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rfx24 · Joined: 06 May 2007 Posts: 18

I definitely agree with your comment on the older generations. Most of them are quite racist, never been out of their country, never knew anyone of a different color. But most people who are out there working, people you meet on the streets, etc are adults of a certain age. It would be different if you were in a university environment. To see racism in large cities like Paris and Prague is really horrible. It makes me sad in a way. You can really feel it. When someone looks at you in the face, you can tell that there's some uncomfort, small subtle actions such as coughing when you walk by (not covering their mouths), or they spit at you. Seen it happen hundreds of times. I am from a moderately large Midwest city in the US and I don't feel so much racism. I just feel that there is more of a sense of acceptance in the US than there is in Europe. In conlusion, its more comforting to be a colored person in the US...

destiny's tot · Joined: 10 Feb 2007 Posts: 8

forest1979 · Joined: 10 Jun 2007 Posts: 507 Location: SE Asia

SMALL MESSAGE TO abyssiniangrl - Spain is not New York! Therefore expect things to be different.

forest1979 · Joined: 10 Jun 2007 Posts: 507 Location: SE Asia

rfx24 - Your insuituation that Europe is racist when compared to the US is, well, a very naive statement. It is true that in some parts of Europe, i.e the east, having a particular skin tone can draw particular attention due to people's racial inexperience but to imply that Europeans by nature are racist is completely wrong. If Europe is to be compared with the US, then it's pretty clear both historically, and socially and culturally, where racism is still live and well. Between to NOLA, the Deep South or Arizona recently? The issue I think is that the US citizens when they travel have a narrow perception firstly of the world, and at the same ime have become drowned in affirmative action as it is called, or political correctness as it is also known, so that anywhere else in the world that is less than its saturated with politically correctness leads that society and its people to be called racists. Sorry, that rationalse is not fair. True, racists reside all over the place but as the world saw recently if anyone is to be labelled racist then take the actions of the present US government when Hurricane Katrina hit. And what metaphor is commonly used in the US to presently describe Arabs? Sand N*****s? How many times have you heard Europeans say such a demeaning label?

sheikh radlinrol · Joined: 30 Jan 2007 Posts: 1222 Location: Spain

forest1979 · Joined: 10 Jun 2007 Posts: 507 Location: SE Asia

Good points!!

My poorly phrased sentence was "Ever been to NOLA...?"

Yes, every country has its problems. I just don't think that the issue can be generalised as a Europe and US thing, or one is worse than the other when it comes to racism.

The term 'guiri' is not just applicable to foreigners though in Spain. I've heard it been applied to Spaniards in Catalunya who have a Parent born outside the region. And even at the beach the use of 'xava' is used to describe those from Barcelona who use Spanish and not Catalan. I'm by no means labelling Catalans as racist, but the issue is that it's a very complex matter and theres 1000s of shades of grey and not just black and white that compose it.

sheikh radlinrol · Joined: 30 Jan 2007 Posts: 1222 Location: Spain

Thanks for the information, Forest, about the Catalans' use of Guiri when referring to the Spanish. I'd never heard of this before. It'll provide interesting discussion material.
Still unclear about NOLA- does it have anything to do with New Orleans and Los Angeles?

forest1979 · Joined: 10 Jun 2007 Posts: 507 Location: SE Asia

I used to hang about with a lot of Catalans and they used to throw around phrases like guiri and xava all the time, even amongst themselves and no one really took any offence by it (apart from the women, incidentally who missed the humour when it was used int hat context). I can remember too being in the Costa Brava and friends shouting at people with B number plates who had parked near the beach!! G number plates were fine, B were xava cars! I used to get called a xava as well, it was almost an in-joke it was used so sparingly, and i used to employ it equally frequently as a means of winding people up. Especially to those Catalans with parents each from the region!

NOLA - yes, i mean the US governments action to the hurricane that went through New Orleans. If that federal (lack of) action didn't have a racial/social element then I don't know what does!