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AIBU?

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Work trip to USA

162 replies

Wonderbug81 · 06/02/2026 07:54

I'm in a senior role and there's talk of a work trip to US this year. For context I've been to the US multiple times and even lived in NYC for a year a long time ago.

However I'm British Asian and I don't want to go - it's a very different place to the one I lived in.

At the moment it's not a firmed up plan but we'll be going to number of places (not just the more left wing cities) and I want to be ready to discuss it when the time comes.

OP posts:
MindYourUsage · 06/02/2026 18:43

I'm also on a work trip to the US - this month.

If I wasn't white caucasian I probably wouldnt have agreed to go.

YANBU

Sweetiedarling7 · 06/02/2026 18:40

OhDear111 · 06/02/2026 15:33

@Sweetiedarling7 Have you been recently? What happened? Or are you just thinking it’s not safe. Define “safe”. We went recently and were perfectly safe. What do you think will happen to op? And why?

Considering the president has just posted a video of the Obamas as monkeys enough said.
That’s if state sanctioned murder in the streets isn’t enough for you of course.

Wonderbug81 · 06/02/2026 18:05

OhDear111 · 06/02/2026 10:02

@Wonderbug81 I think you are over thinking this. I assume you are just a standard British person? Are you going with colleagues? I would say your colleagues in the USA will be lovely, so what’s the issue? Do you think they won’t let you in? Be rude or racist to you? What evidence do you have to suggest there are difficulties with you going? Or do you just not like Trump? That’s political and not work related. How would refusing to go look at work?

Immigration at US airports always give me a hard time (I have a Muslim sounding surname). Hard to ignore the treatment of their own civillians, white or otherwise and I'll be a brown foreigner travelling to southern states.

OP posts:
Wonderbug81 · 06/02/2026 18:03

PermanentTemporary · 06/02/2026 07:57

I guess it depends on the purpose of the trip - is it the only option? If it’s to visit US offices that’s essential I would have thought.

I have no interest in visiting the US right now but I would if I had to without worrying about safety as such. The racism issue is another matter. Can your team say anything to reassure you that they have addressed the potential issues?

Thank you. I just don't know what my team can really say. ICE are trigger happy and the situation changes so fast over there.

I guess my boss could go without me but I wanted to gauge how significant that would be first.

OP posts:
Wonderbug81 · 06/02/2026 18:01

Swiftie1878 · 06/02/2026 09:49

I’d go.
What you’re considering is exactly what Trump wants. Fuck ‘em. Walk in, head held high and don’t let these racist monsters curtail your activities.

Thank you. It's not so much the fear for me as what could actually happen. We're going to be in Southern states as well.

OP posts:
OhDear111 · 06/02/2026 15:33

@Sweetiedarling7 Have you been recently? What happened? Or are you just thinking it’s not safe. Define “safe”. We went recently and were perfectly safe. What do you think will happen to op? And why?

Sweetiedarling7 · 06/02/2026 10:05

I think you are right to be concerned.
The US is barely safe for white people, let alone anybody else.

OhDear111 · 06/02/2026 10:02

@Wonderbug81 I think you are over thinking this. I assume you are just a standard British person? Are you going with colleagues? I would say your colleagues in the USA will be lovely, so what’s the issue? Do you think they won’t let you in? Be rude or racist to you? What evidence do you have to suggest there are difficulties with you going? Or do you just not like Trump? That’s political and not work related. How would refusing to go look at work?

Swiftie1878 · 06/02/2026 09:49

I’d go.
What you’re considering is exactly what Trump wants. Fuck ‘em. Walk in, head held high and don’t let these racist monsters curtail your activities.

Wonderbug81 · 06/02/2026 09:44

Clearinguptheclutter · 06/02/2026 07:57

I think you’d be perfectly reasonable to make your concerns known

Thank you. Never experienced this in my career before and still astounds me that I'm actually thinking twice about going to the US of all places!

OP posts:
PermanentTemporary · 06/02/2026 07:57

I guess it depends on the purpose of the trip - is it the only option? If it’s to visit US offices that’s essential I would have thought.

I have no interest in visiting the US right now but I would if I had to without worrying about safety as such. The racism issue is another matter. Can your team say anything to reassure you that they have addressed the potential issues?

Clearinguptheclutter · 06/02/2026 07:57

I think you’d be perfectly reasonable to make your concerns known

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