at night and never faced any racism or bad behaviour at all. Germans are a little plain but they are not bad people I think when compared to the british and americans ive met. The thing is all these small european countries are desperate to preserve their culture, language and history and why not they have an amazing past....but england and the US dont care because they already took over the world through the english language.
Okay...
posted by Morgan Dalton in Germany forum
Thanks for the advice, guysss:D And I'm probably going to visit:D
Claudio C
posted by Ron Saxena in Germany forum
Your innocence is breath taking, I am already floored. May be opposite intention is the reason why photos in CV is legally prohibited in UK and France.
Positive Discrimination
posted by claudio c in Germany forum
The picture is because they want to practice positive discrimination - in favour of the foreigners.. :)
IMO those that automatically adopt a self-defensive stance on this matter, primarily because it is where they were born, should be ignored.
Reply to - Ulises Kahlo - How bad!?
posted by Ron Saxena in Germany forum
1) The fact that this thread is running since eternity proves that the issue which this thread is addressing is very much relevant and real problem.
3) Immigration country.and racism does not prove or disprove each other. Australia and Canada both are immigration country - Australia is one of the most xenophobic country in the World whereas Canada is very tolerant. Coming to the topic of Germany - a bulk majority of immigrants here are from other European countries. Last time I checked, those countries have exactly same phenotype as Germans. Hence issue of racism does not arise. The impure Germans you are talking about are very much Caucasian.
4) Asking for photo in job application and in House hunting Website, does not exactly exemplify a liberal mindset.How bad!?
posted by Ulises Kahlo in Germany forum
1) First of all: This thread is as old as time. Blizzy Everhard was a stuff member who just wanted to make people talk when this forum was new. She wasn`t really interested in the topic (like her second neverending thread about German men).
2) Blizzy followed these rules: If you want to animate people to write, just keep it easy so that everybody could add his two cents, even if he doesn`t have a clue, and choose a provocative headline (like racism in Germany is bad, the question only is: how bad?)
3) In general Germany is an immigration country. 16 million people in Germany has got a migration background (~ 20 %). Every third child born in Germany has got a migration background. Berlin has got a migration background of 28,5 %, Frankfurt of 22,8 %. More and more it becomes difficult to say: what is race? Even people who look German, arn`t! They are Russians or Polish, half Italians or quarter Greeks. The idea of an ethnic German is obsolate in a globalized world. Lets watch German Pop Idol: Among the last 36 participants seem to be just 4 "pure" Germans. If you notice a rude behavior somewhere, make sure that the person is really "German".
4) IMHO Germany is a country with an high grade of freedom and protection of minorities. Currently the chancellor is female, the foreign minister homosexual and the minister of economic affairs has got Thai roots. Where else can you find this? "Racism" is always a relative term. Compared to other countries there is almoust no patriotism in Germany and the German society is more or less liberal-minded. It might be a bit of a stretch to call something "racism" in Germany and even the hostility toward strangers is much higher in other countries than in Germany.
a newbie's experiences
posted by Jack H in Germany forum
I'm a eurasian Australian who has been here in Southern Germany for 5 years now. I look decidedly non German. I haven't had the time to read the entire thread but I wanted to share my own experiences.
Are Germans racist? I think Germans on the whole are extremely xenophobic - which displays itself as racism in many cases. I have met some wonderful people since moving here, but I have met some of the biggest assholes on the planet as well.
Where I live, it's not (any more) surprising for me to walk into a small store or cafe and have people loudly exclaim how it suddenly stinks of soy sauce, or have a whole shop start laughing when someone says 'we didn't order any Chinese takeaway'. I've had a butcher tell me that he doesn't sell dog so I shouldn't bother even asking. Is this supposed to be funny? This is not some 3000 strong country village - this is a middle sized city in the affluent south.
I've heard women in the marketplace remark about my (German) wife 'What's the problem with her that she couldn't find a German man to be with? Their kids will ruin our community'.
A friend of a friend comes from Ghana. He was bashed for no reason because he walked past the wrong pub one night. The police told him he should go back to Africa because it would stop him 'causing more trouble'. This is the official word of the Polizei!
I speak german reasonably well, I work, I try and be friendly to everyone, but it doesn't often get you far here. The strange thing is, they will deny they are racist until they are blue in the face. I don't even bother discussing these things with my wife anymore because she just tells me I'm being paranoid. And if I dared bring up their historical record I'd be the most awful inappropriate person on the planet.
Like I said, I've met some fantastic folk, but I don't know if I will ever be happy in this country, and I go to sleep every night wishing my wife would reconsider trying to live in Australia again.
@Morgan Dalton
posted by Sumon Swagger in Germany forum
Then go, who says that they'll act with you in the same way? You may also meet non racist people and it could also be a positive experience. You have to judge these things by yourself.