Minorities traveling in Europe

I'm a minority on this website because I wear jeans in Europe, don't use a moneybelt & can't figure out what all the fuss is over Rue Cler in Paris. You can't live your life in a bubble because you may encounter someone with a prejudice. Yes, there are some people who are racist in Spain and Italy and every single country in the world (including Greece where you had a great time). However, most of the locals you will be dealing with are making their living off of tourism. The only color they will see when they look at you is green.

Are you Albanian? If so, then you will be considered 2 steps below a dog in Italy . Arab? Watch out in Spain, you'll be hassled by most cops. Korean? Only people you need worry about are the Japanese, who have little use for such dregs.
We could go on but what is the use? Racial and ethnic hatreds have gone on since the first person told others in his tribe to beware of "those people". Other posters are right, tho. The color of money overcomes all else for most folks.

Here's a prior discussion of this subject that may be of interest to you: http://www.ricksteves.com/graffiti/helpline/index.cfm/rurl/topic/33575/women-of-color-traveling-to-amalfi-coast-and-surroundings.html

There are racist people everywhere in Europe if that's the minority status you're talking about. And no, not everybody you meet will only care about getting your money and hide it as a result. Is it worse than in Atlanta? No idea, I'm not a minority and I've never been to Atlanta.

" ...Is it worse than in Atlanta? No idea, I'm not a minority and I've never been to Atlanta..." 54% of the residents of Atlanta are African American.

A bit of Americana: Atlanta is about a racist as you can get. Years ago the mayor was a big, fat, black guy. Nice guy, but he didn't do much for the city except implement those garbage cans that get picked up by a lifter truck. The cans were big, black, and fat. To this day, older folks in Atlanta, on the night before garbage pick-up, make sure they 'take out the maynard'. True story. Other than that, Atlanta is a pretty fair city. And, back to the basic question. I've wandered europe with folks of just about every religion, nationality, and hide color without noticing anything untoward.

Honestly, I think no matter what you race are, you may face some trouble in Europe. But it is nothing to discourage you from going!! Here are my two experiences and how I dealt with them: ( Note: I am a college aged female, Italian-American and definitely Italian looking with tanned olive skin and dark hair) 1) My first interesting experience was in Italy, targeted as an American. I was in a small city, waiting outside a bar for a friend to meet me. There was a Middle Eastern late 20's man who came up to me and said, "American? F- America, F- America." I didn't want to put up a fight, felt no use in arguing with him, so I just said "Okay." That made him mad that I wouldn't fight him on it, and just as I was about to walk back inside the bar where I knew he wouldn't follow me, a group of 5 Italians near me took me into their circle. They didn't speak English, but could tell what was going on and I stayed with them until my friend arrived. (On a side note, I speak some Arabic and was mad that I couldn't remember any to start speaking in and surprise the man!)

(continued post. I wasn't over the limit but it wasn't letting me do them both in one) 2) I was in Switzerland, in the small city of Baden (north of Zurich). It was during World Cup, I wore my Italia soccer shirt. A 40 year old German man approached me, pointed to the Reich Eagle/Swastika tattoo on his arm and said, "White pride! White pride!" basically telling me I am not white since I am dark colored. Some Brits started to step in, but I again just removed myself from the scene, there was no point in fighting with him. These two events have not ruined my impression of either country, of Europe or its citizens. Don't take offense to ignorant people, it doesn't do you any good. Be smart and stay safe, but I never experienced more than a few rude words. No actual violence of any sort. Blacks do experience more racism than whites (not sure which you are) but it shouldn't be something that will hurt your experience greatly.

Thank you y'all for your inputs. BTW i'm Black/African... to the most part I love people and I usually get well with most; I guess racism will always be there... it is how we respond to it :) thanks again for your info. Peace and Love!!

I do hope you don't experience any! And if you do, shrug it off and maybe laugh about it later. Have lovely travels, Fa!

I know that there is an issue with immigrants from Africa in Europe. You will see them selling stuff on the sidewalk, knock off items, DVDs, CDs, you name it, they are on the sidewalk trying to sell you it. But the problem is, I think they are there illegally, placing a bit of a burden on that city. They pack up real quick if police come around. I was in a store when a black person walked in and the store owner shoo'ed away this person. The person quickly spoke up probably knowing the clerk thought he was an illegal immigrant and said something about being an American tourist and the shop keeper said he was sorry and let the person continue looking around. On a wine tour of the Chianti region, we experienced some blatant racism from the tour guide who was Chilean by birth but claimed to be Canadian/Tuscan. He spoke of the pride that Tuscans have and said that they do think they are better than everyone in Italy. He then asked us how many black people we have seen in Siena. We said a couple.....He said "well that is too many" and went on to say that Tuscans work hard to keep the blacks out. We were a small group, 6 in total, 3 couples, one of which were very quiet Asians. He then started speaking to them in Japanese..When they didn't reply, he tried a different Asian Language. They didn't reply, so he asked where they were from in a loud slow voice as if that is how one gets a non-English speaking person to understand you. And in the most blatant nasal mid western accent, they replied "Chicago". It was quite an uncomfortable moment. Later in conversation, the Asian couple told us that it gets annoying when every time they go into a restaurant they get handed Japanese menus. Not that that is racism but an example of stereotyping people by their skin color.

Well, I'm not a minority, but my husband (black) and I (white) travel frequently in Europe - mostly northern Europe - and we have noticed that the racism there is different from the racism here. There is racism/ethnicism going on that to us is totally obscure to us. Folks apparently hate one another - we can tell, because they're fighting - and we can't tell them apart! Stuff like that. Frankly, it is an amazing and eye-opening thing to witness. But more to your point... in America, we get "y'all ain't from around here, is you?" stares while driving across Montana, for example. While driving in New Jersey, we've been pulled over because my husband was "driving while black" on MANY occasions. In Europe, we actually get LESS of that treatment. We feel more comfortable in London or Paris than in many places in the U.S. I don't know why - are people in general more used to inter-racial couples? Are they more polite? Have we just been lucky? There are racists in every country. There are totally cool folks in every country. I think that to be turned off to Europe as a whole b/c of news reports of nitwits in Italy hurling racist insults at soccer matches would be a pity and a shame, and I encourage you to travel there and not worry. From what I have observed, you willl not be singled out or in danger any more than you would be in, as one poster here noted, Atlanta. Finally, I notice that no one here has quoted the great Frederick Douglass, who loved to visit Ireland because when he was there, he felt "not like a color, but like a man."

Unfortunately one can run into ignorant and prejudiced individuals anywhere. When I was a university student many years ago, I found travel in France troubling at times, as it was assumed I was a prostitute! (I am part Asian). But things have changed and now I happily travel in France with no hassles. In southern Italy and Spain, as mentioned above, there is an undercurrent of "economic" prejudice directed toward African immigrants. As an American tourist, you hopefully will not experience this personally.

@Kira - your stories remind me of the time I was in New Orleans with my German friend (we are both white). We were trying to find a bus stop back to our hostel and I stopped some guy on the street to ask if we were close to a stop. He asked where we were from and I said we both attended the University of Illinois (which was the quickest answer). "Foreigners," he announced, and then told us where to catch the bus. It wasn't racism but it definitely made me aware of the divide between north and south. Fa - as everyone here has said, you can run into racism and prejudice anywhere. Nothing has happened to me in Europe but I have been called racist names by people of color here in the U.S. and in my own city of St. Louis. Don't let your fear of running into a**holes prevent you from going places that you want to see.

Besides the usual suspects (football hooligans and the like), if you look like a traveler, nobody will bother you.

"In Boston for example I found the opposite was the norm." Boston is considered by some, the most racist city in the US.

I find it interesting that people assume that all the Asian people they see touring here are Japanese. A good majority of them are Chinese or Korean, but can also be Thai or Malaysian or Vietnamese or Philipino. Unless you recogonize the language of course I wouldn't label them. It is like seeing Middle Eastern people and thinking they are all Turkish, when in reality they can be from any number of countries. The Black guy might be from some country in Africa, but he could be from Jamaica or Australia or Brazil or Cuba or the UK or just be German. There is racism here just like there is in any country in the world, it is more how it is expressed that makes it difficult for travelers. It isn't usually blatent, and often subtle unless one goes to football matches, where racial epithets are often shouted. That said, just like Americans can look like they come from multiple countries, so can Germans and French and Dutch and Belgians, etc. So, that Asian looking guy or that Black woman walking down the street may be 3rd generation German. Ah labels. If we were all blind, would we still find some other way to discriminate against our fellow humans?

'If we were all blind.....' All Koreans smell like kimchi, all rednecks smell like fried chicken, all Welsh smell like coal?

It is interesting to me as a British person that Atlanta should have been mentioned in connection with racism. I have been to a few places in America and Atlanta was one of them. I was on a teaching exchange and staying with the head teacher and his wife in their home. On a day trip to a local beauty site he waited patiently in his car whilst another driver exited the carpark at the site. He was patient until he realised that the driver he was waiting for was black. The digusting tirade of abuse that the poor guy then suffered, but admirably ignored, was a shock to me, especially as my host was supposedly 'educated' and in charge of impressionable youngsters. He made a complete exhibition of himself and it was excrutiatingly embarassing. Don't get me wrong there is racism in Britain, but maybe not quite so overt. I was in America for a month and this was my only bad experience. In Boston for example I found the opposite was the norm. Just shows you should never 'label' a nation, especially one the size of America.

Don't tell Neil.

"Boston is considered by some, the most racist city in the US." @Michael1 (Phoenix, AZ) - Just a couple questions for you... Are you counting discrimination against Yankee fans? If yes, then for sure we are the most racist. That Boston is the most racist city in the US would be news to Deval Patrick. And exactly how many African American governors have there been in Arizona? How about the legalization of same-sex marriages in Arizona? Has some law been passed there recently that I missed in the news? Did all those Natives Americans who used to live in extreme poverty out on the reservations of Arizona suddenly pool their funds and win Powerball? None of the New England tribes could stop to tell me as they are too busy counting all the millions of dollars they rake in from Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun casinos. Does Massachusetts have a "Secure the Border" campaign mounted against the Mexicans? If it does, they need to reevaluate that and consider securing our border against those pesky French Canadians who are now starting to descend upon the beaches of Cape Cod in droves! We need to protect our waterfront land so we have a place to stake our beach umbrellas.

Somebody is defensive! There are so many articles on Boston racism I wouldn't know where to start, but here is a good one. http://www.bostonmagazine.com/articles/playing_through_the_pain/page1 The comments are pretty telling. p.s. I lived in JP and then Dorchester for a number of years, so I have some personal experience.

Boston doesn't really bubble up to the top when I think about racism in America, but AZ does because of the immigration issue and the zealots who pass Draconian laws there. Still, there's racism everywhere, and it's pretty tough to suggest one city is worst while another is best. I thought that it might be better to look at it in terms of diversity, but then I realized Iowa is one of the least diverse states but has a fairly progressive track record – marriage equality is legal/codified, good record with refugees, not so good with African Americans and Hispanic immigrants, however. Then I thought of the bumper sticker I saw yesterday – "Uncle Sam wants you to speak English" – nice touch. California is one of the most diverse states, but then there's the LAPD and the immigration issue. It's really hard to quantify and qualify this stuff. One thing's for sure, as long as the world has different ethnicities, religions, sexes, lifestyles, etc., we will have discrimination and racism. And immigration is the huge issue at present, both here and in Europe...it brings out all of the nationalistic nut jobs. BTW, there were several bumper stickers on that pickup truck that really made me feel embarrassed for where we are as a country. I'm pretty sure it's entirely possible that there are people in this country who are not conservative, don't speak English very well, are gay, are socialist or Libertarian, are Muslim, hold advanced degrees, are something other than white, etc. who love America and have even fought and died for it. But you wouldn't know it when you hear tea bagger types describe the makeup of the true Americans.

My husband and I just got back from Europe a few days ago. We arrived in Paris and found there to be more cultural diversity then where we're from (Western WA). I did encounter a few people in the south of France who wondered what my background was. They assumed I was Spanish or Italian because of my skin color. They weren't pushy, or rude, just curious and very kind and I felt no discomfort telling them.

I find Europe in general to be refreshingly progressive when it comes to the color of one's skin. But maybe I'm just naive.

In very broad terms, I think you will, as a black American tourist, find yourself less the victim of racism than if you were a resident of the country you are in; tourists just seem to get a break in that regard.

Yeh, europe must be terrible for minorities. I remember Miles Davis went to France (and met Juliette Greco). France was open and welcoming to black artists and he was disappointed when he had to go back to the USA for separate bathrooms and ignorance. I'm looking forward to visiting the country that greeted Miles and his music with open arms.

Anthony:- hihihi i like your reply :-) ..thanks all for your inputs again!