Is Europe More Racist Than The U.S.?

[Yavin4]

I'm an African-American, and I really want to work and live in Europe in the near future. However, I'm worried that Europe may be more racist than the U.S. For DUers who have lived there, can you give me some insight?

[Nikia]

1. Haven't lived there

From what I am heard from friends though, Europe is less racist against blacks than America is. It may because blacks were not slaves there. Some Europeans are very racist against Arabs though.

[Sword Wielding Brit]

2. Ditto.

The blacks I came across in England were of Jamaican descent, not African. I also lived in France, where they do seem to have quite a problem against North Africans (Moroccan, esp Algerian, etc.).

[Zuni]

6. Jamaican Blacks are of African descent

they got to Jamaica and other Carribean countries the same way blacks arrived in the US---the Slave Trade

In fact, far more blacks went to the Caribbean than to the US mainland, and they labored in various European colonies like Jamaica, Haiti, Cuba and all over South America

[bobbieinok]

3. I'm a retired teacher of German.....have been told by several

black students that they perceived less racism in Germany than in the US

you might check out the forums for the various European countries at

http://www.expatica.com

[Sword Wielding Brit]

5. What I meant to say

to Nikia's post is that I ditto-ed (is that a word?) the sentiment about less of a racist attitude towards blacks. As you can probably guess from my user name, I'm British. English, really, by birth and upbringing. LIved in France for nearly 4 years, too.

bobbieinok, excellent link, thank you! I might have to check that out as we've been hankering to move back to France for a while now. :)

[Zuni]

7. I wonder if those students saw all the neo-nazi skinheads in

the Bavarian beer halls...

[Zuni]

4. Racism in Europe is just as virulent and common

but it is directed more against Jews, Arabs and other groups rather than blacks, reflecting the ethnic history of the areas and the fact that blacks are not a significant minority in most of Europe.

There is no KKK, but there are Neo-fascist political parties like the British national Party, the French National Front Party under LePen, there is a huge number of neo-nazis in Germany (particularly Bavaria) and in Austria

Then again, I don't know many racists here in the US. Most people I know are either non-racist or anti-racist

[Township75]

8. Agreed...no point in me writing the same thing.

The above is what I would have written.

[carolinayellowdog]

9. Not that you'd be considering Russia anyhow...

but in case you are, think twice. I've read and heard that blacks are treated badly.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/2131214.stm

[tjdee]

10. I have very good friends in England and France who are black,

and they say they notice a distinct change when they come here.

As in, it's worse here.

As some above have said, the racism tends to be toward Jews, etc.

France especially seems to be having a scary anti-Semitic period.