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You are absolutely right. My family is very multiracial and the worst racist incidents we've experienced were in Europe.
Click on the link below. This was an excellent investigational piece by ESPN's Jeremy Schaap. Every American should watch this video. It will make you appreciate your country that much more. There is no major sporting contest in this country where an entire section of fans are holding up nazi flags and throwing bananas on the field at black players. In this country, they would stop the game before they would allow anyone in the crowd to do that. And that person would be handcuffed and taken to jail. Europe is incredibly racist.
Moderator note: this post along with the first couple of pages were moved from another thread with a related topic, where it had started veering off topic. This there was enough interest this thread was created rather than delete all the posts.
Is America more or less racist than other nations, such as European countries
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Originally Posted by azriverfan.
Click on the link below. This was an excellent investigational piece by ESPN's Jeremy Schaap. Every American should watch this video. It will make you appreciate your country that much more. There is no major sporting contest in this country where an entire section of fans are holding up nazi flags and throwing bananas on the field at black players. In this country, they would stop the game before they would allow anyone in the crowd to do that. And that person would be handcuffed and taken to jail. Europe is incredibly racist.
It's quite bizarre to brand an entire continent as being racist as a result of the occasional hooligan at a sporting event.
Sporting organisations,particularly soccer ones,work incredibly hard to stamp out racist behaviour and clubs and countries are often punished heavily for the behaviour of their fans.
Racism is no more or less of a problem than it is in many parts of the USA.
I do think Europeans are more tolerant of different cultures and races by the simple fact there are so many of them on the continent and after two major wars there is a great emphasis on co-operation and collaboration to prevent such things happening again.
Americans,if I may say so without trying to generalise,are less aware of what goes on outside their own borders - I find that coverage of foreign news not involving America is very sparse.
And with only around 35% of Americans owning passports compared to say 60% of Canadians or 75% of Britons there is clearly less interest among Americans in travelling abroad.
Of course you could say what does it matter and you're right - except it goes some way towards explaining the surprise of many Americans when they travel abroad for the first time to discover their country is not as popular or welcomed as the news media would have you believe.
Anti-American sentiment has never been higher and I know of many American friends who are nonplussed when they find out.
Racism is no more or less of a problem than it is in many parts of the USA.
I do think Europeans are more tolerant of different cultures and races by the simple fact there are so many of them on the continent and after two major wars there is a great emphasis on co-operation and collaboration to prevent such things happening again.
Clearly you have never been a black person living or traveling in Europe. Landlords in Germany flat out told American military housing offices they would not rent to blacks. In more than a few stores clerks basically pretended we were invisible or were outright rude. In one restaurant a few of the people had quite a conversation about the family of apes that just came in the door. The worst part was that none of the non-participants looked scandalized or even uncomfortable about the conversation they were hearing until my husband asked in German what type of apes did they think we were. Trust me, it was no better in France, Poland, The Czech Republic, or Italy to name a specific few. No, it wasn't everyone who did it, but there seemed to be much more general tolerance for racist behavior than I have ever experienced in America, including in the Deep South. There were many things that were charming about Europe, the general attitude towards people of color was not one of them. While we were there the distain in the area we lived in towards Turks was astounding, including all the breeding like animals comments. Yes, America has racial issues, but at least the average person here doesn't find the expression of it by those who are racist acceptable.
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Originally Posted by Roscoe Conkling
And with only around 35% of Americans owning passports compared to say 60% of Canadians or 75% of Britons there is clearly less interest among Americans in travelling abroad.
Probably the greatest indication that most Americans don't envy the European lifestyle is information like this. Most Americans just aren't interested in visiting elsewhere, they even vacation in their own country.
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In one restaurant a few of the people had quite a conversation about the family of apes that just came in the door. The worst part was that none of the non-participants looked scandalized or even uncomfortable about the conversation they were hearing until my husband asked in German what type of apes did they think we were.
And how did they answer?
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Probably the greatest indication that most Americans don't envy the European lifestyle is information like this. Most Americans just aren't interested in visiting elsewhere, they even vacation in their own country.
A lot could be that it's easier time-wise and money-wise.
In one restaurant a few of the people had quite a conversation about the family of apes that just came in the door. The worst part was that none of the non-participants looked scandalized or even uncomfortable about the conversation they were hearing until my husband asked in German what type of apes did they think we were.
And how did they answer?
They didn't. The place went deadly silent and suddenly people were extremely interested in whatever was on the table in front of them, because that was the only place they were looking. We left. The message we took from it was that there was no social stigma for the expression of racism.
It is funny how everyone thinks the US is so racist when in reality, at least for this person who has to live the consequences, it sure felt a lot worse in every other country we were in. Don't even get me started on Asia. I think we interact with people of other races (not necessarily cultures) more in the Americas, so as individuals we are probably exposed to acts of racism more. In the US, part of our culture is that we openly talk about our faults, so it is out there for all to see and discuss.
Cultures that hide their flaws are much easier to see as delightful and charming.
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They didn't. The place went deadly silent and suddenly people were extremely interested in whatever was on the table in front of them, because that was the only place they were looking. We left. The message we took from it was that there was no social stigma for the expression of racism.
Well, it shows they were at least embarrassed. Might have worth it to continue with some nasty remarks, but it's easier said from afar. And maybe that comment was the best you could say.
As for every other country, what about Canada? Have you been in the UK? How'd it compare?
Well, it shows they were at least embarrassed. Might have worth it to continue with some nasty remarks, but it's easier said from afar. And maybe that comment was the best you could say.
As for every other country, what about Canada? Have you been in the UK? How'd it compare?
The point is, everyone sitting in hearing distance of them were all fine with it when they thought we couldn't understand what they were saying. They were embarrassed to be caught, not for the words. That people felt that way and joked about it was just fine. In America at least someone saying that would get dirty looks instead of chuckles.
I haven't noticed anything in Canada, but they are part of the Americas, so I would expect their culture to be closer to ours. You are right, though, I don't remember anything but very polite people in England.
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Clearly you have never been a black person living or traveling in Europe.
I am a black person who was born and raised in the UK and spent much of my life there.The last in-your-face racism I experienced there and in Europe was more than two decades ago.You're seriously out of touch with how multi-culturism has evolved in Europe.
I now spend half the year in Florida and half the year in homes I own in the UK and Europe - I get more hassle here in the US than I ever do in Europe.
I am a black person who was born and raised in the UK and spent much of my life there.The last in-your-face racism I experienced there and in Europe was more than two decades ago.You're seriously out of touch with how multi-culturism has evolved in Europe.
I now spend half the year in Florida and half the year in homes I own in the UK and Europe - I get more hassle here in the US than I ever do in Europe.
That's Florida. Try California, or NYC, or Atlanta.
That's Florida. Try California, or NYC, or Atlanta.
It's all over the US.
I travel a lot.
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Is America more or less racist than other nations, such as European countries
