Are we able to discuss the Black students trapped in Ukraine on here?

[EddyF]

I think I have read most threads on here about Ukraine/Russia but have not seen any discussions on this issue here.

I saw on TikTok (yup, TikTok has so much information/videos on what’s going on) that Jamaica has now managed to get its people out. It’s the majority of African students that are facing problems getting out. I’m wondering what African leaders are doing about it? A lot of the African-American blogs/comments are furious about this issue (rightly so).

@TooTiredToSleepRightNow

Ofcourse these white Eastern Europeans can be racist. Being under attack doesn’t change what they believe. Or do we want to deny that so we carry on believing how amazing and super hero like they are, don’t want these annoying black people coming along and shitting on their parade? I don’t understand why else so many white people are in denial about this or minimising it so much. Those countries are extremely racist. I mean, in the U.K. the obviously racist stares I get are from Eastern European people that haven’t been here that long, and not white British people. They seem to think I’ve arrived here on the banana boat, despite my parents having arrived many years ago paying their taxes etc but nope, they are very much like “how dare YOU come over here”. It’s quite pathetic really. What’s more pathetic is people coming onto these boards and denying it’s happening and blaming the Russians, that’s sinking pretty low really. I would give everyone respect if they accepted it to be a massive problem and condemning it but noooo those black people are making it up, those Russians are spreading propaganda. These threads are such an eye opener.

Totally agree. I live close to a lot of EEs and when they come in my restaurant they are really quite vile to me, only me. I'm not sure they know I'm the owner, nor does it matter but honestly I've never known hostility like it. (Not all of the EEs I must add). But I honestly didn't realise until my husband pointed out that they're racist and wonder what the fuc@ I'm doing there

Nope. Asian students report being told by their uni to NOT leave or they wouldn't be allowed back on their course. People were not told to leave earlier and are now 'taking resources from Ukrainians'.

@ElliePhillips

Nope. Asian students report being told by their uni to NOT leave or they wouldn't be allowed back on their course. People were not told to leave earlier and are now 'taking resources from Ukrainians'.

Should I maybe link announcements from their own embassies? Tell me the country, I will find for you.

The poster says the students were told not to leave by their universities. If you have studied for a long time and paid so much dear of it all being for nothing would be quite scary I imagine.

Forrinborn I also do not understand your motivation on the thread. Is it to state that anyone who has experienced something you have not must clearly be wrong? Despite the links posted here and the anecdotal experiences it seems you think only your view is right.

@FarDownTheRiver

The poster says the students were told not to leave by their universities. If you have studied for a long time and paid so much dear of it all being for nothing would be quite scary I imagine.

Forrinborn I also do not understand your motivation on the thread. Is it to state that anyone who has experienced something you have not must clearly be wrong? Despite the links posted here and the anecdotal experiences it seems you think only your view is right.

My motivation is to (a) stop the spread of shock horror about Ukrainians being awfully racist and determined to exterminate foreign students there, especially when blatant propaganda is linked in; (b) to be honest, just talk about what I see and hear every fucking day now for 18 hours as I also don't find it easy to cope, and ashamed for myself that I am in safety in the UK while so many loved ones struggle. And I don't think I made a single absolute statement on this thread.

I'll go now.

What blatant propaganda? The fact is Black, Asian, Middle Eastern and other races have been stopped/ harrassed/ abused/ extorted and are suffering mistreatment due to the colour of their skin. The propaganda is attempting to minimise their experiences and conduct blatant "If only they'd...." crap.

Thank you for starting this thread. We watch a non English news channel at home and this has been widely reported, with lots of accounts from Black students about being assaulted whilst trying to board trains. I'm utterly horrified about how this has highlighted the blatant racism and xenophobia - churches local to me are having special prayer sessions for Ukraine. There wasn't a single one for Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq or Somalia. Oh but.... Ukrainians are "Christian with blue eyes"

Racism, out and out racism.

Sadly Eastern Europe is not an Inclusive place

.

@seekinglondonlife

Thank you for starting this thread. We watch a non English news channel at home and this has been widely reported, with lots of accounts from Black students about being assaulted whilst trying to board trains. I'm utterly horrified about how this has highlighted the blatant racism and xenophobia - churches local to me are having special prayer sessions for Ukraine. There wasn't a single one for Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq or Somalia. Oh but.... Ukrainians are "Christian with blue eyes"

Welcoming White refugees- Look at the razor wire and fences put up against Syrians.

It’s awful. I absolutely believe we should help the poor Ukrainians but to me they are looked upon more favorable abs people seem more willing to help and invite them into their countries than for example Syrians because they are white and have similar lifestyles and beliefs to us? Maybe because we can relate more to them.

There is plenty of information out there about why POC students went to Ukraine in the first place and then did not leave. In a nutshell:
lack of affordable education in their own countries where medical education is extremely competitive
unis refused to go online and they would lose a year
ticket prices escalated beyond affordability

"if you don't like it, why not leave?" is exactly what POC in the UK are often told when they raise racism. Crass.

@UniCred1 that sounds utterly awful.
I'm Romanian though so if your sister needs help with translating anything or anything like that, I'll see what I can do .

@Brainwave89

As a POC, I have to say that a number of friends who have been to Poland and other parts of Eastern Europe have experienced very open racism. This includes not being served in restaurants, refused taxis and open hostility in public places. For some people the reaction has even been violent. This does not stop what is happening in Ukraine from being very wrong or for it to be right for us all to provide support but given the experience of others few of us would venture to these countries.

Yeah That's what my BIL and my DH's friends are saying as well - open racism in EE They are all West African Yet somehow my DH never experienced it when traveling in EE with me and is baffled by what they are saying... Well he was once called a 'brown Uncle' and pointed at by a small child on a very local train Having said that we /he was harassed in 'West European' countries repeatedly However it is really clear that anyone who is not white is having more issues getting out of Ukraine right now

There is undoubtedly racism in the authorities, police and army in Ukraine. The Azov battalion is often discussed in the UK and its link to far right here

Nov 2020 www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/nov/22/facebook-condemned-for-hosting-neo-nazi-network-with-uk-links

The student who took the knife out was thrown on the floor and sworn at for DAYS. I'm not saying it's the right thing but I would urge you to think of your son or brother in his place. To think the priority is only given to women and young children is a naive fallacy. Students watched everyone allowed to board but not them. If you're not white they won't even listen to you. If you try to speak up they'll violently push you away. My sister watched a Ukrainian girl crying and kissing her Tunisian boyfriend goodbye before boarding as they didn't let him go with her. The student who took the knife out has had enough of feeling like the scum of the earth for days. Imagine being somewhere where people are ignoring you, belittling you and you don't matter because of your skin colour or the language they heard you speaking over the phone. It's not just the transport staff but the locals cheered when these students were denied boarding. Stop acting as if everything is peaceful and la vie est en rose. It's chaos at the moment. You don't want violence then don't use it in the first place. Lead by example they said.

This was a reply to @forinborin

[quote CheshireChat]@UniCred1 that sounds utterly awful.
I'm Romanian though so if your sister needs help with translating anything or anything like that, I'll see what I can do .[/quote]
Thank you very much. How thoughtful of you ❤
She's awaiting a ticket to go back to our home country tomorrow or after tomorrow. My parents were not sleeping for days and they won't be relieved before seeing her.

I’m from Eastern Europe and lived in Africa: in Botswana I was stared at, my hair touched, by random strangers because they had never seen a white person before. I wonder if that counts as racist to the PP? Or not racist because I’m not black? I’m jewish btw.

It's not racist. They do it because yes, they've never seen a white person im real life. White people get treated BETTER when they go to Africa, I'm slightly offended you'd compare that to racism black people get.

I'm willing to bet you got a lot of marriage proposals and admiration. That is not the same as people viewing you as inferior and tearing you badly for your tone.

There is being treated different and being treated badly.

I don't blame them.

Hopefully it should be a lot easier from this point on.

@kingat what you're basically saying is like how can Black people and Hispanics continue living in the US when there is racism with your statement. For Ukraine though, some are there to study and go back with a degree, some are there because of business, some are there because they are in relationships, some are there because they are there. I can't believe some of the ignorance on this thread denying this can't happen. Just because it doesn't happen to you, doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Are you Nigel Farage's relative or something with your "If you don't like it then go back" attitude. How about stop being racist and treat all human beings equal.

@UniversalAunt

‘ They have a Jewish president, and a significant Jewish population.’

Remarkable considering the history of anti-semitism & pogroms in Ukraine before, during & after the Holocaust.

Fuck off with your anti-Semitism. It isn't Jews doing this. There is a very, very small Jewish population in Ukraine because most of them were murdered by Nazis.

Jews face so much racism in Eastern Europe and it's a miracle the population voted in a President with Jewish ancestry considering how much animosity there is to Jews. And just in case you don't read the news, Russia just bombed the Babi Yar monument to the 30,000 Jews murdered by Ukrainian Nazis during the war, but yeah, racism at the border is all the Jews fault .