8 of the Worst Countries For Black People to Travel

[Romeod]

  8-South Korea

 

Racist mockery of Black people is very common in the public sphere in South Korea.  When a Black person turns on the television in Korea, they can  expect to experience Koreans using blackface and other stereotypical depictions to mock African people, the Diaspora, and Black culture in general.

 

Tourists can also anticipate being mistreated because of skin color or ethnicity. Foreigners say although many Koreans are polite and respectful,  it’s not unusual to experience an angry, public xenophobic outburst from some of Korea’s citizens and taxi drivers, who they say overlook them in favor of picking up Koreans.  A number of visitors have also reported locals shifting uneasily away from them on public transportation.

 

Some Koreans and visitors explain the racism against Black people as stemming from a fear of the unknown, since the country  has historically been one of the most ethnically homogeneous nations in the world. Some Koreans will go their entire lives and never see a Black person. Others say Koreans, over time, have adopted whites’ attitudes towards Blacks.

 

7-China

A person of African descent traveling to China should not be surprised if they are repeatedly stared at or even swarmed by crowds of curious Chinese who will treat them as a spectacle by taking pictures, touching their hair, rubbing their skin, and asking questions that reflect their ignorance and lack of interaction with Black people.

 

Racism against Blacks may be the strongest form of prejudice in China. Chinese racism is linked to ignorance, class divisions, ethnocentrism and colorism that exists within Chinese society. Many people in China look down upon other Chinese of darker skin, and believe the whiter skin has more beauty.

 

In China, Black people are viewed through stereotypes, and most Chinese assume Blacks are poor, uneducated, violent, play basketball, are barbaric and wild, and even eat each other. The most common Chinese slur used against Black people means “black ghost.â€

 

6-Thailand

 

Many people of color who have lived in Thailand can attest to the problematic racial attitudes commonplace in the country. Thais have an aversion to dark skin in general, and are prejudiced against people of African descent or anyone who has a darker skin tone, even among themselves. Black people frequently face discrimination in the workplace and are targeted for scrutiny from police. According to some travelers, it is legal there to discriminate on the basis of skin color or ethnicity.

 

In 2010, while visiting Thailand for a series of music performances, Ribkat, a well-known member of the multi-platinum selling group Fort Minor, and Mike Shinoda from Linkin Park were notified by a hotel manager that they did not allow Blacks or Indians at their hotel. Ribkat and Shinoda, who are both African-Americans, were told they should respect the racist policy and leave. The white band members were told they could stay. The policy to exclude Blacks and other foreigners can also be seen implemented by some local businesses.

 

5-Italy

 

The world is not yet colorblind, and Italy is no exception. Anyone not noticeably of European descent will likely be looked down upon by Italians. Oftentimes a darker-skinned tourist will only have to deal with imposing stares, however; some Black women report a rather high incidence of gawking that leads to inquiries for prostitution.

 

While physical violence is not commonly practiced against Black tourists in Italy, biased ill-treatment of Black visitors can run rampant. A dark-skinned traveler may be questioned longer at border crossings and on trains, and his baggage may be rifled through by officials more often than those of white travelers. Sometimes hotels may tell Black tourists they are full for the night, and then give a room to the next white person who walks through the door. A Black traveler may also be a more frequent victim of ripoffs and scams, as is true for all foreigners

 

4-Spain

 

Spain has a long-standing reputation for virulent racism, and many tourists of African descent complain of their poor  reception by Spanish citizens. The nation was singled out by United Nations Special Rapporteur on racism, Mutuma Ruteere, who called on Spanish leaders to take greater steps toward eliminating racist and discriminatory practices against Africans and other immigrants in the country.

 

After the unjustified arrest of two African-American government employees in Barcelona in 2009,  the U.S. State Department  issued a warning that “racist prejudices†could lead to the arrest of African-Americans who visit Spain. The notice was removed two days before first lady Michele Obama visited the country, but many Black tourists say they experience racism during visits to Spain.

 

3-Greece

 

Human rights groups report that the number of racially motivated attacks have increased in Greece, as did the severity of the violence involved.  Kostis Papaioannou, head of the National Commission for Human Rights, says the 2012 figures “shows some very interesting and very worrying tendencies regarding racist violence in Greece. We have both an increase in the numbers of attacks but also – which is really worrying too – we have an escalation of the tension of this violence.† The incidents have spiraled as Greece’s economy has worsened over the past few years.

 

The vast majority of attacks occurred in Athens, mainly in inner-city neighborhoods. Immigrants are often set upon by groups of men wielding metal bars, chains, brass knuckles, broken bottles, knives and wooden clubs. The victims suffer from broken bones, damage to sight and hearing and extensive bruising, reports the Racist Violence Recording Network, composed of 30 aid and human rights groups.

 

Meanwhile, the U.S. Embassy in Greece has warned Americans traveling to Greece to be wary of “a rise in unprovoked harassment and violent attacks against persons who, because of their complexion, are perceived as foreign migrants.â€

 

“U.S. citizens most at risk are those of African, Asian, Hispanic or Middle Eastern descent in Athens and other major cities,†cautions the embassy in a statement first posted on its website last November.

 

2-Russia

 

Black visitors will also have to be extra careful when they venture outside of Moscow into the rest of Russia. In a chilling warning, the Russia expert of  New Republic, Julie Ioffe, said, “There’s quite a bit of violence against people considered to be Black†in Russia, raising new fears about the safety of Olympic athletes, visitors and media attending the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Ioffe warned that nowhere in Russia is safe for a person of color to visit, outside of Moscow’s city center.

 

During an “Ask Me Anything† discussion on the social media site Reddit, Ioffe was asked by a Black college student whether it is safe for an African-American to study in Russia.

Here’s her answer:

“Hmmmm, that’s a tough one. I think that, for the most part, you’d be okay — if you consider people glaring at you and cracking racist jokes okay. (Russians are, er, not the most tolerant bunch.) There’s quite a bit of violence against people considered to be black, which includes, in the Russian mind, people from Central Asia and the Caucasus. My advice is go, but stick to the city center and try to go to a bigger city like Moscow. (St. Pete is crawling with skinheads.) Be extra, extra careful and make sure the American Embassy knows you’re there. They have a special unit to deal with threats to American citizens, so you should report anything that happens immediately.

 

 

1-Germany

 

When traveling to Germany it is important to know that the country’s constitution prohibits racial discrimination in general, but there is basically no case law that specifically deals with it, according to Hendrik Cremer, who has worked with the German Institute for Human Rights  since 2007. “Those who want to take action against racist remarks are only able to refer to Section 130 of the Penal Code, which refers to sedition.†The legal hurdles, therefore, are high.

 

However, racial insults may not be what Black travelers (Africans, Americans, Caribbean people, etc.) visiting Germany should be most concerned with. Former government spokesman Uwe-Karsten Heye said in a 2006 radio interview that dark-skinned visitors to Germany should consider avoiding the eastern part of the country where racism runs high.

 

“There are small and medium-sized towns in Brandenburg, as well as elsewhere, which I would advise a visitor of another skin color to avoid going to,†said Heye.  They “might not make it out alive†if they dared set foot in certain towns, he warned.

 

Africans and other dark-skinned people in Berlin, Wisner and other cities know certain areas in the eastern part of Berlin, such as Marzahn and Hellersdorf, are “no-go†areas where they are certain to be attacked or killed. It is also reported that German police routinely ignore these racist attacks and Germans, in general, are in denial about the depth of racism in their society.

 

 

source: http://atlantablackstar.com/2014/01/08/8-worst-countries-black-people-travel/

[Oodles]

[reVel]

My cousin went to Morocco and taxis don't even stop there for black people

[Barack Oppama]

tfw my nugu country is not in that list, which is a good thing i guess but some people are lowkey racist too

[Mischo]

Germany??? Number one??

 

Lol no Middle Eastern countries either? Hmm..

[blank_stare]

Almost all Asian countries then.

[Loketâ™”]

it really pisses me off how the fucking color of your skin is the indicator how people will treat you

[Kitz]

it really pisses me off how the fucking color of your skin is the indicator how people will treat you

unfortunately it's the sad truth :(

[Junhoes_hoe]

it really pisses me off how the fucking color of your skin is the indicator how people will treat you

[̶p̶̶m̶̶o̶]

i live in berlin and im quite shocked actually O_O but the east is crappy anyway, as long as youre an immigrant be it asian,turkish or black its dangerous for you there

[Cat of The Canals]

 

 

In China, Black people are viewed through stereotypes, and most Chinese assume Blacks are poor, uneducated, violent, play basketball, are barbaric and wild, and even eat each other

.....

 

 

 

it is legal there to discriminate on the basis of skin color or ethnicity.

[Bitchcraft]

Germany? Number 1? Proof this list is shit

The eastern part of the country is indeed more racist than the western one, my brother used to live there (he's not black, he's arabic/muslim... which might be worse lel) 

But pls countries like Italy and Spain are more racist than Germany. France too.

Pls.

 

My cousin went to Morocco and taxis don't even stop there for black people

 

Do you even know how they're treated in countries the likes of Russia

Nothing would happen to them in Morocco bar marginal incidents

[green green]

doesn't Germany have a lot of dark people

[V.M.]

Germany??? Number one??

Lol no Middle Eastern countries either? Hmm..

The article itself does not number them its just 8 countries they think are most racist. The op here added the numbers for some reason.

[ErikaEGO]

??? Doesn't Germany or was it Belgium that considers dark skin attractive? My mom even had a friend who got married to a guy there, and she was dark.

 

Well if it's true, than these people really need to open their minds that skin color does not dictate how a person's going to act 

[sofi]

The article makes it seem that the racism that exists in Italy is deeply rooted in colorism, which is false.

I'm not saying that the country isn't racist, it is definitely, but it's rooted in xenophobia, due to the country being still quite homogeneous. Black people are discriminated because they are all grouped and seen as illegal immigrants from North Africa, therefore as "not italians", that's the root of the stereotype, so it's actually about where they come from not the colour of their skin.

In fact, this might sound weird to those who aren't familiar with the country, but everyone who isn't italian and doesn't speak the language is discriminated against and might suffer from severe to minimal persecutions, doesn't matter if black or white. For example, the largest ethnic minority here is made by romanian people, who share the same skin colour with us.

 

tldr: I'm not disagreeing with the list, just felt like explaining the reasons why it should be there, better.

[HappyMaknae]

:S

[Gondry]

My cousin went to Morocco and taxis don't even stop there for black people

if it was in Marrakech that'd be pretty normal, they don't even stop for Moroccan people unless they're white

[swiftswitchsurf]

What exactly is the basis of these chosen countries? Like was there a study or provided articles? I'm genuinely curious.

 

Also fairly sure that Italy isn't racist against black people for their skin color when it's one of the countries noted for its adoration of darker skin tones as opposed to lighter.

[Mischo]

it really pisses me off how the fucking color of your skin is the indicator how people will treat you

 

 

I know right? And the worst part is the skin of your color is not even you fucking choice..

 

 

The article itself does not number them its just 8 countries they think are most racist. The op here added the numbers for some reason.

Ah I see.. still disagree with the list lol

[lovely_me]

I live in Germany and what stand there is bs. Here are alot of dark ppl and they are fine. Especially in Berlin, where is nearly every nation of t world. O/c here are rasist ppl too,  but its far away of be mass or the written level. Its even other way round. Many are especially nice, coz they are afraid to be called racist. So no visitors should be afraid of comming here. 

[-SoneHeart-]

My cousin went to Morocco and taxis don't even stop there for black people

There are a lot of black people in morocco actually, so I don't know why the taxis didn't stop for your cousin. When I went on vacation there I saw them stop for all kinds of people.

[̶p̶̶m̶̶o̶]

??? Doesn't Germany or was it Belgium that considers dark skin attractive? My mom even had a friend who got married to a guy there, and she was dark.

 

Well if it's true, than these people really need to open their minds that skin color does not dictate how a person's going to act 

yea they do and here are lots of women who find black men attractive maybe the men are jealous or sth but i would never consider germany a generally racist country especially in comparison to russia, asia or even usa

I live in Germany and what stand there is bs. Here are alot of dark ppl and they are fine. Especially in Berlin, where is nearly every nation of t world. O/c here are rasist ppl too,  but its far away of be mass or the written level. Its even other way round. Many are especially nice, coz they are afraid to be called racist. So no visitors should be afraid of comming here. 

^

[swiftswitchsurf]

Also the fact that Germany and Morocco are on this list, but FRANCE of all european countries isn't is mind boggling.

[Slowpoke X]

There are worse countries though. The European countries aren't worse than the US (if that means anything...).