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Post by googleygoo on Oct 30, 2004 13:26:04 GMT -5
This issue never entered my mind, but I was flipping through Let's Go and there was a blurb about minority travelers.
I'm Asian, but I live in New York, and I don't really think of myself as a "minority" when I'm here, as everyone here is different. The funny thing is that I only *feel* different when I'm in other parts of the U.S, like visiting my parents in the midwest, where the demographics is more homogenous.
I went to London in 2001 and even though I didn't feel like I stood out, since London is a lot like New York in that it's urban and metropolitan, I still thought that NYC was more diverse than London.
I've never been to continental Europe, but I imagine that there are tourists of all races and cultural backgrounds. However, I'm still curious if anyone has any thoughs about discrimination- or is this all a moot point?
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Post by jennifer on Oct 30, 2004 13:39:18 GMT -5
Well, I wouldn't worry too much about this! Europe is quite "americanized"!
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Post by LHR02 on Oct 30, 2004 13:41:39 GMT -5
;D I'm not making any 'pc' remark here, mean no offense, trying hard to be civilized in my comments.  I've spent a goodly part of the past 4 years in Europe and trust me on this....as an Asian you will not get a second look. No one it seems travels more to Europe these days than Asians! ;D I was there right after 9/11-Ocotber - March and while I rarely saw any North Americans, there were loads of others. You'll be fine. I am not asian descent so can't speak definatively...but can't imagine trouble for you there. While many many Americans have stopped traveling the Asians have not.....and those tourist dollars make for a welcoming place indeed. ging |
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Post by jennifer on Oct 30, 2004 13:46:11 GMT -5
Yup, didn't want to say it either, but you have to have travelled to Neuschwanstein Castle to find out that you're probably the minority for a day.
I think if you're asian, you'll be the last to have any problems!
And trust me, I do say this in the friendliest manner because I think of nearly all the people I met while travelling, the asians were the most respectful and fun people!
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Post by MuvverRussia on Oct 30, 2004 14:19:11 GMT -5
By Asian I'm assuming you're of Indian descent, right?
Anyway, the only times you're likely to encounter any type of racism is in Southern and Eastern Europe, especially Eastern Europe. White supremacy is still an issue in Eastern Europe and you should be careful, just behave like you do at home and you should be fine though.
In Southern Europe the threat is less of an issue. Instead it's more implicit - lots of people are prejudiced towards Arabs there and basically assume that anyone who looks Asian etc is an Arab. Then again, in big cities this isn't really a problem.
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Post by googleygoo on Oct 30, 2004 15:34:03 GMT -5
well, typically in the U.S., "Asian" implies East Asian. I'm Chinese-American.
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Post by LHR02 on Oct 30, 2004 16:02:47 GMT -5
Goog...US and UK have differing opinions on Asian...as noted in MR's post. When you said 'Asian' I immediately thought Japanese or Chinese. To me, that is 'Asian'. "Arab' is the term I would associate with middle east. Regardless...not trying to sling racial terms here...but the sheer number of Japanese and Chinese I encounter in Europe is mind boggling and those are whom I replied as likely to not have trouble. Still trying to be PC...frankly I can think of very few places that a random 'arab' would not have trouble nowadays.  Oh...and in the US...my experience is that 'Indian' is from India...not asian nor arab, but indian. |
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Post by MuvverRussia on Oct 30, 2004 16:22:53 GMT -5
well, typically in the U.S., "Asian" implies East Asian. I'm Chinese-American. Ahh. In the UK Asian almost always means Indian or Bangladeshi (e.g. the BBC's Asian network). Everybody else I know from Asia (quite a few of my friends are from Singapore and Malaysia) uses their nationality - e.g. somebody from China would say that they were Chinese (or of Chinese decent etc). Sorry for the mix-up. |
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Post by LHR02 on Oct 30, 2004 16:29:59 GMT -5
seperated by a common language! ;D
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Post by jennifer on Oct 31, 2004 10:35:51 GMT -5
English + English = OUps, not the same! ;D
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Post by MuvverRussia on Oct 31, 2004 11:04:25 GMT -5
Yeah- I actually have a British-American dictionary. Also, it's not as though the languages are that different, but that the same words have different meanings. Another is stuff like letters- it took me a while to comprehend what E-Z meant. I thought it said E Z (pronounced ee zed, as opposed to ee zee).
e.g. To me a bonnet is a part of a car (what you'd call the hood). A fender to me is solely a guitar, whereas to you it's another part of a car.
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dougj
Senior Travel Member
Posts: 205
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Post by dougj on Oct 31, 2004 11:20:39 GMT -5
I saw a lot of asians when I was in europe in september. I wouldn't worry about it.
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Post by jennifer on Oct 31, 2004 12:28:05 GMT -5
Hahah good one! A bonnet is surely not a part of a car! ;D
The linguist in me just loves hearing things like that! I think this is why I am so passionate about languages!
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Post by LHR02 on Oct 31, 2004 12:38:23 GMT -5
Additionally... a boot to me is what one puts on their foot....not the 'trunk' of a car. And a torch is what the statue of liberty holds...not a flashlight. ;D
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Post by MuvverRussia on Oct 31, 2004 13:35:20 GMT -5
Oscar Wilde summed it up pretty well when he said: 'The English have really everything in common with the Americans except of course language.' That and the metric system as well of course  . |
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