To ask how racist you think the UK is?

[HateWarts]

I’ve seen videos on this before, I’m wondering how you feel about it.

[Mother87]

I think racism/prejudice/misconceptions are not only rife but flourishing sadly... I'm mixed-race and have friends from two distinctly diverse cultural and religious backgrounds. Some of the comments I hear (not directed at me - although this has happened to varying degrees since childhood) are staggeringly offensive/mildy insulting and simply nasty

In my experience casual/overt racism/negative (and ignorant) views of other races & cultures is worsening...

[HateWarts]

[B]There might be prejudice against white people but I wouldn't think of it as racism.[B]

Wouldn’t you say that fits the definition of racism?

[Bigsighall]

The area I live is white middle class and since I’ve moved here I’m shocked at the racism. This includes against white Eastern European’s. When I lived in a medium sized city I didn’t notice half as much racism.

[holly1501]

The UK is not anymore racist than any other country.

[HateWarts]

@Bigsighall Wow that’s actually shocking considering you’d expect educated areas to be more tolerant, which racial combination would you say the racism is more targeted at?

[53rdWay]

considering you’d expect educated areas to be more tolerant

Would you?

[OnlyFoolsnMothers]

No where is perfect and of course racist people exist- but as many of the black people in my family tell me (I’m white) compared to other countries in Europe, the UK is one of the most inclusive of countries. I don’t believe we have institutional racism but there is always work to be done.

[gauntletthrown]

It's difficult to measure.

I'm white and I'm not consciously racist - I abhor it. However can I honestly say I don't have any unconscious bias?

My parents were casually racist and some of this might've gone in. I hope not but how do I know for sure?!

Also, I found that I was guilty of assuming that others are like me and not racist or homophobic - and was then shocked at how others behave.

[PookieDo]

I am white and live in quite a middle class predominantly white area of the U.K. saying that though I wouldn’t say it was racist that I know of, but it isn’t really for me to judge that is it? How would I really know for sure? I work in the NHS and it’s quite diverse workforce and I don’t associate with racist people. I would hope it isn’t a racist place to live but I haven’t asked anyone from a minority group how they feel about it to know for sure. I think it has become more and more diverse and people have more awareness

I am very olive/dark (although white) and as a child at primary school I experienced a stupid amount of racism about how I looked. I was called a very offensive P word as in P-girl for a long time. It was horrible

[ThereWillBeAdequateFood]

The UK is not anymore racist than any other country

I’d agree with this. Doesn’t mean it’s not a racist country, just that there are far worse countries (from a racist point of view).

I don’t see much racism. I’m white and live in a mostly white area with “nice” middle class people. So I personally don’t see much.

[lovinglifexo]

I think if you are white British it’s silly to try and answer “is Britain racist?”

You would hardly know; the vast majority of racism is directed at black, Asian and Muslims and non-white British people !

[lovinglifexo]

An example of what I mean !

Like how would YOU know 😂😂

[Helspopje]

Very if you consider sectarianism or being English in Scotland (worse ++ since the referendum)

[WantRapunzelLocks]

Op- I feel that, as a white woman, I've definitely experienced discrimination from different Pakistani families on separate occasions due to my skin colour.

[PregnantSea]

Depends what you're comparing it to. Yes, there is racism, and you can argue that any racism at all makes a country racist by definition. However the UK is much less racist than many other places, in my experience. I think I'm pretty well travelled and have lived in various other parts of the world and I'm often shocked by the way things are in other places and I think to myself "that would never happen in the UK".

[Tiptoetiptoetiptoe]

I’m white, and just like a PP I’m shocked when other white people come out with racist comments to me, like I’m going to laugh and high-5 them.

Generally I tell them it’s racist, they tell me it’s a laugh, and I tell them it’s not funny and leave them to it. In more extreme cases I try to educate, that doesn’t usually go down well.

I feel that some areas of the UK is quite racist, though nowhere near US standards, the UK is decidedly more sneaky and backhanded with it though.
IME I’ve found people 35+ are worse than people under 30, though that depends on area and upbringing.

[WantRapunzelLocks]

I've noticed I didn't call it racism too. But sitting here reading it back, I've realised that's exactly what it is.

[MIdgebabe]

My (ex?) sister is a teacher. White middle class. Last night, whilst the tv scrolled images from New Zealand she told me she isn’t racist but we should not allow romanians in the country as they are child abusers.

I lost my rag, and I think that was probably the best thing to do. There is simmering racism everywhere that we just steer away from to keep the peace and that lets it thrive

[FlippinNora1]

Low level racism has always been prevalent in the UK. However, it does feel that over the last few years it has ramped up. Racists have been given a voice and a platform to spout their vitriol.

My MIL is a prime example. She has always been quietly racist and whenever it bubbled to the surface we tried to stop it. She has said on several occasions recently that it’s now okay to say these things and we can’t shut her up. I’m sure she is not alone in thinking this.

With a government and media hell bent on creating divisions and sides, it is only going to get worse.

[Propertybrothers]

I am white and live in a predominantly white middle class liberal area. I am sure my neighbors think there is no racism in the UK. But I am spending the weekend in a city with a high level of immigration. And me experience this weekend has been very different.

I have taken 4 taxis this weekend.

The only white taxi driver made a very racist remark along the lines of how he and his friends were not upset by the NZ massacre as it happened to Muslims and they prob deserved it. I was so shocked and told him so. And got him to drop me off earlier and I walked the rest in protest.

The other 3 taxi drivers were all the children of immigrants. They each spontaneously started telling me about racism they experience. One went so far as to say that passengers call him the P word and ask him if he has a bomb. He is not even from Pakistan!!

This trip has depressed me and made me realize more than ever that Yes racism is alive in the UK.

[MyView2]

I have seen a lot of it, including white British people experiencing it e.g a Scot in England and an English person in Scotland.

At work I’ve seen customers come in and refuse to be served by an employee who is not from the native country. The sad thing is that more often than not the employee just accepts this and it requires another member of the team to call it out with the customer. This suggests to me the frequency of racist incidents that take place, it’s not even a shock to the person on the receiving end. Luckily my workplace take these things seriously and we often close customer’s accounts when they behave like this.

[HateWarts]

@WantRapunzelLocks Yeah I can imagine, I’ve noticed it going both ways being Pakistani myself. I have noticed how some pakistani women give cold shoulders to white people and ban their children from befriending white people. Or they’ll exclude white people in various ways like speaking a different language when the white person is around, stares, bitching about them, often those white women are actually feeling quite uncomfortable

[PookieDo]

my ex and Ex MIL grew up and live in an area that is not well educated. I met ex when I was still a teenager and can only say I didn’t know better at the time. 20 years later they are still complete idiots. I saw them both yesterday (we have DC together) and as we were all talking I realised what fuckwits they were. Any situation we discuss they will make some stupid offensive, racist or homophobic comment

DC were talking about a teacher. MIL says ‘is he bent?’ included hand gesture TO MY DC
DD2 gets look of disgust on her face and says NO nanny he’s autistic
Ex MIL says ‘what? How can he be a teacher if he’s autistic?’

Cue awkward silence (I’m not wasting my breath on her) and we left

[LordProfFekkoThePenguinPhD]

I’ve heard and seen racism from all types in the uk. It cuts all ways.

However I have noticed perhaps more of an awareness of their own racism with some white British people, as if they know they shouldn’t say it but... (oooh I know I shouldn’t say it... people who are, errrr, new to the country... those people, you know from xxxx, they are a bit... maybe it’s their culture but it’s not ok here...). Whereas my friend’s (Indian/Kenyan Hindu) dad ‘oh god Muslims have moved next door’.

Family living in the US say it’s really bad there.

[ivykaty44]

I think racism hasn’t gone away but it’s hidden away, until someone posts on Facebook and you realise they are racist - but kid themselves they aren’t

I have looked at posts on Facebook this last few days as many people post photographs of different religions protecting each other at prayer

Yet those same people post pictures against immigrants and how it’s bad for Britain

Can’t they see that endorsing this thinking isn’t pleasant

But then I think perhaps I’m racist as although I’m not against open boarders, I’m worried when people come to live in my home country and want to segregate themselves within this country & I then wonder why have you come to live here? If your country is war torn why didn’t you pick another country closer...

I struggle the most with people not speaking the language of the country they live in, even after many years

I try my hardest not to judge but that doesn’t mean I don’t have questions