Comments on: A sour afternoon

By: Neha Viswanathan

Neha Viswanathan — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 07:57:28 +0000

Thanks …

I guess it was an exception. I was in the wrong pub. Bad choice. But hope that bastard fries in hell.

By: Vinod Joseph

Vinod Joseph — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 10:38:22 +0000

tarantismo, the reason why white people are treated so well in India, is primarily because Indians are also racist. When I used to live in Colaba, Mumbai which has a huge floating population of Arabs and Africans, I’ve seen poor Africans turned away from restaurants. The princely treatment of foreigners is restricted to rich, white folks!

Neha, it’s such a pity you had to go through such shit! I have a feeling that as the economy deteriorates, such incidents will become more frequent. (Theoretically at least) if you had complained to the pub owner and he failed to do anything about it, you could have made a police complaint against the pub owner for running such an establishment.

By: tarantismo

tarantismo — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 17:56:36 +0000

That’s terrible… I don’t think I would have responded either. More out of fear and being a minority. And I hate myself for thinking that way….
I live in fear of these kind of moments which is why
-I’m yet to go out shopping on my own
-I’m yet to go to a pub
here in Bristol…

And we treat them like such kings/queens when they come to India…

By: ra

ra — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 03:11:22 +0000

Very sorry to hear that you had to go through this. It makes you one want to vomit-it’s like a physical violation. So glad about the doggie.
hugs

By: ilegirl

ilegirl — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 16:32:26 +0000

Sick, isn’t it? I am caucasian and my entire family (with the exception of one very ignorant grandfather, long deceased now) find differences intriguing. I am convinced that this type of attitude is a function of how one is raised. Even now as I am in my forties, with enough life experience behind me to have perhaps become unconscious, I find myself shocked and sickened when I hear a white person say something racist, and I have to challenge it.

I am so sorry to hear that you were attacked in such a way.

I love animals. Particularly dogs – they connect with our souls (and with whatever signal we may emit about our potential to give them a snack).

By: ashok

ashok — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 10:04:08 +0000

have not faced something straight on the face but having worked in an american MNC i have indirectly felt the racist undercurrent with some folks…can understand ur anguish…cheer up!

By: Madras Chick

Madras Chick — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 05:37:49 +0000

Sorry to hear that!
And I can totally understand your anguish and sentiments.

For years I got the “politically correct thing” that Kama mentioned from a couple of White co-workers. May be, it’s the law firm mentality. I’ve felt like doing what the “stapler boss” from the movie “Wanted” did – staple all those mo.fos with it. (not that I’m the boss). Esp, when they very well understood what I was saying, but would always repeat what I said in an American accent and like “oh.. you said that”.

Also it’s funny that I almost always got it from Irish immigrants whose family history in the US does not go beyond a couple of hundred years!

Oh, but the 9/11 incident made me a victim of racism in varying degrees, of all places, in NYC subways for the next few months. One time a White woman who I suspect has Eastern European roots (yes, I can read accents), almost sat on me and when I politely told her what she was doing, she said, “go back to your f*ing country to ride the train and leave us alone” and almost spat on me. I thought at that time I was having a heart attack and when I wanted to say “shut the f*** up and you go back to yours”, my lips just won’t move. Thankfully there were others who asked me to ignore the sicko.

Who ever said NYC is a tolerant melting pot?! There’s so much racist White trash like you can’t believe!