Prejudice Towards Foreigners

[pedroh 21]

Quite a few people tell me I don't look latinamerican and expect me to be flattered.

yea.. it has happened to me... Oh really?? you don't look Mexican!!! you look 'spanish' (whatever that means, I certainly don't look very Iberian or Andalusian)

Oh my god, I hate that #######!!! As if there was such a thing as "looking Mexican" (stereotype, much???) and if it was, I should be so freaking ashamed of it. Screw'em.- They need to get out more.

Tell them you are a Visigoth.

I tell them I'm a Magyar

[littlecrazyangel 1]

Before I say a word they ask me "Where are you from?". I look very different...and this happens a lot!

[GabiandVi 34]

My husband is Black, and I live in a part of the country where more than a third of the population is Black, so no one recognizes that he is foreign unless he opens his mouth or is wearing a dashiki. When he starts talking, people get very curious. So far, we've experienced no negative reactions, only a lot of curiosity. On the other hand, in China where people would try to rub some black off his skin, he would get steamed about comments people would make thinking he couldn't understand.

I think I encountered a lot more animosity as an American living in Europe than my husband will ever experience as a foreigner living in America.

[Jason-Sasha 1]

Its not other people having a problem with us....we sometimes have a problem with them. You really cant tell my wife is from anywhere else. She has nearly zero accent.

[skidivawannabe 2]

Fortunately, I, myself have not encountered any prejudices against me. Perhaps it's because I've yet to visit a town that was predominantly "textbook" "American" (if I may say so). I feel as though I've always been treated with fairness. Hopefully I am not speaking too soon.

I posted a question on a separate thread regarding being stopped for traffic violations and the question of "nationality". Is it STANDARD PROCEDURE to ask for ones nationality in such situations? My husband (born USC) was asked what his nationality was and I was taken aback since it seemed (at least to me) quite irrelevant to the situation. Then again, what do I know? Granted it was standard police query, I was wondering if the patrol officer would have asked that same question if he had a more anglo-saxon name and physique? Or if everyone in car looked more, uhm, "Uncle Sam"?

[M.O 6]

havent encountered any prejudices against me...they are just asking me where i am from...and complement my accent:)

[Copperblade 0]

I bet this has a lot to do with what area of the country you live in, and what country you are from.

[MrsCat 6]

I am called a stupid haole, fcuking haole, dumb haole at least once a day. Has nothing to do with me being a foreigner. They just really hate white people on the Big Island.

[M.O 6]

I am called a stupid haole, fcuking haole, dumb haole at least once a day. Has nothing to do with me being a foreigner. They just really hate white people on the Big Island.

[~ameriptian~ 54]

Not in the US yet, so I can't vote...but we did experience prejudice as a couple in Egypt.. It was bad and embarrassing...

[Ladylethal 12]

I live in Puerto Rico so I get zero prejudice here. People are always super excited to meet a Brazilian, and most time they only ask after they hear my accent. On a couple of occasions though older people have asked if I am Spanish even before I talked, and I thought it was so cool they'd recognize my heritage (2/3 of my ascendants were from Spain).

I do know boricuas suffer a lot of prejudice either 'cus americans think they're illegal immigrants, or 'cus they think they are freeloaders (when they know they're US citizens then the prejudice is 'cus boricuas don't pay Federal Taxes, but then again they do if they're living in the continent).

I expect to have to put up with prejudice once Luis and I get moved to a base in US.

[thongd4me 69]

I think the choices in the first question make an inaccurate assumption,

that only a foreign person can be a victim of prejudice.

I was a victim of prejudice when in school as there were 2 very polarized

groups there (one being a national background and the other being a

religious affiliation). I, on the other hand was a member of neither of those

so I got treated as an outsider at least and a subject of harassment at worst.

Currently two of my best friends are from each of those groups, so I have no

residual hard feelings. However, it did make me gravitate toward actual

foreigners when I chose friends and close relationships, because I never

felt like a member of the area where I grew up.

That's why I answered "yes" to question 1 and "no" to question 2,

as I don't think my foreign-born spouse has experienced much if any

prejudice. The immigration official at the POE may have been a bit

gruff, but I'm talking about name-calling or another such behavior

that is not good manners.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Bump

[Tingbudong 12]

I don't think my wife (fiancee)… A tall (for China), leggy, beautiful Asian girl is going to get to much negative racism targeted toward her.. I am however expecting her to get a lot of sexually targeted harassment or to be stereotyped and objectified a lot in that way..

I'm not happy about that.. I mean.. sexually objectifying my wife is MY job!!! LOL..

The funny (dangerous?) thing is she doesn't really know when its going on at first.. In GZ some white guy came up to her and asked her the time.. but he was holding his cell phone and then asked her QQ and her email..

She just told him the time, gave him her QQ and sort of blew him off.. and her friend had to tell her the guy was trying to pick her up. She was like, Everybody with a cell phone knows the time silly… he just was trying to talk to you.. She had no idea and then ended up having to block him from QQ when he kept trying to get a date. She told me every Chinese woman thinks you can't say no to foreign people because you must be nice and they might need help..

LOL… I had to explain all about the ways we start up silly conversations just to get an excuse to ask for a number and that its just to get dates etc.. She really is clueless about these things.. Im going to have to send her out with my hot coworker to teach her how to shoot guys down.

She also doesn't believe she's that attractive (which I LOVE about her..) She knows in her head that Western guys like her style.. but she's so used to not being so attractive to Chinese because she's too tall and a little dark ("a few black") and smiles too big etc.. That she doesn't realize when just being friendly and allowing herself to get into a conversation is leading them on. She caused two friends to get into a fight over her when she was in GZ for her interview, LOL.. Im just looking for trouble marrying such a gorgeous girl!!

But I'm a lot more worried about our 3 year old (I'm not his biological father but he doesn't remember him so he THINKS I am and calls me Baba). He will be growing up a Chinese boy in a mostly white area in Western Michigan.. He might have a hard time getting dates and fitting in. Im going to try getting him into team sports like soccer where he can become friends with his teammates and get some confidence.. Sports where physical size isn't so important. But I'm worried about him. Anybody have any other ideas on that situation with kids? He's so young Im hoping to raise him so he feels like he fits in.. Spend a lot of time with his 3 little white cousins etc..

[Golden Gate 530]

I don't think my wife (fiancee)… A tall (for China), leggy, beautiful Asian girl is going to get to much negative racism targeted toward her.. I am however expecting her to get a lot of sexually targeted harassment or to be stereotyped and objectified a lot in that way..

I'm not happy about that.. I mean.. sexually objectifying my wife is MY job!!! LOL..

The funny (dangerous?) thing is she doesn't really know when its going on at first.. In GZ some white guy came up to her and asked her the time.. but he was holding his cell phone and then asked her QQ and her email..

She just told him the time, gave him her QQ and sort of blew him off.. and her friend had to tell her the guy was trying to pick her up. She was like, Everybody with a cell phone knows the time silly… he just was trying to talk to you.. She had no idea and then ended up having to block him from QQ when he kept trying to get a date. She told me every Chinese woman thinks you can't say no to foreign people because you must be nice and they might need help..

LOL… I had to explain all about the ways we start up silly conversations just to get an excuse to ask for a number and that its just to get dates etc.. She really is clueless about these things.. Im going to have to send her out with my hot coworker to teach her how to shoot guys down.

She also doesn't believe she's that attractive (which I LOVE about her..) She knows in her head that Western guys like her style.. but she's so used to not being so attractive to Chinese because she's too tall and a little dark ("a few black") and smiles too big etc.. That she doesn't realize when just being friendly and allowing herself to get into a conversation is leading them on. She caused two friends to get into a fight over her when she was in GZ for her interview, LOL.. Im just looking for trouble marrying such a gorgeous girl!!

But I'm a lot more worried about our 3 year old (I'm not his biological father but he doesn't remember him so he THINKS I am and calls me Baba). He will be growing up a Chinese boy in a mostly white area in Western Michigan.. He might have a hard time getting dates and fitting in. Im going to try getting him into team sports like soccer where he can become friends with his teammates and get some confidence.. Sports where physical size isn't so important. But I'm worried about him. Anybody have any other ideas on that situation with kids? He's so young Im hoping to raise him so he feels like he fits in.. Spend a lot of time with his 3 little white cousins etc..

I live in the same area that you live. I think it could depend on where he goes to school. If he goes to school in the GR Public Schools, you might consider looking around for the best fit for him in terms of the school population. From what I have read, Michigan is one of the most segregated parts of the country, by income and race. The fact that he will be so young, I think he will grow up feeling American and probably not have the kinds of problems you imagine. I am a teacher, and I work as a substitute in the Kent County area, so I have been in a lot of different schools.

Edited June 2, 2014 by Golden Gate