NRI Woman In Canada Highlights "Subtle Racism" Faced By Indians: "It's Exhausting"
An NRI woman living in a town near Toronto in Canada shared her experiences with subtle racism, sparking a conversation on social media. In a Reddit post, she mentioned instances like her ID being double-checked at concerts, assumptions about prices at nail salons, and being given unwelcoming looks at upscale restaurants, making her feel like she doesn't belong. A recent spa interaction prompted the woman to share her experience with subtle racism.
"The most recent thing was what made me write this post....I was at a spa, and this white lady asked where I was from. I said India. Then she said, "Did you learn English after coming here? Your English is exactly like mine. I told her I've spoken English all my life, and she just stared at me until her pedicure was done and she left. I didn't even know how to react. It wasn't aggressive, but it was so ignorant. Stuff like this happens too often, and it's exhausting," she wrote in the post.
See the post here:
How do you deal with subtle racism?
by u/WillowPrevious5141 in nri
The experience left her feeling drained, as she didn't know how to respond to the ignorant comment. She noted that such incidents happen frequently and are exhausting.
"And then there's the classic... "You're not like the other Indians" just because I'm fair-skinned. How is that even a compliment? How do you all deal with it? Do you speak up? Let it go? Educate them? I'd really like to hear how others handle these situations," she added.
The post sparked mixed reactions on social media. Some users empathised with her experiences, while others argued that the behaviour was due to ignorance rather than racism. One user suggested that such incidents are less common in diverse areas and advised responding politely without taking it personally.
Another wrote, "The average American knows nothing about India except for what is shown on TV, which is often stereotypical. Hence the amazement at our English prowess."
A third commented, "If you want to push them into the corner, just ask them very politely that you don't understand, 'I don't understand, could you please elaborate". And if they move forward, just enjoy them digging their racist hole."
A fourth added, "I've lived in a Western country my entire life. A few people are just ignorant or haven't had as much exposure to other cultures due to the areas they've been brought up in. You have to learn when someone is ignorant, but curious as opposed to racist. Most people I've come across are just ignorant, due to no fault of their own, just due to the fact of where they were brought up and the society they've been around. Educating those people is the best way, they'll appreciate it."
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