Photo: panoramas
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published as a blog post on the website of a graduate student living in Moscow.
A reader wrote to me:
I’m leaving this comment because since you have lived in Russia and know much more about what’s going on there than I do, I was wondering if you could answer a question for me. I was wondering, do you think it would even be smart at this point for a Black student to go to Russia to study? I was planning on going there after the summer for a year-long study abroad program but after hearing about all the racism I’m thinking that it might not be the right thing to do. Did you have a lot of close calls when you were over there?
This is a painful question for me.
On the one hand, I have had amazing experiences in Russia and I have been indelibly marked by the time I have spent with Russian history, literature and contemporary society. I can’t imagine my sense of the world outside of my interactions with Russia.
On the other hand, I simply don’t know if I can, in good conscience, advise people of Asian or African descent to travel to Russia in light of the continuing problem of racist violence.
In the past ten days, there have been attacks on Bangladeshi and Chinese students in Moscow, in addition to the earlier assaults this year on citizens of Cameroon and Vietnam. Last December, a nineteen-year-old African American was stabbed multiple times in Volgograd on his way home from the gym.
While these are certainly the most extreme types of violence, interviews with African students also reveal pervasive everyday racism in Russian society. If you travel to Russia, you are, quite frankly, playing a numbers game with your life and your well-being.
Photo: author
That said, you can do some things to improve your odds.
Personally, I was never attacked and I never experienced anything worse than dirty looks, stupid comments and mumbled threats. A number of factors probably account for my “luck” and I’ll share them with you, both as useful precautions and as information that might give you some insight into life in Russia for those of us of “non-Slavic appearance,” in case you are still considering your travel options even after the warning above.
First and foremost, I had the gift of genetics and a bad disposition–I am over six feet tall and, generally speaking, not of a soothing appearance; when I would hang out with African friends in Russia, they would joke that I was their bodyguard. To give you a more clear picture, a few years ago my high school students nick-named me “Mr. Buster, AKA Suge Knight.” If your friends haven’t given you a similar handle, then you should up your worry level a little.
Second, as soon as I got to Moscow, I asked other Asian and African residents about safety and took their recommendations very seriously. I rarely wandered around alone after dark. If there was a major soccer game, I avoided the subways and took a taxi instead to avoid the possibility of running into a crowd of drunken racist football hooligans.
In general, I kept an eye out for groups of sketchy-looking young men and walked away from them, even if it meant I would be late to wherever I was going. And, at the insistence of a Russian friend, I typically carried a small, easy-to-reach knife as a last resort.
Lastly, I tried to maintain a serious appearance—I wore a collared shirt and I always carried a briefcase (even when there was nothing inside of it) to look professional. This was mainly to fend off police shakedowns that tend to victimize people who the police think won’t have their papers in order and won’t want to take matters to their bosses or to court. I also worked on the assumption that skinheads targeted people that they perceived as weak, poor or unconnected.
In short, not a day went by that I didn’t consider the very real possibility of being attacked. I told myself that it was worth it to get my project done and I coped with the stress of constant worry. I also tried to focus on the positive interactions that I had with people in Russia.
Which is one reason why it hurts me to give such a negative report. Most people in Russia are not violent racists and I really love many things about Moscow: the libraries, the architecture, the museums, the street food, the random folks who chat with you at the market, the landlord who picks up the rent and stays to talk for three hours, the other migrants and foreigners who share the pain and the pleasures of being an outsider…
If you read through my posts from the year I spent in Moscow, it should give you some idea of my diverse feelings and experiences in Russia.
But can I responsibly tell a young person of color (who could presumably choose to travel to any country in the world) that it’s advisable to sign up for a year in Russia? Sadly, I just don’t think so.
The world is large and there are many options. You shouldn’t have to fear for your life every day.
UPDATE: I later learned of two more attacks on African students in Moscow; five persons were injured and three suffered stab wounds.
Community Connection
Planning on traveling to Asia? Get one traveler’s perspective about why racism in Asia might not be what you think. Matador’s Julie Schwietert has also written an excellent blog post about race, sex and economics in Cuba.
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Thanks so much for sharing this insightful piece Buster. I love your frankness about the issue of being black in Russia. While chatting with a white colleague of mine about my dreams of visiting Russia, he did caution me. “You might be the only black face you’ll see for miles”.
While travel is such a profound experience for all of us, we black travelers (to some extent) experience it a whole lot differently
Usually at both extremes – total acceptance (borderline fascination) to absolute rejection.
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I’d love to read more about the experiences of people of color who travel to places where the locals aren’t accustomed to seeing people who look like them.
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While I agree in general about this, I also wonder to what extent this is played out in our own minds? Like being very conscious that we have different coloured skin, that we stand out more. Do we project that into our experience and make it a reality?
Just like traveling with a closed or open mind, or with negative or positive attitudes, changes the way we experience places/people, how much does being conscious of our skin colour play into that?
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I had a feeling that this was what was going on. Russia has never been on my list of places to visit and explore. However, I do hope that the situation gets better because no one should be hindered to visit such a significant country due to the color of their skin.
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Russia is not one of those places I wanted to visit but after reading this article there is no way on hell I’m going now. Racists bastards. But great article- just let’s you know that no one is invincible.
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Hi Guys,
I just wanted to add that most of the people in russia are not rassist.
Keep in mind that Russian’s were isolated from the world for a very long time.
The first time we could leave country was in probably in 90’s.
So for for most to see a black person for the firs time in her life would be shocking but i wouldnt call that racist…. ignorant perhaps.russians never slaved black when the rest of Europeans were doing it. the only encounter was when i think the french brought a little child (Abram Petrovich ) to Peter The Great.
And not to forget our greatest Russian poet Pushkin http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Pushkin
was indeed black. He is great-grandson to Major-General Abram Petrovich Gannibal brought and adopted by Peter the Great to become major-general, military engineer and governor of Reval.so to finish this i think that now with russia’s borders opened we have a lot to learn .
Regards
russian married to african american
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Wow, really interesting piece. I didn’t know racism in Russia was quite so extreme. Thanks for sharing.
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For the record, I’m Filipino (but look more Spanish)…and have brown skin. I never experienced any racism traveling through Russia late 2007 (over one month). I had some very meaningful encounters with Russians throughout the trip. Saying that, my wife is white, so I suppose that could have made a difference. Also, we were rarely out on the streets at night, although we were a couple of times in Moscow.
Right now, Melbourne is getting a very bad rap in terms of racism. Either that’s true or the media is blowing things out of proportion (you don’t say?), but reports of Indian students getting beaten has been on the rise. So much so that India has reacted strongly and advised against Indians coming to Oz to study. This has caused a sharp decline in Indian students enrolling in schools. What’s not reported so much, or not stressed nearly as much as the attacks on Indians, are the “normal” weekend attacks/ fights/beatings on white Australians.
I hope that a single article and a few people’s experience isn’t enough to taint an entire country and brand “Russia” as racist. Things like this tend to get blown out of proportion. The fact that there were some Chinese or Vietnamese or whatever attacked doesn’t necessarily mean the attacks were racially motivated. You have to ask, how many white people (Russians) were beaten/robbed too over the same time period?
I guess the point is, racism is still a big problem in this world, and it’s not confined to Russia, far from it. And also that everyone needs to keep everything in perspective and not jump to conclusions.
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I concur with Carlos.
Racist acts must be put in perspective with overall crime. It’s true we must be careful, which is why I appreciate this article and the author’s experience. However, we could say the same thing about the South in the U.S.. We still have white supremacist groups here, in virtually every state, but it’s not a reason to not travel the U.S. The vast majority of Americans are not racist, just as the majority of Russians are not as well. It’s easy to generalize to an entire community after a tragic/salient event.
Psychologists have documented the trend that racist (or anti-minority/immigrant) sentiments increase in tough economic times–happening in the U.S., and it appears it’s happening in Russia. Media coverage fuels the fire, and makes any type of event ‘more common’ than it really is.
Let’s all be careful travelers out there, and not allow the extreme, but rare events deter us from seeing the world (okay, I know there are limits, like we shouldn’t got to places with large scale conflicts, etc…so I hope you know what I mean).Cheers,
Jack (Taiwanese American, BTW)
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Powerful piece, really interesting and thought-provoking. Thanks for sharing Buster.
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Jack – I appreciate what you’re saying, but think an article of this sort is incredibly relevant.
People have a right to know if there’s a higher than average chance that they’ll be targeted for assault or worse and to make decisions accordingly. If there is racist violence in Russia, it serves people of color to know about it an to be prepared and to strategize about how best to protect themselves.
Even in the United States, those who practice violent acts and hate crimes are spurred to action by their own ignorance and difficult circumstances. If circumstances are difficult in Russia for certain uneducated segments of the population and they turn to scapegoating easy targets – people who look different than themselves – then those planning to visit Russia need to know this information before going rather than being surprised after they’ve arrived.
As travelers, it behooves us to know if we are entering a volatile situation before we make our plans.
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I think the issue here is, is there REALLY a higher than average chance that you’ll be the victim of a racially motivated attack if you visit Russia? Maybe there is, I don’t know, but I don’t think that this can be concluded by this single article. (Besides, the author’s experience is limited to Moscow, which is hardly “Russia”, it being the largest country in the world.)
This is what readers have to understand. This is one person’s anecdote. If you were to find out that this type of thing makes up for 1% of all violent crimes in Russia, would that change the conclusion? I just don’t like reading people’s comments who say “after reading this I’m NEVER going to Russia”.
Back to my Melbourne example, it’s widely reported internationally that there have been attacks on Indians. What doesn’t make it out there is the weekly violence perpetrated on/between white people (alcohol fueled mostly). So, if you’re a white person traveling to Melbourne and like to go have a few drinks on a Friday/Saturday evening there is probably a better chance of you being involved in some sort of violent act than if you are an Indian (or other ethnicity) in the city.
To be clear, I’m not attacking the validity of this article, but just wanted to urge readers to weigh the facts before making conclusions.
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Thanks for this article. Beyond the real dangers of overt racism, there’s also the profound isolation that a traveler of color can feel while on the road in a country where he or she is the only [fill in the blank].
I’ll never forget when my husband (a black Cuban) and I were (a white American) were walking down the street in Mexico City and were all but accosted by a man from Ghana. “Please talk to me!” he said, grabbing my husband’s arm. “You’re the only black person I’ve seen for a month! Please!” He was just desperate to connect with anyone who looked like him– who could understand, perhaps, what it was like to want to travel beyond your own home while looking totally different from everyone around you.
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Buster, thank you for this insightful and honest article. As a minority, I often wonder how I will be treated in another country and, without fail, I get the response that “I will be fine.” While I agree, Carlos and Jack, that many (if not most) people of color will probably be fine in Russia, this article helps create awareness to a problem in Russia and will allow people of color to be more alert in that country. I am Indian and going to Australia in one month and plan to be more careful than I otherwise would be because of the recent problems there.
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I grew up in Moscow and (me being a slavic-looking woman though) never witnessed racism motivated aggression. There are football as well as just plain hooligans out there in the streets, and the same basic safety tips suit everybody: do not wander alone in the dark if you don’t have to, do not hang around drunk football hooligans when you can just as well be elsewhere… I’m pretty sure these tips are true elsewhere in the world. The bit about staying away from underground is not really true – in general there is just too much people there as well as police for hooligans to do anything major.
Now I do not claim that racism does not exist in Russia – i would be lying if I say that you won’t be getting any dirty looks from douchebags in the streets. But all this is hugely exaggerated by press. I am convinced that most violence that people connect with racism is just plain violence. The attack on foreign students who were unlucky enough to be in the wrong place in the wrong time gets international press, “regular” crime does not. Just like the crimes committed in Russia by foreigners get Russian press.
I did not live in any other Russian cities long enough to say that this would be true for them as well, but for a person of color visiting Moscow is just as safe as for anybody else. Which is more or less safe if you follow the basic safety rules – something like that.
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I lived in St. Petersburg for a year, and one of my friends was an African-American student from Baltimore. He was rather large (over six feet tall and heavy) and Russians were certainly more afraid (or perhaps intimidated) of him than the other way around. In my experience, racism against people of African descent is a very minor problem in Russia. However, this article did not mention the people who really DO have a problem in Russia, Caucasians (that means people from the Caucus region, such as Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan) and people who look like them. Caucasians generally gave dark skin, much the same color as Hispanics, Arabs or Southern Europeans. Thus, Hispanics, Arabs and dark skinned Southern Europeans are far more likely to have problems than any other group, including African Americas. In fact, if someone in Russia is called “black”, it is a very derogatory term for Caucasians, not people of African descent.
That said, the only place where this is a big problem, according to my experience, is in Moscow, and it is primarily (and unfortunately) a problem with the police. My piece of advice for anyone who looks obviously non-Russian, especially in Moscow, is to avoid the police at all costs and carry a cell phone and the number of your embassy with you, as well as copies of your documents. Saying that you will call your embassy usually causes the police officer to decide your papers are in order after all.
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Thank you for your comments Nadya and Emily, and for confirming what I suspected to be true.
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First off, thanks to Christine, Lola, Keisha, Akira, Michelle, Paul, Kate, Admin, and Akila for your supportive comments. Greatly appreciated.
Admin, I made many friends in Russia precisely through encounters such as the one sketched, from Afghan students to Congolese engineers.
Emily, I take your point that ethnic violence in Russia is generally directed at migrants from other parts of the CIS, though I would note that there has been a slight shift toward targeting Central Asians instead of Caucasians in the past few years (likely related to the “conclusion” of the war in Chechnya).
Your impression that racism against people from Africa and its diasporas is “a very minor problem,” however, doesn’t jibe with reports of African students in Moscow and Petersburg, continued protests from African migrant groups, and warnings from African embassies in Russia to their citizens.
The reason I used the phrase “people of color”–in Russian I would have said temnokozhie–was that there have been plenty of reports of violence against Chinese, Indian, Vietnamese, Central Asian, and Caucasian folks in Russia–mainly in the European section, but by no means limited to Moscow. The organization SOVA (linked to on my blog) is fairly thorough about documenting these attacks.
That said, your advice to carry a mobile phone with embassy phone numbers is a good point.
Nadya, your claim that “for a person of color visiting Moscow is just as safe as for anybody else” doesn’t stand up to the facts, as reported by any number of Russian human rights groups, international watchdogs, media organizations, people I know or myself.
Carlo, your string of comments pretty much defines bad faith.
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Buster, I would love if you could paraphrase that for me. I’m not sure what I just read, but I think you are saying my comments are racist? I could totally have misread that though.
To reiterate, I’m not disputing anything that you are saying, and am not disputing the fact that embassies serve warnings. On the contrary, I said maybe Russia really is racist, but I just couldn’t draw that conclusion by what you’ve written above. It’s a sweeping statement and I think a lot of countries can fall into the same category.
We’re looking at one side and not taking everything into context, I don’t feel. I would like to compare violent acts against people of colour and violent acts against white Russians. Further, how is it determined that an attack is racist? I don’t think the fact that the victim was of coulour is enough to deem it racist.
I don’t think I’m being naive here or blinding myself to reality, I’m trying to understand the issue in a larger context. Like with my Melbourne example, India has served severe warnings to its citizens about coming here because of recent violence against Indians. I am not convinced this is necessarily true. The relatively few violent acts against Indians are blown way out of proportion due to the media. Maybe a couple of them have been blatantly racist (the perpetrator saying racist comments) but most haven’t been determined, other than the fact that they were Indian. And no one talks about the violence that occurs on a regular basis against white Australians.
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Carlo,
I think the entry my previous comment linked to was fairly explicit:
[Bad faith] is a denial of human reality, an effort to evade freedom, a flight from responsibility, a choice against choice, an assertion of being the only point of view on the world, an assertion of being the world, an effort to deny having a point of view, a flight from displeasing truths to pleasing falsehoods, a form of misanthropy, an act of believing what one does not believe, a form of spirit of seriousness, sincerity, an effort to disarm evidence, (a Gordon innovation) a form of sedimented or institutional version of all of these, and (another Gordon innovation) a flight from and war against social reality.
How does this apply to your string of comments?
Your reply to Lola indicates that you think that people of color are projecting the problem of their experienced racism: “I also wonder to what extent this is played out in our own minds? Like being very conscious that we have different coloured skin, that we stand out more. Do we project that into our experience and make it a reality?” Implicit in your argument is the rejection of racial consciousness in a world in which racism is a social reality. (See “an assertion of being the only point of view on the world, an assertion of being the world, an effort to deny having a point of view” above.) Moreover, this is just condescending.
In a separate comment you noted, “I hope that a single article and a few people’s experience isn’t enough to taint an entire country and brand “Russia” as racist. Things like this tend to get blown out of proportion. The fact that there were some Chinese or Vietnamese or whatever attacked doesn’t necessarily mean the attacks were racially motivated.” Now, had you been truly interested, you could have followed some of the links in this article, or on my blog, to discover a wealth of information on the well-documented problem of ethnic violence in Russia. You also erroneously portray the article as branding the entire country of Russia as racist (whatever that may mean?!), when in point of fact, I took the trouble to explicitly make it clear that was not the intent of the article; rather, I indicated that Russia has a real problem with ethnic violence (a separate and demonstrable claim). Again, on my other blog, I’ve written about this at length, and were you to have approached your question in good faith, you might have looked at that writing (or others’), rather than approached this post with denialism. See “a flight from displeasing truths to pleasing falsehoods” and “an effort to disarm evidence.”
(If you or others are interested, try the articles produced by this simple search: http://moscowthroughbrowneyes.blogspot.com/search/label/violence )
Then you extrapolate from nowhere: “Besides, the author’s experience is limited to Moscow, which is hardly “Russia”, it being the largest country in the world.” It’s true that I haven’t been everywhere in Russia. I have spent significant time in Moscow, the ring cities, Petersburg, and Kazan, as well as shorter trips to Ukraine, including Kiev and Odessa. I have also read up on the problems migrants face all over Russia. And met and talked with folks from across the country.
From the same comment: “This is what readers have to understand. This is one person’s anecdote.” Actually, this post wasn’t an anecdote. It was a personal reflection with links to many sources. Some of these were lost when the Matador editors took out the links to material in Russian, but if you refer to the original variant on my blog, you can find more documentation.
Then there’s the ever-buzzing bee in your bonnet about the media and violence against Indians in Melbourne. Even if I conceded that such reporting is inaccurate, it does nothing to discount accounts of hate crimes in Moscow. This analogy smacks of a false sincerity and seriousness, while basically just distracting one from thinking about the claims at hand. (See above, again.)
More funny stuff: “To be clear, I’m not attacking the validity of this article, but just wanted to urge readers to weigh the facts before making conclusions.” An argument in good faith might have presented readers with these facts to help them make some conclusions.
Then, after all your motions about not relying on anecdotal evidence, there’s this: “Thank you for your comments Nadya and Emily, and for confirming what I suspected to be true.” Well, with those anecdotes in, suddenly everything is resolved? Rich.
I know that you want me to over-simplify and just call you racist (by which I will assume you mean prejudiced) so you can ignore me, or “clear” you of the charge of “racism” so you can rest easy. But things are a little more complicated, I’m afraid. My understanding is that racism is a system. And the type of bad faith exhibited by your comments sustains that system, regardless of whether or not it is fueled by racial prejudice or animosity. Its lineage is clear from the discounting of black men and women’s legal and historic testimonies under slavery to the more recent hi-jinks with Sergeant Crowley. This bad faith allows folks to ignore the real continuing problem of racism in this world under the cover of “serious questions.”
Think it over.
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Buster,
I appreciate you taking the time to respond so thoroughly. You are right in the fact that I did not follow your links to get more information. Perhaps this was premature on my part, but on the other hand, not many readers will but will still come to the same conclusion as a couple of commenters here (“I am never going to Russia after reading this”).
As I thought this over, I realized my other comments might be misconstrued, which they were. My reply to Lola wasn’t accusing her or anyone of colour of projecting their internal beliefs on the outside world, it was just a question if it’s possible that we do, hence the “I wonder…”. It has been much discussed, especially here at Matador, about how travelers tend to have experiences that reflect their own inner thought processes. For example, two people visiting the same place, one with a positive attitude, one with a negative attitude, will have very different experiences. One might say what a horrible place it is while the other will have only good things to say. This is all I meant by this comment – is it possible that we project our thoughts about being different? As Tatiana mentioned, she looks at Afro American hairdos because she is fascinated by it and thinks it’s beautiful. Might the subject of her staring perceive it as racism? Very possibly, maybe likely.
“Thank you for your comments Nadya and Emily, and for confirming what I suspected to be true. ” – I freely admit this was a poor choice of words. What I meant was thanks for confirming my own perceptions and experiences about the issue. By no means is this the truth.
The idea of using the Indian issue in Melbourne was to provide an example (where I have some closer experience) where the facts don’t support the claims and media hype.
I may have oversimplified. I probably responded a bit hastily. And clearly there is much I don’t understand myself. My real intent was to respond to those commenters who read this, that proclaim they will never travel to Russia after reading this. I only wanted to point out that more needs to be looked at before deciding something as drastic as that.
Tatiana mentioned that it’s different for people to live there (like yourself), who will experience life as a Russian and all those problems that come with it, and those who travel there (like me). Again, I can only go on my own experience of traveling there and not seeing/hearing racist acts myself.
I’m not looking for any kind of exoneration and I don’t want to ignore you. In fact, I can learn a lot from you. I question things, that’s what I do. In the mean time, I will do as you suggested and think on it. And also check out some of your links.
Carlo
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I am Russian, but I live in Australia since March 1995 and regard this country as my home. I agree with Carlos (about Indians in Melbourne). I have an Indian friend in Melbourne, he lives there for many years (15 maybe?) and he loves the city and I have never heard (or I do not recall) him complaining about anti-Indian incidents.
Since I came to Australia and suddenly became an ethnic minority I experienced quite a few unpleasant situations which can be classified as racism. Especially in the beginning when my English and knowledge of local circumstances were very poor. In no way it makes Austalia a racist country. A few idiots we meet do not make the whole nation, racists neither. The same applies to Russia.
I lived in China for a substantial period of time and I observed a real racism over there. A person of African visual appearance could be rejected on arrival to the school even if his/her job application were accepted prior via mail/e-mail. Private schools do not want to have black ESL teachers because their customers do not want them. I know it from the people involved in similar stories, and there were quite a few stories like this in 1,5 year in China. I call it a real racism. It would not happen in Russia.
I am not saying that there is no racism in Russia. Since Gorbachev things deteriorated so rapidly that Russia stopped being a safe place, not only for foreigners, but for everybody. As it was mentioned earlier – economical reasons prevail. Racism in Russia is predominantly local, based on the local financial and criminal situation. People from the Caucasian areas in no way provoke problems from people of Mediterranean appearance as it was suggested. Only an absolute simpleton won’t understand phonetic differences between Georgian/ Azerbaidjanian and Italian/Spanish. Caucasian nationalities fill Russian markets – and various criminal issues exist around those market. Chinese vendors also fill the same markets and there are multiple legal and financial issues liked to it as well. I am not trying to justify violence which breaks out frequently due to those problems, but it has little to do with racism as a philosophy but mostly with the weak government which cannot reinforce its own laws, with the corrupted police etc. Some paces are worse than others. From my observations in 2007 and just recently in 2009 – Sankt Peterburg is a much more criminal place than Moscow, but I would not call Moscow a safe city either. There are more safe places but foreigners tend to cloister in the 2 capitals mostly. If you go as a tourist for a short trip – it is quite safe (the worst what can happen you will be robbed by a pick pocket). If you go for a year and want to live on your own – you are facing the same dangers as all Russian citizens, and the same advantages. You will meet many nice people – and not only among foreigners. There are many friendly and intelligent Russians (and people of all nationalities native to Russia) as well.
What about people staring at Africans and whispering etc… Well, black people really stand out in Russia. It cannot be helped. When I arrived to my first job in China in a small town of Yima in Henan province I was, probably, the first white person ever entering that area. My first shopping outing was a total fiasco: I could not reach the shelves in the shop – people stood around me like a wall, touching my hands and face, checking on my naturally red hair, discussing me openly. I was not upset. Not if I liked it too much, but I understood that they saw something so different. Well, I accepted a role of a zebra in a zoo. It came as a part of my job package.
When we see something very unusual we cannot help ourselves. We stare. When i am in the USa I stare at Afro American women with their incredible hair-dos. I cannot help myself: they are so intricate, so creative, so complex – I adore them. Maybe some of those women felt offended or intimidated by me (for which I apologise) but it is not a negative stare.
There is a Russian proverb: don’t go to a forest if you are afraid of a wolf. Russia is no more dangerous than Argentina (I just returned from Latin America) or Thailand. But every forest has at least one wolf…↵ -
@Buster–actually, if you read the tone of Carlos’ comments vs. the unbelievably condescending and pretentious tone of yours you’ll see that Carlos actually was trying to understand the situation, or at least offer his perspective. The fact that you cite a paragraph of academic theory straight out of a grad school seminar and then sniff about how “obvious” it is really illustrates how in touch you are with people’s attempts to understand these issues.
This is why I find PhD’s so obnoxious at times–I know this is a separate issue, but it is so clearly demonstrated here. Are you not attempting with your dissertation, to some degree, to study the ways people think about racism? I know that’s an extremely, insultingly simplified version of your dissertation and I’m sure you could spend several paragraphs debunking the concepts of “racism” and “prejudice” but for just a second, remember that you’re not in a seminar at Yale. “A choice against choice?” “A flight from displeasing truths to pleasing falsehoods?” Actually, this is far from “explicit.” This sounds like something, frankly, out of a Cold War propaganda pamphlet from the 1950’s, and the fact that you use it with such lofty condescension is, in my opinion, quite sad. Are you really that far removed, or, even worse, do you consider yourself that far removed, from the way people not currently getting their PhD’s in humanities discuss these issues?
I’m sure his responses dovetail to some degree, perhaps even perfectly, with what you are studying. But I think, if you’re going to do a PhD in this area and write your dissertation about such issues, than maybe, instead of condescending and dropping snide comments like “rich” and “more funny stuff” and “the bee in your bonnet” you could make an effort in good faith (to borrow from the preferred terminology here) to illustrate your point by actually explaining, with some patience and perhaps even a little empathy, why the situation of Indians in Australia is unrelated to that of people of color in Russia (instead of scoffing that it “smacks of false sincerity”) and why you find it so absurd that someone would make a comment like “Russia is racist.” The fact that you have to say, dripping with incredulity, “whatever that may mean” literally makes me shudder. Are you that out of touch?
It makes me sad that someone who apparently devotes a large chunk of his life to these issues finds himself so theoretically and intellectually above the people who are making earnest–if, perhaps, erroneous or misguided–attempts to understand them.
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Cassie, thanks for your supportive comments.
Another thing that as a bit vague in the article is the distinction between traveling and living there. First, the title: Should People of Color Go To Russia? This doesn’t indicate either way.
In the opening, Buster says “On the other hand, I simply don’t know if I can, in good conscience, advise people of Asian or African descent to travel to Russia in light of the continuing problem of racist violence.” So it seems it’s about merely traveling to/in Russia.
But near the end of the article he says “But can I responsibly tell a young person of color (who could presumably choose to travel to any country in the world) that it’s advisable to sign up for a year in Russia? Sadly, I just don’t think so.” So here it’s changed from traveling to living in Russia.
I think it’s an important distinction to make if people are going to be basing their decision on visiting or living in Russia on this. If this was solely about living in Russia I never would have said a thing because I have no experience with that. But I do have a bit of experience traveling there.
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Well, in some ways I agree with you. But I have to say that these progressive modes of thoughts and the dogmatic stick-to-it-iveness that goes with are really the only way to get progressive thinking down to the rest of us that don’t think so hard about these things.
And Buster may not be spelling it out for you, but it seems to me very generous that he’s taken the time so you can arm yourself with the theory – if you’re interested.
To me it makes sense because I am not a buff or anything, but I read some anti-racist forums and things and it’s important to me. I have grown a lot by saying the wrong thing and getting smacked down and feeling embarrassed and then reading and trying to play catch up and struggling to understand. For me (white) I have to acknowledge that turning a blind eye to ugly thinking in myself, though it’s more comfortable – is part of the problem and therefore I work to understand my inherent racism though it’s always a step ahead of me, it seems.
And in a way if you believe the supposition that a component of society IS institutionalized racism, we’ve all got a lot of thinking to do. Of color or no.
It is the minimizing of the problem that you were doing that was offensive – and it really was. And Buster was doing you a favor by pointing it out to you. His points were well considered and yours were anecdotal and wishful thinking in stark contrast to his specific examples. He was very clear and I feel that he was in the right. I imagine that if you do some more thinking on it and reading the theory that he presented links to in his responses, you might come to some similar conclusions about your own acceptance of institutionalized racism, as uncomfortable as that might be.
A lot of this theory seems subjective and is easy to rationalize against, especially as it makes us uncomfortable. And in a way you might say that arguing against PoC going to Russia is racist as it limits PoC, but it also presents a set of problems – is there a problem? How grave is it? How dangerous is it really? And if it is indeed dangerous, it is really more racist to minimize it and not discuss it seriously with empathy for those in harm’s way.
Let’s not get into arguments about, “is it a trip or are they going to live there,” and making the argument smaller and smaller as you try to cover your ass and avoid seeing the points Buster was making. Just read the points he is trying to make. Think about them. See how they play as societal trends rather than a personal attack against you. They are valid and heartbreaking and you are playing along. Maybe you will see that and maybe you won’t. It seems like your busy and have other things to think about without getting obsessed by race theory.
To me Cassie is treading on dangerous territory as she warns him of his tone and bordering on calling him uppity (believe me – this is a big deal). A lot of people of color are angry and rightfully so at the shit the world dished up day after day. While some might argue that dwelling on it is not helpful, I agree when the argument is presented that we must work to eradicate societal racism when we see it exists.
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Hey Kate, thanks for your thoughts on this. If I seem to be mimimalizing the problem of racism, then you can be assured it is unintentional. I again stress that I am only trying to get to the truth of the question at hand in the article “should people of color go to Russia?”.
I’ve since read the links in this article and they are tragic stories (although I haven’t had the chance to read much of Buster’s blog yet). Clearly many foreign students have been the victims of hate crimes/racism, there is no doubt about that. It makes my blood boil to hear about all of this. On the face of it, it is easy to argue that people of color should NOT go to Russia. But, me being me, I am curious about the other side(s) of it. If it’s one thing I’ve learned in life, it’s to question EVERYTHING (this is in contrast to denial).
I intend to look more into this. In the end, I may fully agree with this. It’s more interesting to me because I have traveled through Russia as a person of color. And I plan on going back one day.
Lastly, I am not trying to detract from the issue by bringing up the difference between living there and traveling there, because I think that is a BIG part of the question. If this discussion has gotten sidetracked by the intention of the article so much that it’s been lost, well, what can I say? I think the folks who come here to read this want to know “is it safe for me to travel/live in Russia?”.
From what I’ve read here and from what I’ve personally experienced, the answer to those two questions appears to be different. Maybe it’s safe as anywhere else in the world to travel, but maybe it’s very dangerous to live there as a colored person.
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Hey Carlo
I totally hear where you’re coming. I’ve actually written about traveling with an open mind for various travel resources, and as a fellow traveler and photojournalist, I judge events and actions individually.
There are some actions that, no matter how you slice, dice, or analyze it (i.e. being spat on, called names, served last when you were clearly first in line, teased, taunted with cars, etc), that really can’t be chucked up to just someone being an asshole.
And yet, I still judge those acts individually and I ignore them. I have to.
One can choose how one travels – with an open, positive attitude or a negative, paranoid one.
I also understand your point about possibly projecting because we’re conscious of skin color. But this can of ‘projection’, you necessarily don’t want to open.
I tell you, I get pulled aside every (yes!), every single time I fly by Immigration & Customs – voraciously checking my passport and things because (a) I fly too much and (b) I must be trafficking because of that. The agents have said that to my face too.
Even when I travel with my fiancee who is Swedish, I get pulled aside. It’s ridiculous, actually.
Bottom line is, I understand your points 100% and they are valid. When comparing the violence, you have to resort to percentages because the number of minorities compared to locals is usually quite disparate.
The world is an unfair place. You choose how you navigate it.
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Thanks Lola. I admit, the “projecting” thing was maybe a bit of a reach, but that’s just me, always trying to look at things from different angles. I thought it was worth throwing out there, but you’re right, probably a can I don’t want to open.
I used to always get stopped at customs for “random” checks. If they were random, I must have been the luckiest guy! Shoulda played the lottery. But lately I haven’t noticed this nearly as much.
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Discussing racism is a dicey affair because you can only feel it if you have been at its receiving end.Being a person of colour in a white dominated society and sometimes in your dealings with Asians may make you feel very bad. What one needs to understand however is that there are good and not so good people that you meet. The main problem is with those who are subtle in their racism.The overt ones you can ignore but it is the subtle treatment that cuts to the bone.
In my sojourn in Western Australia for studies I have met some wonderful Australians and Asians, so also have I met those that makes my existence in the city a big problem. One way I have tried to deal with it is to realise that the world is not fair and that sometimes one needs to accept the fact that as a person of colour you are like a curio.↵ -
Hey!
It was interesting to read this post. I am an Indian guy who visited Russia last fall for 3 weeks. I backpacked all over the place as much as I could and thankfully I had absolutely no problems.
You do get stared at by almost everyone because you have black hair and brown skin but that’s what would happen to (say) a white guy if he were to walk in Mumbai. I don’t know if its racism, or merely a curiosity.
I found common Russian people extremely helpful and patient while I struggled to explain them in my baby Russian that I wanted some food without beef but chicken was okay. When I went to NYC, I found a Russian guy fumbling with his English at a coffee place and the Batista simply screamed at him. I never had such a moment, be it while buying train tickets, or buying food.
I am writing detailed travelogue of my trip to Russia, in case someone is interested, the link is here: http://priyank.com/travel/russia-travelog-stories/ I promise its good.
Thanks for examining this topic!
cheers, Priyank↵ -
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8230158.stm
This was just released on the BBC today. If it means preserving my safety, I, as a Black woman, will go with knee-jerking “overreaction” every time. No Russia for me.
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Thank you for saying that, Val!!
Safety or not, I’m with you!
Like I’m taking something away from anyone by saying I will not go somewhere because I believe a report told by a fellow traveler…
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The linked article is:
“Africans ‘under siege’ in MoscowMany African students in Moscow are afraid to go outside
Nearly 60% of black and African people living in Russia’s capital Moscow have been physically assaulted in racially motivated attacks, says a new study.”60%.
Yet blacks and other people are exagerating the danger.
I think it is very important for people of color to not listen to the apologists among us who want to excuse the inexcusible because it rattles their mental chains.
It’s a no-brainer for a person of color, particularly african to stay the heck out of Russia. Hopefully the facts of the situation, not some person’s anecdotes will win out in people’s minds, and we will save a few people of color from injury and death.
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I have just finished reading through this thread and find the banter and conversation quite refreshing..something we don’t find on cable TV these days!
Before I read this article (by Buster), I had already heard rumblings of and too many horrifying stories about racist attacks on people of color in Russia (large cities). It is very difficult to explain to someone what ‘racism’ does to the psyche of a person who is an easy target of ‘hate’ just because of the color of their skin. I don’t wake up in the morning nor walk around the city, constantly worried or concerned about the fact that I’m a Black woman. Probably similar in the way someone feels/thinks who has blue eyes.. it’s a fact and that’s all it is.
But if you were to be ostracized, brandished and possibly even attacked because of the color of your eyes, what would you do? how do you think you would feel?
It’s not that I’m not interested in Russia and all it has to offer any traveler, whether you visit or live there…but as Buster stated, ‘you shouldn’t have to fear for your life everyday’. That is the part of racism that no one can understand unless you have lived and experienced that type of hatred. And it is something that as a person of color, as a woman, I must weigh against my desire to travel to Russia.
I’ve had several of my Russian (and Polish) students and friends tell me that I ’should not’ visit Russia nor Poland just for the simple fact that I ‘could possibly run into some problems’. This came from people from these countries, who know how things are, and more than likely know how their friends and family back home would look at and treat me. I don’t need much more coaxing or reasons…you don’t have to beat me over the head to get my attention – I get it!
It wasn’t always this way…after college, I spent two years traveling and living throughout Europe with no issues or problems…now this could have been due to my naivety or my general joie de vivre about exploring the world on my own as a young 20-something. But in 2009, there are more warnings and hazards that one must at least be aware of before you randomly or foolishly set off on your travels. And for people of color, it would be absolutely, downright ’stupid’ to think that we could go abroad and not encounter some form of racism (like the expats who were able to and flocked over to Europe in the ’20’s and 30’s…)
To be isolated and far away from home is daunting enough…to be a marked target of some unknown possible assailant, whose language you might not speak or understand as well as a foreigner with no legal rights, you have to ask yourself, is this what i want from what is suppose to be a nice vacation or life experience.
I just moved from the Middle East (UAE) where most foreign women are looked upon as prostitutes and/or non-persons (2nd class or below). It was a very lonely existence and not one I could or would recommend to any person of color.
For me, it all comes down to the quality of life…and if I have to live under a cloud of fear, be it pre-conceived or in my face, I’d rather rather not waste my time nor hard earned money on or in a country that doesn’t really want me there.
So I’m here to say that Buster and his one article did not change my decision nor sway me to consider ‘the other side of the coin’. I’m NOT GOING TO RUSSIA! To me, 90% of a good trip abroad is what you get through your connections with the natives…not touring all of the churches, mosques and countless museums. I’m going where I know the I can live, love and laugh and not hide in fear.
That is not my definition of living.
Just my 2 cents:-)
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As an American who has been living in Moscow for the last six years, I have to disagree with a lot of this. You will find racists in every country and of every race and though Moscow and St. Petersburg has its share of racists, they are few. This problem is way overblown and in some cases, does not even happen.
I see people of all races and nationalities in Moscow every day, last winter I saw a black man with his son walking in the forest next to the park next to my apartment. They were alone, nobody with them, if there are so many skinheads here looking to scalp minorities, that man was foolish to risk not only his life, but his son’s life in such a dangerous place all alone in a nature preserve. As a matter of fact a couple of years ago over 60 Russians were killed in this forest by a madman. Plain and simple fact was, this man and his sone were at no more arisk than a Russian would be.
I see African students working out in front of metro stations at all hours, nobody is bothering them. There are now a large number of Indians here, along with Asians and it is rare that there are any problems here now. I would be lying if I said minorities are completely safe, but anybody has to watch out what is going on around them and who is around them. If you look like you have money and your heard speaking English, you can very well bet that you are at more risk.
If you look at my blog, I have written an article about this issue always getting blown out of proportion. I also have a link to a posting made by an African American who is married to a Russian who posted his experiences on the WayToRussia forum. Generally Africans and African Americans are well treated and respected by Russians, I see African students and Russians skating in VDNKh, hoding hands as they walk down main street and I can show you photos because I photograph street scenes. One of the Russian oil billionaires married the African American model Naomi Campbell not long ago. So this saying Russians are racist just is not true.
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It always fascinates me to hear/ read from one who is no position to have the experience make the claim that “the issue is blown out of proportion”.
??? What’s the “right” proportion and who decides?
This man described his experience and suggested that, if asked, he would NOT recommend Russia as a travel choice for people of color. He did not say picket Russia, no suggestions for instituting sanctions against Russia, no suggestions of retaliation in the face of violence. “I” will not recommend it – is what he said.
That’s “way out of proportion”??? Really???
Because a white resident or traveller ’sees’ a handful of blacks who ‘have no problems’ in Russia?? So apparently, until it happens before your eyes – I, as a dark-skinned black woman, am ‘overreacting’ by removing this country from my list of destinations?
I’m noting that, those with the biggest complaints regarding this author’s story are people who are NOT THEMSELVES BLACK. It’s not happening to you but you have the best gauge about the scope of the situation?
This attitude reminds of the sites where readers can suppress entries they disagree with/ disapprove of.I’ve never been to Russia but I will stand right by Buster’s comments. I’m sorry he had those experiences and I choose to be wary of this country where they happened.
The denials by other Russians and other white or ‘people of color’ who are themselves pale skinned are comments I have decided to take with a big spoon of salt. I can’t say that the Russians are lying, nor do I deny the person truth of posters like Mr. Carlo. Seems that those are THEIR personal truths. What’s that got to do with Buster??? Or with me? Buster’s comments resonate a lot more with me – physically, I am likely to be viewed as he was.
The other side is that it’s considered human for people to judge based on what they see. Esp. outside the United States. In the US, there have been all kinds of concerted efforts to literally train people to ‘look beyond the surface’. It starts when we’re small and in school – it continues in the workplace when we’re adults. In some cases, even churches join in and attempt to teach this.
That’s not true in other countries – they may have the sayings but not the same level of effort to counter nature. The natural tendency to judge on appearance runs unchecked outside the US.If I am to accept that on some levels color consciousness and racial prejudice are ‘only human’, then by exactly the same token, I have zero reasons to dismiss Buster’s claims nor to believe that they’re ‘overblown’.
The ways that white peoples view black people is interesting – and I think I’ll take that view for what it’s worth. Kinda like seeing Naomi Campbell as “African-American”.
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It’s fascinating that the fairer-skinned commenters on this thread believe that their words have any weight on this issue. It’s not your skins at stake; you can afford to have a rose-colored view of the subject. That gives you zero credibility to someone who actually bears risk in this area.
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HyderabadChick,
Just because I’m white doesn’t mean I do not know a little of what’s going on here as far as non white experiences go. I work with many Asians and Africans here, so I’m pretty aware of what their experiences and life is like here. I come from the southern US and have many African American friends, so I would recommend that you take a good look at yourself first instead making such as-sine statements. Forgive me for trying to help somebody to see an interesting part of the world, I’ll just keep my mouth shut from now own.↵ -
John Ayres,
My response was direct in general to those “not living in the skin” but who insist on telling those of us who are, how WE should feel.
To speak or not is a right you’ll always have. I never suggested you shouldn’t. I responded to specific point of view: the belief that white and fair-skinned people can heavily weigh on by saying: “oh, but I have PLENTY of black friends and I’ve NEVER seen this happen – therefore those of you who are dark are making a TOO BIG a deal out of this.”
You know a little and you’re pretty aware, are you? Why congratulations, Sir. My – how did you put it? oh, yes My “asinine statements” now stand corrected.
Now, that you say you’re pretty aware of what goes on with the Blacks and Asians who work in Russia, it has to be that the following from my original post have been proven wrong:- When the subject is racism towards blacks, I choose to take denials from whites and those who are fair-skinned with a big spoon of salt.
- I stand by Buster’s reports regarding his experiences as well as his right to express those views to OTHERs who look like him.
- Posters who write of their personal experiences are describing THEIR personal truths. And when this comes from fair and white people – it has NOTHING to do with me. (I know John – how could that possibly be true?)
- In the US there have been efforts in school and workplaces to train people out of what is actually a natural human reaction – (Another asinine statement, right ,John? That’s never happened in the US.)Surely it was “asinine” of me to ask “Who gets to decide what’s the right proportion?”
Also asinine was my pointing out that the only re-action the author suggested was that he would caution dark people against visiting – Oh no! Would not suggest it? How dare that man?! Calm down and get a grip, Buster!
Oh, and thanks for your ‘help’, Sir.
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The problem is you already had your mind made up and to me that is as-sine. I can give several blog pages of African Americans living and working in Russia and not a single one has ever had any problems here. I work with students from Africa who attend one of the universities here and most never have any problems, except with their own government. The BBC blows this racist thing all out of portion to get attention off the racist attacks that go on in the UK. I never said there was no racism here, there is in every country because it exists sadly every where in the world. But if you know where to go and where not to go, you’ll never have any problems.
I see Africans every where here working and playing. Last winter in the forest next to my apartment, I saw an African man walking with his young son, according to some here, he must have been a fool to take his son out in a forest for a walk and to play in the snow with so many racists running around here. Often I see Africans waiting at bus stops for buses at midnight and I see African young men with the Russian girlfriends roller skating in the VDNKh exhibition park, if there are so many racists here beating and killing foreigners, these people must have no common sense at all. What I consider as-sine is many African Americans are on this race trip, because of some bull they see on the BBC, they become afraid and think everybody is racist and that just is not true. They let some bull on the BBC frighten them and scare them away from seeing a wonderful and interesting part of the world. If the truth be known, there most likely are more black racists than there ever will be white racists. But to make your mind up because of some idiotic BBC propaganda is as-sine and and to tell me, an American who comes from the state of Georgia and has lived in Moscow for six years that I do not know what is what is also as-sine. But I have blog links on my blog of African Americans who are living and working here, I have worked with African American teachers here and I work every day with students from Africa, so you can believe what ever in hell you choose to believe, I really could care less. I’ve always tried to help people interested in coming here and I did work with one African American and he was one of the most popular teachers here, everybody loved him and wanted him to be their teacher. But I only tried to set the record straight and if your insulted, I’m sorry, but I tell it like it is.
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What is as-sine? Secondly, you are the one that is upset (as evinced by your poor spelling and grammar) and constructing an argument based not on any statistic, but rather your personal anecdotal evidence of seeing “Africans working and playing.”
Thirdly, this article was written well before any BBC article if you care to click the original link where it was published on Buster’s blog.
Certainly , Hyderbad Chick does not need me to leap to her defense and I hope we hear from her again here. You seem to suffer from fear of white guilt and I would like to point out to you that you should shut your mouth and listen instead of telling People of Color how they should be feeling or behaving. You are part of the problem (whether you have plenty of black friends or not) when you minimize the point of view of People of Color when you dismiss it with the point of view you hold and which you so clearly value above that of those for whom this article is more relevant. Give it up. This isn’t about you.
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All kinds of people have personal experiences and stories. But Mr. Ayres comes from Georgia and has black colleagues and black students – ergo when Mr. Ayres reports – Man, that is the LAST WORD. NOW, the record’s been set straight.
I have no clue what BBC report you refer to. I’d certainly made up my mind at the time of your posting – that’s true.
But before then, how many reports had I read about Russia? How many people had I asked of their visits to Russia?
How come your “making up your mind” about my reaction isn’t asinine – or do you know the answers to the questions above? Maybe to you those questions and answers don’t matter?
The Russians themselves have said: “If you can’t stand the heat – stay out.” Buster’s just saying “It’s hot here.” And I’m agreeing with BOTH.
Thanks for the enlightenment, Sir – OF COURSE there are more black than white racists. Evidence being, for example, when any black person dares to suggest – “umm… how about we skip this place on our tour”. Provocative statement that – I can see why posters would have to vehemently contradict THAT decision.
If ‘truth be known’ about black racists – aren’t we doing the Russians a favor by staying out?And OF COURSE I’m on a ‘race trip’ when I find the words “blown out of proportion” dismissive. It’s because I’m on a ‘race trip’ that to me those words say “Here’s how YOU should see YOUR experience” and ‘Believing my prism is more accurate and “less asinine” than believing Buster’s view.’
My “race trip” means I have no problem erring as to the extent of black/dark skinned people’s safety issues in Russia. I’ll constantly search for and listen to reports of black travelers. Every trip itinerary will be based on those reports.
Like anyone’s losing face, when I, a black female, give credence to Buster’s first person account. Because if the 20 out of 100 or so black people who read this account decide to skip a visit to Russia – well, that race trip’s gotta be stopped!
Thanks for permission to believe “whatever in the h* ” I choose.
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It was extremely interesting to read all of the input here. I got a lot of value out of the discussion. It is especially interesting a black male in similar size and profile to Buster (e.g. 6′5″ or 2m tall and…a larger body frame) who is really thinking about travelling to Russia.
I have had the luxury to have a consulting job that has required me to stay (usually a month or two at a time) in over 45 countries. I can only do what Buster has done, offer my perspective. I will say that there are some countries where I really feel that I was able to travel and be worry-free and there were other countries where I felt like there was a negative attitude towards foreigners. And inter-mixed into all of this was places where one could be the “right” or “wrong” kind of foreigner. So to me it is grey no matter where you go.
Personally, despite what I read here and through the links to the other sites, I am looking forward to visiting Russia and have decided that I will go. Not because I discount Buster’s perspective or weight the views of Carlo et al any more. Rather, I think the experience is worth whatever risks there may be.
Buster has clearly reviewed data and analysis and come up with an assessment…an assessment that has the value-add of personal experience.
I do have to say that I see Carlo’s perspective. Now having sorted through that same data and information, Carlo might have come up with a different assessment. It makes neither Carlo or Buster right or wrong. If either of the personal views ultimately results in a decision being made which they later regret, then they alone bear the consequences.
And we also have to respect that NOT being something doesn’t mean that someone is unqualified to understand. I won’t speak for Jon on all points (he seems a capable person of defending his own views and I had differing opinions at times), but what I took away as one of the themes in his comments is that some things are a shared event or experience. My mother (from the US south), was together with a white many in the 60s and later married him in the 70s. My stepfather certainly has experienced the consequences of racism as acutely as my mom or I have, even if he is not a person of color.
As people of color, we are hardly minorities in the meta sense…what we are really talking about is physical location and discrimination…whether it is based on something you are, something you believe in, or something you do. And everyone, unfortunately, has the shared experience of that.
Anyway, I came up with a different assessment based on my personal experiences not of living in Russia, but extrapolations of all of the different cities I have done assignments in. Sure none of those other countries were Russia. But when I read the data in the links provides, I came away with the feeling that Russia hews to the average curve of most other places with a similar majority population profiles. In the end, I’ve decided that I would take all of the additional precautions that I take in any other city (papers in order and a copy of them on my person, my itinerary sent by e-mail to family and closest friends, avoid places in Russia that I would avoid at either of my homes in the US or Europe, understand that at one point in time, I represent one more more groups, and I have an opportunity to positively impact perceptions as well as learn).
Sorry for the long comment.
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One thing that I hate is when black people are called people of color. What the f***?
White people have color, so do Asians, Hispanics and Indians. If whites, asians, and hispanics did not have color, then they would be invisible. If anything, call them by their proper race, blacks or Africans.
Good article though.
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You do realize that “People of Color” refers to Latinos, Asians, Native Americans, etc. as well as African Americans, right? Just thought you might want to know.
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Very interesting perspectives and comments. I am a 20 year old woman, French citizen with african origins. I really love travelling! and I have the means for it, but I always have to be careful for I am a woman and for I am black.
I lately developped an interest on russia, and specifically the language that I found really “powerful” and “fascinating” and of an unusual elegance. I would like to learn russian, but learning a language, primarily aims at being able to speak it, so it will require going to the country and speaking the language. But I what I hear scares me, I am sure not all russians are prejudiced or racist; I lived in Spain and met adorable russians.
I won’t renounce visiting Russia and learning, but I don’t want to be fearful every single day of my stay.
dilemma…↵ -
I’m not going to argue with those who seem to know more than I do after living here for 7 years, I’ll just say go to the “WaytoRussia” forum and do a search for racism in Russia and you’ll find posts made by people of color who have lived here, also visit my blog and you’ll find a link to the blog of an African American woman who has been living here awhile. Read what they have to say because it is true what they say. This will be all I have to say about this since some here accused me of not knowing anything since I’m not a person of color, as if any people of color know anything about racism, but that’s all another matter, there are many people from Asia, India and Africa living, working and studying in Moscow, I work with some of them, well just look at WaytoRussia and the African American lady’s blog link on my blog and you’ll find the truth. Best of luck
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<<<<<>>>>>>
IF YOU ARE A PERSON OF COLOR…..
AND ARE NOT A DIPLOMAT WITH ARMED ESCORT…..DO NOT TRAVEL TO RUSSIA.
I SHIT YOU NOT. YOU WILL BE RISKING YOUR LIFE.
NOT WORTH IT.
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All my friends tell me I am a chicken. I do not that would jeopardize my life voluntarily. I know a plane can fall on my head right now, although I don’t live on any flight route.
I know I can suffer a heart attack this second, although I exercise and eat healthy.
And the list goes on.
But I repeat. I will not put my life in risk just for the sake of it.
I will not travel to Russia, anywhere, only seeing white people every photo I look at.
And I refuse to receive any advice from a white person, male, who thinks he knows it all about what it is being black.I WILL NOT GO TO RUSSIA IN THIS PRESENT LIFE OF MINE!
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just fixing my second sentence, lol
“I don’t do anything that would jeopardize my life voluntarily”.
Cheers.
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let me just starting by saying that we have to look at statistics here and not just at a few people experiences, we all know people who have had great experinces in situations where others had terrible ones but if we are going to make conclusions that racist is being blown out of proportion here just because we know of one person of colour which had a different experience than the others that would just be wrong and please white people stop thinking that you understand us and what we feel cause you dont and will never until to go throough what we do
iam not saying all russia is racist understand this we are not saying its impossible to have great experiences in russia and the as long as you are a person of colour you will be attacked at any pplace at any time
we just want to bring awareness that one should be carefulli know there is a need for white people to always come with a complete different insight about issues that they dont fully understand and make comments like “ts all up in the mind ” no matter how much you read how much you associate with black people you will never know how and what is to be black and go through the experiences we go through, thanks and mind your own business white people please thats all we ask
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Carlo, I see what you’re saying. But this one anecdote is still really helpful to people of color considering visiting Russia. I am currently a college student and am planning to study abroad my senior year. I initially chose Russia because I wanted to go to a country where I could really immerse myself in another language after taking a few years’ worth of classes at my school. I had already taken years of Spanish, so I wanted to try a non-romance language. The only thing keeping me from choosing Arabic is the fact that I didn’t want to study abroad in a country where I might fear for my life. Thank goodness I found this article before I invested the next two years studying Russian only to arrive on the Moscow campus to realize that I might be targeted based on my skin color.
While you’re certainly correct that Moscow is “hardly ‘Russia,’” many study abroad programs are based in Moscow, including my school’s. (Now I understand why I didn’t see a single black person in any of the pictures from past quarters.) While I’m probably not going to base my decision of whether or not to study abroad in Russia solely on this article, I am certainly glad I found it. While racist assaults may not be “typical,” I don’t see any reason to put myself in unnecessary danger. And for the person who compared Russia to the American South, I’m from the South too, and I know better than to go down to rural areas of the deep south where racism and “dixie” flags abound. I prefer to stay around the much safer suburbs. Why shouldn’t I do the same abroad?
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Wow you guys I am British born black guy who has always had a real interest in Russian history ,its people and its culture I would love to visit
but whoa! some of your comments frighten me with regards to predudice ther etc Its strange I have traveled to many many countries including Ukraine and have never experianced any real problem
come on please tell me its not so bad in Russia??
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Actually, most of the commentary here has been about who has the rightt to what opinion rather than about what it’s like to be black in Russia.
Here are some otherr blogs about black travel to Russia.
http://ru.promo.web.id/i-want-to-travel-to-russia-and-germany-but-im-very-scared-please-advice.com
http://blacktravels.com/Moscow_raschke.html
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If you’re still thinking of travelling to Russia, you might like to read this article too.
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/russian-revolution-black-man-elected-to-office/127480-2.html?from=tn
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