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Original poster

Today I cried about racism

101 replies

angell84 · 30/08/2019 21:32

I was born in England, to English parents. We moved to another EU country, and I have an accent from that country.

I moved back to England a few weeks ago. Today a man said to me " you are not from round here are you". I said that "my accent is from ....". He then said , " Are you over here taking one of our jobs?" very aggressively.
I said , " actually I am from England originally". Thinking on it later - I thought - I shouldn't have even had to justify myself by saying that!
He glared at me and said "it sure doesn't sound like you are English, did they kick you out of so and so country".

I cried when I got home, what would you say in this situation?

OP posts:
DrierThanANunsNasty · 30/08/2019 22:25

@user1493759849 Ahhhh that popular argument of “I didn’t see it therefore it doesn’t happen.”
What a load of shit.

Sorry you had to go through this OP Flowers

Soreo · 30/08/2019 22:25

But your prepared answer could only work if you know what the other person's job is?

It would work in any case? And anyway the type of man spewing such shite is highly unlikely to be qualified in much...

EmeraldShamrock · 30/08/2019 22:28

I wouldn't waste my tears on such an ignorant eejit.
I am sorry he upset you.
My colleagues from EE get the same discrimination usually by other unemployed eejits.
I would see a very ugly person who will have no luck. ☘

Original poster
angell84 · 30/08/2019 22:30

@user1493759859. You said that you haven't seen it happening. With all due respect, why would you see it happen - if you are from here?
It is the foreigners
People with foreign accents
And people who are born here from different ethnicities that will see it more than you will have to.

I think if I am in a situation like that again ( public place) - I was at a bus stop. And anyone starts a conversation, saying "that's a foreign accent". I an going to move away. That is the best way to prepare.

OP posts:
user1493759849 · 30/08/2019 22:31

I never said it doesn't happen - I said i have never seen it happen.

Nice try though @DrierThanANunsNasty

DrierThanANunsNasty · 30/08/2019 22:32

No you’re implying that it doesn’t happen by using the whole “I’ve never seen it and I live in suuuuuch a multicultural area so if it was happening I surely would have seen it.”
Don’t play coy Hmm

Original poster
angell84 · 30/08/2019 22:33

Thank you Drier and Emerald!

We need to get to a level as a whole world, where we don't think - that we are from one country.
That always leads to fighting and a "my country is better than yours" thing.

We are not from one country. We are all from the world.

OP posts:
YouJustDoYou · 30/08/2019 22:34

My poor friend, who is originally from China, had a black British man on tell her in front of the children she was taking on the bus for a school related trip to "fuck off back to where she came from". Racists are disgusting.

YouJustDoYou · 30/08/2019 22:35

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

user1493759849 · 30/08/2019 22:36

Don't project your issues onto me @DrierThanANunsNasty

I have never witnessed it happening, and I am entitled to say that.

Get off your high horse and do one.

DrierThanANunsNasty · 30/08/2019 22:37

@user1493759849 soooo what was your point? That’s what I don’t understand. If it wasn’t to insinuate it doesn’t happen then why does OP care that you’ve never seen it?

I’ve never seen a lot of things, I don’t go around telling everyone I haven’t seen them Grin

user1493759849 · 30/08/2019 22:40

@YouJustDoYou

My poor friend, who is originally from China, had a black British man on tell her in front of the children she was taking on the bus for a school related trip to "fuck off back to where she came from". Racists are disgusting.

Oh no, surely not!!! Wink It's only WHITE people who are racist, remember? People who don't agree with that, are not allowed opinions on here. Wink

Helendee · 30/08/2019 22:40

I’ve had similar remarks made to me in N Wales and DH has in Scotland because we are English. It’s so pathetic it’s almost laughable.
What a strange species we are!

SarHar · 30/08/2019 22:45

you just do you errr... no. Mental illness and racism/xenophobia are not the same thing. Plenty of people have mental illness and are not racist, and plenty of people are racist and not mentally ill.

lalag · 30/08/2019 22:45

How did you get to talking at the bus stop @angell84 ? Which part of the country?

I have a foreign accent. No one has ever said anything like that to me (although I'm not saying it doesn't happen, I'm sure it does, I'm giving you hope that it hasn't happened to a lot of people like us, with accents!).

I'm in London and 1) no one has ever made a remark to me about stealing their jobs
2) people don't start up conversations at bus stops

Original poster
angell84 · 30/08/2019 22:46

@helendee racism is so ridiculous isn't it.

There is too much hatred of other countries around the world.

We all need to see each other as human beings.

I have heard taxi drivers complain about Polish people , "coming over and taking our jobs". I challenged him on it.

Racism is so stupid and disgusting

OP posts:
JayDot500 · 30/08/2019 22:47

@user1493759849 that's a poor attitude to have on a thread such as this. I'm black but don't believe only white people say mean things to other races. No one person can truly speak for an entire people.

0blio · 30/08/2019 22:48

I was criticised by a colleague for 'coming here and taking our jobs' when I moved to England. I'm from Scotland.

It sucks OP, hope you're ok.

Original poster
angell84 · 30/08/2019 22:48

@lalag it is also my experience that people in London don't talk at bus stops. London is a very busy city.

I am in Liverpool. Everyone chats to me everywhere. Strangers chat to me when I meet them walking on the road. People strike up conversations at bus stops. Everyone else has been lovely.

OP posts:
user1493759849 · 30/08/2019 22:48

@angel84

I have heard taxi drivers complain about Polish people , "coming over and taking our jobs". I challenged him on it.

Biscuit
nettie434 · 30/08/2019 22:49

He then said , " Are you over here taking one of our jobs?" very aggressively.

I like Boots20’s reply Grin Equally unsuitable: ‘Are you one of these people refusing to work and expecting people from other countries to do a job you don’t want?’

Angell84 and JayDot500, I feel really ashamed when I hear of negative reactions like you have faced. Most of us are really proud to live in a diverse country.

user1493759849 · 30/08/2019 22:49

@JayDot500

Biscuit
Original poster
angell84 · 30/08/2019 22:50

@oblio omg! I send you a hug too

OP posts:
Lifecraft · 30/08/2019 22:56

He then said, "Are you over here taking one of our jobs?" very aggressively.

I cried when I got home, what would you say in this situation?

Given he thought you were foreign, how about "If I can arrive straight off the banana boat with English as a second language, and still manage to take an English person's job, then they must've been fucking shit at it, and deserved to lose it! It's bloody obvious, you stupid wanker. Now fuck off."

That just about covers all the bases.

WotsitToU · 30/08/2019 23:00

All racists are 💩

Don't let it get you down OP.

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