To be tired of the ‘racist UK’ remarks?

[AGermFreeAdolescent]

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...?’

Frau

I was responding to angell84's somewhat aerated efforts on this thread, she has even managed in invoke Godwins law!

Fortunately nobody has said that on this thread so you can rest easy.

No, they have just heavily implied it

No, they have just heavily implied it

So not a a "constant narrative" at all, rather the subjective inference you've taken from posts?

@angell84

"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"
That isn't necessarily due to racism though. Maybe it is due to their personalities, those particular people not being very sociable generally, lacking confidence, being anxious or whatever. You can't assume they are racist.

Do U.K people on here, know that U.K people are very, very disliked abroad?

There's a certain irony to this suggestion that, because we are disliked abroad, there must be something wrong with us, when we're talking about the problem of generalising negatively about a group of people based on their nationality and/or ethnicity. If people abroad say we're all racist and arrogant and think we're better than everybody else, does that make it true of all of us? Why is it okay for people abroad to say that about British people, but it's not okay for British people to say that all Irish people are thick and lazy or all Muslim people are terrorists? (Disclaimer: that is absolutely not okay)

Well Im white and have had comments made from Black women. So how does that work then ?. I would tell mumsnet but it still upsets me years later. Racism goes both ways.SADLY. Also my SD has downs syndrome and has had comments and awful looks made to her. Thankfully she doesnt understand them.

Do U.K people on here, know that U.K people are very, very disliked abroad?

In my experience they aren't though - I have spent most of my adult life abroad and British people are generally rather well thought of.

However, I fear the recent behaviour of our political representatives and a vocal and intolerant element of our society may be tarnishing that reputation somewhat. I have been getting a pitying, sympathetic response lately when people find out I'm British.

@KUGA sorry for your bad experience however what happened to you would not be classed as racism, but would be called prejudice.

@RufusthebewiIderedreindeer

that the UK - and the vast majority of its people is NOT RACIST

"Yes it is"
You are being ridiculous. How can you say the majority of the people in the UK are racist? If that was the case then we'd all know loads of people who were expressing racist views and we would just accept them. I live in a large multi-racial city and I don't have people expressing such views to me.

Do you have actual evidence that the vast majority of people in the UK are racist?

The point is not what we are at the bottom or top of any heap, but that it’s become more obvious that it’s getting worse. That is acknowledging an issue. An important one

*Well I`m white and have had comments made from Black women.
So how does that work then ?
I would tell mumsnet but it still upsets me years later.
Racism goes both ways.SADLY.

Sigh. I'm sorry you experienced prejudice, but no, this isn't racism. An individual act of anti-white prejudice does not in any way equal the systemic historic oppression of non-white people as inferior. That power doesn't run both ways.

I think most white people have had experiences like yours. Never pleasant, but not racism.

OP I agree ! I wouldn't want to visit most parts of Eastern "EU" Europe as lots of places are simply a huge no go for non whites.

YABU. Just because some countries are worse, that doesn't mean the UK isn't more racist since Brexit. And the U.K. has shown itself to be racist unfortunately. It's simply disingenuous to think that we'd be leaving the EU if freedom of movement wasn't a thing.

My friend, who is Finnish has been told 'go back to Poland or wherever it is you're from'. It's nice that you haven't encountered racism. Don't forget you don't have to be non white to be on the receiving end of it.

@OnlyFoolsnMothers your BIL must have be living in a bubble in the UK if he's never been asked that by a white British person.

I sometimes think racism is a difficult thing.

If someone at school called my SN DS spastic or a moron, they might get a slap on the wrist. Maybe. If it was reported at all.

If you called a child an insult that was deemed racist, you'd be excluded or expelled instantly.

Im still at a loss why one is worse than the other. I think that probably makes me racist though.

I definitely makes me racist to suggest the hijab should be banned. I wouldnt even have considered it an important issue 10 years ago. But it is evidence of the rise of racism in this country

If you called a child an insult that was deemed racist, you'd be excluded or expelled instantly

no they wouldn't - and poppies arent banned from some areas, and you can still wish people merry christmas and fly a st georges cross too. hope that helps.

Actually yes. It's explicitly school policy. DD has seen it enacted too (exclusion). She's also seen her brother called names in front of a teacher and nothing done.

If you called a child an insult that was deemed racist, you'd be excluded or expelled instantly.

Nope, my nephew was called the n word at his football and due to the coach being inexperienced at handling such issues his parent was told no one here would ever do such a thing.

Racism is alive and well but part of the problem is that everyone has their own narrative as to what constitutes racism.

I was out just a couple of weeks ago and the people with me decided to talk about black people in a derogatory way. I shot them down obviously but I was lost for words, that someone can say this to a black person and think it's ok.

The lines and boundaries are blurred by most people and unless you're part of the KKK wanting to kill all people of colour, you're not a racist. This is the kind of thinking that must stop.

Well, raise it with the school governors, if it's a school policy, rather than viewing one school's position on tolerating disablist slurs but not racist ones as being a country-wide thing?

I am white and live in Wales and have seen some awful things since Brexit. I don't think it made Britain more racist, but racists then thought it was acceptable to express their repugnant views.

I have seen people be told to go back home to their country in the pub, they were born in the UK but even if they hadn't been, as a doctor they are certainly contributing a lot more to society than the drunken halfway in the pub was.

My friend has also been shouted at in the street and her house was egged.

If racism is having views on immigration then I suppose yes.

Racism as in beating people up is low in the UK

Drunken halfwit

not at my kids school either- the kid who told other dc to go back to their own country wasnt excluded or expelled.

still carry on extrapolating widely, volcanion, if you think you are a racist, you might well be.

If racism is having views on immigration then I suppose yes.

Racism as in beating people up is low in the UK

And that, ladies and gentlemen is the view of a certain knuckledragging minority of the population neatly encapsulated. It's not racism unless you hit someone.

Quite, @Heronry