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Hasiem
Just Starting
Joined: 17 May 2006
Posts: 2
Location: mississippi usa
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 Posted: Wed May 17, 2006 5:02 am Post subject: |
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to xxatti,
I have been to Russia on three different occasions, to no less than ten different cities, and I must tell you, that the most common question I have been asked by the Russian people is, Why do Americans treat black people so badly? Everytime I just stand there and have on Idea what to say ! I usually reply, I have no idea, because I dont treat them any different than any other race of people! But just being asked that question, and too see the look on the face of the person asking it, you immediately understand they are really wanting to know why one race would be treated differently than another! I am not saying that all Russian people can not understand why there is racism in America, but I do find it refreshing that there are in this world, a lot of people with no concept of why one race would treat another race badly!
The first trip I made to St Petersburg, I was walking with a lady down the street, and suddenly I realized that I had not seen any black people, so I asked her, Why is there no black people in St Pete, she thought for a moment and said, I dont know, perhaps because we didnt bring them here from africa to do our work for us! In other words, she was saying that they are not so lazy as American's! She said this without even a hint of a smile, so I know it wasnt a joke to her, she really thinks that Americans only think of blacks as slaves! It opened my eyes a bit as to the way some other people think about the way our country is perceived! |
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xxatti
Frequent Guest
Joined: 17 Sep 2005
Posts: 27
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| Posted: Sun May 21, 2006 12:06 pm Post subject: |
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| Hasiem wrote: | to xxatti,
I have been to Russia on three different occasions, to no less than ten different cities, and I must tell you, that the most common question I have been asked by the Russian people is, Why do Americans treat black people so badly? Everytime I just stand there and have on Idea what to say ! I usually reply, I have no idea, because I dont treat them any different than any other race of people! But just being asked that question, and too see the look on the face of the person asking it, you immediately understand they are really wanting to know why one race would be treated differently than another! I am not saying that all Russian people can not understand why there is racism in America, but I do find it refreshing that there are in this world, a lot of people with no concept of why one race would treat another race badly!
The first trip I made to St Petersburg, I was walking with a lady down the street, and suddenly I realized that I had not seen any black people, so I asked her, Why is there no black people in St Pete, she thought for a moment and said, I dont know, perhaps because we didnt bring them here from africa to do our work for us! In other words, she was saying that they are not so lazy as American's! She said this without even a hint of a smile, so I know it wasnt a joke to her, she really thinks that Americans only think of blacks as slaves! It opened my eyes a bit as to the way some other people think about the way our country is perceived! |
Yes, there's a lot of truth in that, and those are all valid points. However, they have nothing to do with how foreigners such as Africans are treated in Russia. Just because Russians ask you why blacks are treated so badly in America, and how Russians would never treat people like slaves does NOT mean that blacks/Africans living in Russia dont have to bear heavy discrimination and racism.
I dont care if a million Russians get on this thread and proclaim that they love black people and that blacks are completely safe and have nothing to worry about in Russia. Until at least 1 black person steps up and supports this, all of these statements have zero credibility as far as Im concerned. |
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vitalsigns
Lounge Wizard
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
Posts: 2784
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| Posted: Sun May 21, 2006 4:10 pm Post subject: |
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| xxatti wrote: | | You know, Im not sure what to make of this thread. We all know that things can get blown out of proportion, but there's no doubt that these racial attacks do occur. I find it interesting that the starter of this thread appears to be white himself. What you say may very well be true, but where are all the minorities and people of color who have been to Russia that are willing to back up your statements? They certainly havent made themselves known on this thread. The experiences of any white people in Russia may be entirely different than what an Asian or African might experience. Therefore, the views on this thread really dont hold a lot of weight IMO, because they are largely comming from people on the other side of the fence looking in. |
Totally agree. The experience of a white american who goes there and blends with the locals can be a fun one since he will not be picked on. The majority of russians have a vague understanding of how racially discriminating they are. Jokes about jews, chinese, blacks, people from caucasus are all over the place. I was stunned to hear on my last trip there that the common derogatory name for the people from caucasus was "blacks" or "dark-looking" (черные).
Anyone who says to a chinese, black, indian (and some others) person on this forum: "Go ahead, travel to Russia without any worry, you will be fine, New York is a more dangerous place than Moscow" - misinforms travellers. It is not all that safe as it may seem. |
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wiccagirl
Just Starting
Joined: 31 Mar 2006
Posts: 1
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| Posted: Tue May 23, 2006 1:29 pm Post subject: |
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vitalsigns, you make russia sound like the devil's lair. im sure it's not that bad!  |
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surfguy
Lounge Wizard
Joined: 13 Apr 2006
Posts: 6996
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| Posted: Tue May 23, 2006 5:31 pm Post subject: |
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| I have to say after visiting St Pete, any major city in the U.S. is more dangerous or at least as dangerous. There are a lot of nieghborhoods that as a white person I wouldn't go into. We have a lot of crime in the states that for sure. But when I was last went to New York I had no problems at all. But that said shit can happen at any time any where. And that is world wide. Just have to be street smart and use common sense. |
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MrSpice
Lounge Wizard
Joined: 14 Jul 2003
Posts: 3436
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| Posted: Tue May 23, 2006 6:20 pm Post subject: |
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| surfguy wrote: | | I have to say after visiting St Pete, any major city in the U.S. is more dangerous or at least as dangerous. There are a lot of nieghborhoods that as a white person I wouldn't go into. We have a lot of crime in the states that for sure. But when I was last went to New York I had no problems at all. But that said shit can happen at any time any where. And that is world wide. Just have to be street smart and use common sense. |
surfguy: Believe me, for you're saying is just your own incorrect impression of the situation. I have lived in New York for 11 years now and have been to virtually all neighborhoods. You're falling the victim of this country's love for crime reporting and don't realize that here, the police actually works. People go to the police when they have problems. Also, the "bad" neighborhoods are much better defined and normally, you're not likely to be there, especially at night. Add to that that crime rate in New York was falling for the last few years and is at 20-30 year low.
I visited St Petersburg last June. Because I speak Russian and lived there before, I went beyond Nevsky Prospect and the center of the city. And many regular working-class neighborhoods don't feel safe at all, especially after dark. I saw some people that looked drunk or high and the police (miliziya) was nowhere to be found (not that we would go to the police with our US passports - I would be afraid of the police more, because they can arrest you and who knows what else).
Walking in the center and saying that St Petersburg is very safe is like walking down 5th Avenue in New York. And 5th Avenue is much safer than Nevsky even in this comparison. trust me. |
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xxatti
Frequent Guest
Joined: 17 Sep 2005
Posts: 27
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| Posted: Wed May 24, 2006 12:13 pm Post subject: |
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| surfguy wrote: | | I have to say after visiting St Pete, any major city in the U.S. is more dangerous or at least as dangerous. There are a lot of nieghborhoods that as a white person I wouldn't go into. We have a lot of crime in the states that for sure. But when I was last went to New York I had no problems at all. But that said shit can happen at any time any where. And that is world wide. Just have to be street smart and use common sense. |
Once again, another white American stating that he felt completely safe in Russia  ... which has nothing to do with the topic at hand.
The issue was the increased risks and dangers for foreigners of dark complexion, and especially those of African and Asian decent. No one ever disputed that white Americans could travel around Russia using good common sense and not run into any problems. But try the same thing as an Asian, Hispanic, or African. |
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charles
Lounge Lizard
Joined: 11 Mar 2006
Posts: 179
Location: USA
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| Posted: Wed May 24, 2006 6:29 pm Post subject: |
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What does it mean to "feel" safe anyway? Is New York safer than Moscow, Beijing safer than Los Angeles, or Timbuktu safer than Kalamazoo? Two people can visit the same place on the same day and have totally different experiences. How safe you "feel" is your own perception. A lot of people feel very unsafe when a drunk homeless person approaches them to ask for money. Is their fear justified?
xxatti, I think the point of the thread was that people should go and see Russia for themselves, and not be deterred by negative reports. As gonethesun says, Russia has some problems, yes, but has many great things to offer. Do you think that hispanics, Asians, and Africans should avoid visiting Russia because of the threat of attack? It's always smart to be cautious and vigilant, but why let your life be controlled by fear? |
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yorbcbud
Lounge Wizard
Joined: 17 Feb 2006
Posts: 4919
Location: Сорренто, Британская Колумбия, Канада
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| Posted: Wed May 24, 2006 6:42 pm Post subject: |
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| charles wrote: | What does it mean to "feel" safe anyway? Is New York safer than Moscow, Beijing safer than Los Angeles, or Timbuktu safer than Kalamazoo? Two people can visit the same place on the same day and have totally different experiences. How safe you "feel" is your own perception. A lot of people feel very unsafe when a drunk homeless person approaches them to ask for money. Is their fear justified?
xxatti, I think the point of the thread was that people should go and see Russia for themselves, and not be deterred by negative reports. As gonethesun says, Russia has some problems, yes, but has many great things to offer. Do you think that hispanics, Asians, and Africans should avoid visiting Russia because of the threat of attack? It's always smart to be cautious and vigilant, but why let your life be controlled by fear? |
I agree, just go here first http://www.washtimes.com/national/20041208-122554-8534r.htm  |
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xxatti
Frequent Guest
Joined: 17 Sep 2005
Posts: 27
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| Posted: Wed May 24, 2006 7:11 pm Post subject: |
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| charles wrote: | | xxatti, I think the point of the thread was that people should go and see Russia for themselves, and not be deterred by negative reports. As gonethesun says, Russia has some problems, yes, but has many great things to offer. Do you think that hispanics, Asians, and Africans should avoid visiting Russia because of the threat of attack? It's always smart to be cautious and vigilant, but why let your life be controlled by fear? |
I would not recommend an African, Asian, or Hispanic to go to Russia right now. Even my Russian friends say they wouldnt advise Africans and Asians to come to Russia. But I guess none of them know what they're talking about??
Advising these people to go to Russia and "discover it for themselves" is like advising Americans to go to Colombia and "discover it for themselves". That's not to say that these people couldnt go to these countries and be fine. But the risk factor is just too high to carelessly advise people to go to these countries when they will have a target on their back. |
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Fire_Goddess
Guest
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| Posted: Wed May 24, 2006 7:16 pm Post subject: |
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| I think if you are African, Asian, or Hispanic, you should visit Russia with a large tour group, or make friends with Russians and stay with them while in Russia and avoid situations in which cowards would feel brave enough to attack. There is still some form of safety in numbers. |
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MrSpice
Lounge Wizard
Joined: 14 Jul 2003
Posts: 3436
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| Posted: Wed May 24, 2006 7:25 pm Post subject: |
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| Fire_Goddess wrote: | | I think if you are African, Asian, or Hispanic, you should visit Russia with a large tour group, or make friends with Russians and stay with them while in Russia and avoid situations in which cowards would feel brave enough to attack. There is still some form of safety in numbers. |
And if you're a huge 5'8"-tall woman with size 11 feet, you have nothing to worry about. They see those huge feet, they'll just run away. |
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MrSpice
Lounge Wizard
Joined: 14 Jul 2003
Posts: 3436
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| Posted: Wed May 24, 2006 9:24 pm Post subject: |
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| yorbcbud wrote: |
I doubt that Fire_G would want an arrogant gasbag like you for a boyfriend. |
Me and Fire_G. have the same shoe size, so we do have a lot in common. Don't underestimate my charm, Mr Bus Rider. I heard your relatives give you bus replacement parts for your birthday - don't know if it's true or not.
I don't know why would you think that I am 50lb heavier. I work out on a regular basis and in a pretty good shape. I have never been fat. |
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Generation P
WayToRussified
Joined: 22 May 2006
Posts: 319
Location: SHE WENT TO BARCELONA!
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| Posted: Thu May 25, 2006 6:36 pm Post subject: |
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| Allthough we all have heard the news about the racist attacks against gypsyes, asiatics, caucasians,hispanics, africans and anti-racist acticists in St. Pete and in other major cities in Russia, I still wouldn't be too pessimistic about the issue. I'm sure that there are still quite many people who can and will survive under the circumstances. If nothing more I have to confess that I know some hispanic students who have survived already 4 years in St.Pete. Still one can never be too careful. |
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dcunited11
Frequent Guest
Joined: 10 Jun 2005
Posts: 27
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| Posted: Wed Sep 27, 2006 4:46 pm Post subject: |
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| in the metro, i wasn't scared of skinheads or getting robbed. i was afraid that the train ws actually going to stop and get stuck. and i would be in there for a few hours. the escalators are very scary too. |
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