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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be tired of the ‘racist UK’ remarks?

275 replies

AGermFreeAdolescent · 16/10/2019 10:07

By that I mean people talking down the UK and say that it’s a racist country since Brexit. I appreciate everyone has their own experiences but I dislike when people say Brexit has made the UK more racist and make out it is more so than its EU counterparts when I, as a non white person, feel WAY more safe anywhere in the UK as I would compared to any other country in Europe. Can’t help but feel that the people that denigrate the UK for racism because of Brexit are white and have not visited countries in Europe as, or with, a person that isn’t white. Started this thread mostly because of the ‘shock’ about the racism that Bulgarian fans displayed to England and my first thought was ‘And this is a surprise, because...?’

OP posts:
angell84 · 16/10/2019 11:53

@mauvaisereputation I was there for a longer time. My point about the international dinner was that, everyone treated each other exactly the same.

In the U.K I have been at social meetups with people from all over the world, and the white British people stuck together. And did not mix

squirrelspatchcock · 16/10/2019 11:55

angel - what are you doing to stop being

Rude
Arrogant
Racist
Thinking you are better than all other races
Cruel
Nasty

?

mauvaisereputation · 16/10/2019 11:58

Sorry, @angell84, no one is saying EVERYONE in Eastern Europe is racist. Of course there are non-racist people, and I'm happy you went to dinner with them. Equally, suggesting that every white British person is racist and only mixes with other white British people is ridiculous and demonstrably false.

Helmetbymidnight · 16/10/2019 12:01

My black and Asian friends have all seen a rise in racism since the referendum.

Do you not believe this?

Bernadine Evaristo was talking about this on Channel Four News yesterday.

Do you not believe her?

MaybeNew · 16/10/2019 12:01

It’s getting worse everywhere to be honest and there are countries which are more racist. It doesn’t excuse the racism here though. Also non white btw and in my experience, it’s the older generations which are the most unpleasant.

Bibijayne · 16/10/2019 12:03

There has been a significant rise in hate crime since the Brexit vote. Britain is unlikely to have 'become more racsist' or to be more racsist than other countries. However people who are racsist' have been emboldened by an increasingly right-wing rhetoric in the media. Stating that is stating a fact, not doing the country down.

That doesn't mean we can't do positive things to change that. I believe most people are not aggressively rascist in the UK. By calling out the nastiness we see, we can make it clear that angry rants by people like Farage and Piers Morgan do not represent the rest of us. That's regardless of how you voted BTW!!

Helmetbymidnight · 16/10/2019 12:05

I dislike when people say Brexit has made the UK more racist

Why would you dislike people saying that, I wonder. Grin

Would you rather we didn't talk at all about the rise in racism in the UK in the last three years?

WhenISnappedAndFarted · 16/10/2019 12:07

YABU. Since Brexit I have for the first time seen and heard racism. I am a white person who had never seen anyone racially abused before but since the result, I have a fair few times.

I would also like to point out that I didn't just sit there and listen to it.

PaulRedford · 16/10/2019 12:08

Can anyone actually supply a list of the countries which have an absolutely excellent track record of not being racist at all ?

TwoIsNotBetterThanOne · 16/10/2019 12:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Helmetbymidnight · 16/10/2019 12:11

I don't think so. All countries have a record of being racist I should think.

Does that mean we should welcome the rise of racism in this country?

Bubbles121 · 16/10/2019 12:12

Surely it doesn't matter if we are not as bad as other countries. Any racism should be highlighted as not acceptable - I'm not a person of colour so I don't have personal experience but I do think that if even one person feels that they have been a victim of an intolerant, racist society in the UK then that is an unacceptable level of racism and we should all stand accountable for that. I personally am not prepared to turn a blind eye just because other countries are worse than us.

I was ashamed of the Bulgarians watching that match, and I was ashamed of the UK when some of the players commented that they have grown thick skinned to abuse on the pitch based on their home experiences.

Usernamewillautodestrustin · 16/10/2019 12:13

As a white woman married to a black man and with 2 mixed race DD I can agree with a lot of posts on here. Brexit did not 'create' more racists. What it did was give people a false sense of approval that it was suddenly OK to express their racist views.

My DH is born and bred London. He has always worked and held roles in the government. Since Brexit he has been told to give up his seat on the train to a white man. Repeatedly told to 'go back to where he came from' and called derogatory racist names in the middle of the street.

There has always been a level of casual racism that we have ignored (one neighbour told us once she was 'very tolerant' or black people) but it is much more aggressive and assertive in nature now.

It makes me sad that my hard working, kind and lovely DH is treated this way in the country he grew up in.

skippy67 · 16/10/2019 12:20

YABU. Brexit hasn't created more racism. It's just unveiled the racism that's always been there. I said the day after the referendum result that it would be time for the racists to "shine", and my own experiences have proved me right.

PencilsInSpace · 16/10/2019 12:20

Some reading for you @angell84

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-36130006

It is frightening how UK racists have become emboldened since the referendum. It's even more frightening when you realise how much they are bolstered by extreme right wing anti-EU groups across Europe. 'Mainstream' groups who are actually getting into power in some places.

To be tired of the ‘racist UK’ remarks?
PaulRedford · 16/10/2019 12:24

I think that racism is endemic in some of the eastern European countries in a way that it isn't in Britain. There are problems with racism in Britain, but there are problems in a lot of countries in the world with racism. Sometimes when I read threads on here , it's like people only seem to acknowledge the racism in Britain, the inference being that everywhere else is great.

EmeraldShamrock · 16/10/2019 12:27

Why do people think that other European countries are more racist than the U.K?
They are there isn't much immigration or asylum seeking in ex USSR countries.
My polish neighbour said lots of her community are racist and homophobic.
I do think the UK is a racist country but far from tbe worst.

ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 16/10/2019 12:29

Marine LePen received one third of the vote in the French Presidential election.
Being a North African immigrant in France isn’t always great (judging by DH’s family members)

It is Europe wide problem and I don’t think the UK is an outlier either way.

EmeraldShamrock · 16/10/2019 12:35

@angell84 I had to check an old thread as i was sure it was you, who said the Irish were racist how you experienced xenophobic attitudes and English people weren't welcome.
Now the English are the biggest racists.
Racism is sick it unfortunately happens everywhere.
I agree people need to encourage change for future generations.

Caucho · 16/10/2019 12:43

In surveys of BAME people the UK is consistently as one of the best places in Europe to live in terms of racism.

I’m not saying we’re without our problems but does grate when people make nonsensical claims about country x, y, z is far better than we are regarding this issue.

Look at how much share of the vote far right political parties in France, Italy, Germany, even Sweden etc get compared to UKIP over here

mbosnz · 16/10/2019 12:45

There is not a country in the world that doesn't have people with racist views and attitudes, who sadly, sometimes, act upon them, and very vocally at that.

UK included, NZ included. Nationalism and protectionism are very much on the rise, everywhere, it seems.

I was taken aback when a tradie who I got chatting with, casually dropped into conversation his extremely negative opinions about the Polish, Muslims, and Paki's. . . this guy had met me all of three times, and he was quite comfortable expressing these views to me!

Given I'm extremely liberal and left leaning, I do not know how he would think I would agree with him.

I politely and respectfully challenged his views. I don't think I'll have changed his mind, but maybe being exposed to a differing viewpoint outside his echo chamber can provide a counterbalance.

RufusthebewiIderedreindeer · 16/10/2019 12:48

Would agree with others on here

Britain like most of Europe has always been racist, brexit has just emboldened racists to speak up

RufusthebewiIderedreindeer · 16/10/2019 12:50

And worldwide obviously...its not just Europe

mbosnz · 16/10/2019 12:51

Oh, and another gem, my daughter had her 'friend' come up to her to tell my New Zealand born daughter how she'd been reading up on them, and New Zealand Maori are terrible people, that they're stupid and criminal, and used to be cannibals. . .

I mean, seriously? In what universe is that okay?! My daughter has Maori friends and family - this little madam has never even bloody seen one!

Troilusworks · 16/10/2019 12:53

Does it really matter who has the worst racists? Surely we should be challenging any racism. I do among my family and my in laws, for a start.

I definitely think Brexit has emboldened the racist element in this country. I always thought it was a minority but Brexit has exposed the level of racism, and I'm shocked and disappointed. I did buy into the tolerant Britons image we've always liked to promote, but I realise how wrong that was.

And maybe the arrogant/ignorant image we have abroad IS deserved to some degree. None of my friends is like that but I have to acknowledge there's an element of truth about it when I see both the lager and full English brigade and the up themselves tossers who order everyone around.