There's defo a difference between where I am now, and my experience of the UK.
In my present place (which I want to keep confidential) there seems to be a whole 'way' of existing as a black person that's different from existing as a white person. There is a 'black' way of acting and a 'white' way of acting. I can see how the UK might regard my present country - or me for saying this - as racist. This phenomenon is nowhere near as pronounced in the UK. But still, I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. In my current country, it really is possible to make systematic predications about how a person is going to act based on their country of origin - and for those predictions to be right. I can see why there are tensions here. It really matters if someone uses a racial slur here because it's in the context of a pronounced cultural divide, and the fragile political relationship between separate communities is what it's all about. You can see why people of different races might not be keen on each other - it's not personal; it's because 'your community hates my community'. At home in the UK, by contrast, I'd hear a slur and would be more inclined to just ask (if it wasn't a recent immigrant, or an orthodox Muslim) 'what's your beef? What does making remarks like that even actually do for you?'
Is anyone actually a Racist?
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There's defo a difference between where I am now, and my experience of the UK.
In my present place (which I want to keep confidential) there seems to be a whole 'way' of existing as a black person that's different from existing as a white person. There is a 'black' way of acting and a 'white' way of acting. I can see how the UK might regard my present country - or me for saying this - as racist. This phenomenon is nowhere near as pronounced in the UK. But still, I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. In my current country, it really is possible to make systematic predications about how a person is going to act based on their country of origin - and for those predictions to be right. I can see why there are tensions here. It really matters if someone uses a racial slur here because it's in the context of a pronounced cultural divide, and the fragile political relationship between separate communities is what it's all about. You can see why people of different races might not be keen on each other - it's not personal; it's because 'your community hates my community'. At home in the UK, by contrast, I'd hear a slur and would be more inclined to just ask (if it wasn't a recent immigrant, or an orthodox Muslim) 'what's your beef? What does making remarks like that even actually do for you?'