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.

[BertrandRussell]

I think ”gammon” is used for a particular sort of man-Farage/Morgan/Cameron-rather than working class men.

[gamerwidow]

"gammon" is used to describe angry red faced racist white men not all white people.

[Looobyloo]

I reckon a lot more racist than people let on. I also think it works both ways. I have a friend on Facebook who seems to hate white people, she's white but identifies as black, you couldn't make it up.

The worst racism I've ever come across was when I was travelling and working in nz. I spent the week fruit picking with a Irish girl and Scottish man, they absolutely hated britain and brits, they'd harp on about history and what we'd (I'd) done to them.
I just ignored them, they were just a pair of angry, ignorant idiots who were clearly trying to rile me. It was rather shocking though.

[Helmetbymidnight]

DH says it doesn't exsist in this country (England) but I think he just doesn't see it because he is white.

You poor thing being married to someone that stupid.

[IfNotNowThenWhy]

Yes it's racist here, but not like the 80s when it was overt in my northern town. And by overt I mean NF graffitti everywhere and skinheads putting flaming shit thru the letterbox.
I think of all groups black males get the worst deal as the preconceptions about them are horrendous in so many ways. That must grind you down, years of having to "prove" you are not the way some people think you are. I think that's something white men in particular just can't get-white males start out as being seen as the "default". Neutral, a blank slate.
Nowadays, in general, I think things have improved, in that the viciousness is not acceptable anymore, and I feel like class divides us more sometimes. Middle class white people will go to university with middle class Asian people and can be friends. They are more uncomfortable with the working classes!
There's still a lot of people in the UK should think they are not racist but have unthinking preconceptions and prejudices.
And culture is another aspect of this prejudice. There is (and has always been) prejudice between Hindus and Muslims for examples. Factor in mysoginy and you will find certain Muslim men with very dodgy views on white British girls, and that doesn't always get challenged properly.
The only way to fight racism is to learn about one another, enter each others homes, eat each others food. Knowledge and familiarity is key, I really think so.
And challenging other people's stupid comments (like the pp who claimed to have purple friends...)

[americandream]

@Wearywithteens


It’s an odd thing because I would bet the majority of my street (white working class) have racist attitudes - I know lots of people voted bnp and UKIP and yet as individuals are very welcoming, inclusive and helpful to our Asian and Romanian neighbours (invite them to community events, donate/lend children’s clothes and toys, chat in the street etc). I happen to know that a bnp voter did something at work very selfless and sacrificial to help a Chinese immigrant who was subject to discrimination. He negotiated with the union to save her job.

And yet I work with very middle class socialists who loudly denounce racism but never employ anybody other than white middle class, they live in white leafy enclaves and send their children to schools that are made in their image. They talk the talk and vote accordingly but never actually invest personally.

Which one is racist?

This is very common. I know/have known a shit load of liberal left 'right-on' folk who accuse anyone who voted brexit of being racist, and assume they are all thick, chavs, ugly gammon etc... They are proud of how many 'foreign' people they know, and how 'tolerant' and 'diverse' their views are. They accuse anyone who doesn't agree with their 'right-on' left-wing views of being a thick, bigoted, racist.

Yet, the majority of them live in a white-only leafy suburb, (or village,) have a very nice lifestyle, have parents who throw 100s of pounds at them when they need some extra dosh on their backpacking jaunt around Nepal, and do jack-all to help anyone poor, or non-white.

Champagne socialists I think they're called.

Conversely, as you said, I know loads of people who are working class, and who voted for UKIP and Brexit, and who are fed up of being poor, and do moan about the immigrants sometimes, who have helped, and been very kind to people not born in the UK, a number of times. There are loads of examples I could give that are similar to yours.

But yeah, I have met plenty of Champagne socialists. Forums like this, (and twitter) are full of them. They are very annoying and frustrating, but I find they are best ignored.

[Oblomov19]

I don't know, I'm probably not qualified to answer because I'm white.

I suspect the UK is more racist than some other European countries, but less than others?

I only say that because I suspect for example : Norway, Sweden and Finland, in their nature and characteristics are more easy going, less racist than us.

[iwantatattoo]

'The worst racism I've ever come across was when I was travelling and working in nz. I spent the week fruit picking with a Irish girl and Scottish man, they absolutely hated britain and brits, they'd harp on about history and what we'd (I'd) done to them. '

As unpleasant as that is, it isn't racism.

[avocadochocolate]

Brexit has stirred up a lot of racism. My elderly Leaver friend who claims to have 'lots of Muslim friends' was telling me yesterday that the reason the NHS is in such a bad state is because we have so many immigrants that the NHS can't cope with them all.

I reminded her that most hospital in patients are over 70 and more immigrants are young, so therefore unlikely to be making much use of the NHS.

I also told her that a large proportion of NHS staff are immigrants and Brexit is making it harder to recruit.

[scandilover]

There's an area in the city I'm from that is known for being a Pakistani area and it's just 'common knowledge' that you stay away unless you are part of that community. Anyway there was a groupon offer for eyelash extensions in a beauty bar in town and I booked it before realising where it was- I wouldn't have booked there if I had realised earlier as it's not as easy to get to if you don't drive, however the scare stories about the area didn't really worry me too much as I assumed this was a massive exaggeration. Anyway I got a taxi from the city centre to drop me there and got the treatment done. I then called a taxi and stood in the very small space at the front of the shop but I couldn't see the road clearly due to the signs on the glass so I went and stood outside. I had to wait about fifteen mins and a group of Pakistani men were standing across the road at the front door of tenement flats but they were making it very obvious they were looking over at me. I felt a bit intimidated, I have to admit. They walked over towards me and then stood next to me at the door of the take away that was next to the Beaty bar. They were a mix of ages from a bout 30-50. They stood talking in Pakistani loudly and kept looking at me, then I heard 'white slag' in the sentence. It obviously stood out as it was English words and spoken aggressively and loudly for me to hear. One of them turned round and spat in my direction. I went back inside the bar and phoned the taxi company back and asked them to ring me when the taxi was outside. I was honestly terrified as they were making it very clear I was not wanted there and I just wanted to leave

That was my one and only experience of racism in my life. I was 23

[Neighneigh]

I think it depends where you live. I won't name it but our local, rural, Crap Town (if you remember those books) in Yorkshire has a very high level of casual racism. There are very, very few non-White British people yet apparently we're overrun with crime and it's all down to immigrants. Utter bollocks and it really makes me miss London, with the diversity to show people that a mix of backgrounds is a positive thing. Rant over.

[Grumpelstilskin]

I find the UK and in particular England still quite racist. I am from a mixed ethnic background but look Caucasian. Racism is mostly more covert these days but I have found again and again that English people will ‘confide’ in what they assume to be another white person some pretty shocking and ignorant racist stuff. On the whole, I think it is assumed that racism has been wiped out a lot due to changes in how people of various ethnicities are presented and racial stereotypes have been tackled in the media and how there is more sensitivity overall in public. However, I think there is actually quite an unpleasant renaissance in overt racism by people who feel emboldened by for example the ‘Free Tommy’ mob etc. Social media is a real eye opener in what people share who appear otherwise more moderate. While the UK may not have had the naked hatred and burning crosses of the KKK, I think there is a deeply engrained ‘colonial’ arrogance and sense of superiority among many English people towards other non-English nationals. When you look at period films, the English who travel abroad act very superior and expect deference by the locals. You may think that is all in the past. However, I see the same arrogance and expectations to be accommodated with people speaking English and deferring to them when I visit my family abroad. On a number of occasions, I have parked up my car with English number plates and have had English people come up to me and exclaim how relieved they are to meet another English person among all of these obnoxious natives and then spew a litany of bigoted prejudice about the people of that country. Some people have lived abroad for years and years and haven’t bothered to learn a single word of the native language and feel totally superior to everyone. It extends to the language that they are ex-pats instead of immigrants! So, I would say that especially the many of the English are still quite racist and export this attitude to wherever they go.

[DinosApple]

One of my employees started being specifically racist towards Indian people. Guess who is part Indian, me! I look white but am mixed heritage. He got short shrift and a warning. What a tool. But perhaps he'll think again before he spouts off.

I don't see it every day, but it's not a diverse area. It's usually the odd older person who will have a rant about immigrants and tag any racist views onto that.

[SilverySurfer]

Becles
Minority groups will tell you about being expected to make the tea when they are chairing the meeting.

Exactly the same happens to white women - I've experienced it myself.

Shamima Begum: The first time in a long time many Asian girls will have seen someone who looks like them on TV full stop; would her passport have even been up for discussion if was white?

In the same circumstances I would hope and expect a white person to be treated no differently and have their passport revoked.

The most racist people I have met are Australians who seem to delight in telling their favourite denegrating 'abo' stories. They seemed genuinely shocked when I pointed out how wrong they were and I lost a couple of friends as a result. Frankly I don't care, I will never stop telling people they are wrong to make racist comments.

[Dimsumlosesum]

I would say personally it depends on where you go in the UK, for us anyway. Used to live in villages over the decades and they were more racist. Fairly "innocent" comments that were nonetheless racist, such as "oh so where are YOU from then?", to more direct such as "chinky". Also, racism didn't come from just white people. Living in bigger cities - personally no racism for years and years.

[SinisterBumFacedCat]

I think people are more openly racist now than 20 years ago. Brexit, Trump and Islamic fundamentalists have emboldened people to be more racist. I find it so bloody depressing and I hate it.

[BertrandRussell]

I think people have worse manners too, and are more likely to “say what they think”.

[MyNameIsXYZ]

I think the type of racism has changed over the years. I remember my Indian boyfriend in the 90’s being afraid to use a cash machine when there were too many white men near by and that being a real eye opener to the type of racism he faced everyday. A few years ago I really felt as if we had moved forward and that level of racism and fear was slowly becoming something we could eventually consign to the past. But, in recent times casual racism has become something people wear almost as a badge of honour. It’s disguished as pride in our nation etc but is just just simply racism and xenophobia. It’s not just colour and religion, intolerance to so many differences seems to have become the norm and I find that sad. Brexit seems to have both fuelled and normalised it.

[FluffyMunchkin]

I find the UK to be far more xenophobic than racist, but that's a massive generalisation. Not all people in the UK are racist or xenophobic, but some certainly are, and it's too many for my liking.

[IfNotNowThenWhy]

There's NO WAY racism is worse now. It's still there, but it's not worse. I don't think some people on here really understand what the provincial small towns were like in the 70s and 80s.

[VladmirsPoutine]

What's the scale? As in from 1-10. 1 being non-existent to 10 being nazis proclaiming their land?

I'd say that yes - racism in the UK is still rife. Indeed institutional racism is on the rise.

[onthenaughtystepagain]

ANyone who subscribes to the theory that the UK is extremely racist clearly has not travelled much or lived in other countries.

[buttermilkwaffles]

The most racist people I have met are Australians who seem to delight in telling their favourite denegrating 'abo' stories.

Yes me too, both here in the UK and while travelling. Have never been to Australia so no idea how representative they are or how widespread it is...

But while many racists in the UK will try to deny that they are racist ("I am not racist but") while some of the Australians I met had no shame when called out on it ("yeah, I am racist but so what.."). I guess there is more of a social stigma to it in the UK?

Even Australian backpackers have often come out with racist comments, so much for travel broadening the mind (although the kind of travel they did seemed to mostly involve getting drunk with other backpackers rather than meeting any of the locals). Eg, one group who were being very loud and disruptive in a restaurant in Kotor even after staff told them to tone it down, whose conversation included such gems as "my parents are super racist" (as if this was something to boast about loudly so that an entire restaurant could hear, rather than something to be deeply ashamed of!) and "I call my mate Woggy because he's a wog, but he doesn't mind, so it's not racist."

[QueenoftheBiscuitTin]

Compared to other countries I've lived in, I don't think it's very racist.

[TheCrowFromBelow]

I moved out of London to west Sussex. I have been shocked at the level of casual racism I have come across, impatience with/ mocking of accents, to a comment about the boy in last year’s JL advert (“why do they have to shove it down our throats”), to frankly bizarre beliefs about non Christian religions.
Most of it stems from ignorance as this is a very white, very English area.