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Racism in Germany - how bad is it?

இங்கு போஸ்ட் செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளது ஜெர்ம்னிஅமைப்பு

I just read a story on Spiegel online which shocked me: According to a new study, more than 14% of German teenagers can be considered as "anti-foreigners", while more than 5% fall into the category of the righ extreme with Nazi-tendencies.

Surprisingly, the bad reputation of foreigners seems to be higher in those regions with little foreigners (so those regions where people don't even know what they talk about!!!).

The original article is here: http://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/0,1518,613844,00.h
tml

To me - this is just another example of human ignorance, but for a foreigners living in Germany, these numbers are pretty scary!

What are your opinions and personal experiences with the way Germans see foreigners?

Blizzy Everhard

  • போஸ்ட் செய்யப்பட்டது  அதில் ஜெர்ம்னிஅமைப்பு 

    I'm in a bit of a shock I have to say. Though many times I wondered why Canadians would come emigrate to the US. With all that you are saying, it makes more sense.

    Besides, go through all that to also take those winters? that sucks.

  • போஸ்ட் செய்யப்பட்டது  அதில் ஜெர்ம்னிஅமைப்பு 

    Meeting foreigner (Canadian) in foreign place (US) or meeting citizen of that country while you are the tourist in their land...these both situation will mostly give a positive experience. I tell you if you visit beautiful Canada as a tourist, you will love it, but once you start living there as a resident then you will have a real experience. Those Americans who live in US call Canadians polite and those who live there (in Canada) they call them rude. Canada is like chasing mirage, once you are in then you see the reality.

    Yes, grass is always greener on the other side and you're right all that glitters is not gold.

    Here is something to laugh, its funny but its also sad reality, please observe the pictures of winner and for what they got that award

    http://www.canadaimmigrantblog.com/canada-immigrant-awards-5
    30/

  • போஸ்ட் செய்யப்பட்டது  அதில் ஜெர்ம்னிஅமைப்பு 

    "First of all, it's too naive to come to a new country to expect to become one of "them" right off the boat." and your 3 years stay in Germany makes you believe that Germany and Europeans are racist. Now you contradict your own words.

    The sad part is that you cannot see the pain of many immigrants in Canada. Your success does not mean that every Canadian immigrant is happy. Its not only I, everyone in Canada is surrounded by unhappy immigrants, I'm not self-centered and that's the reason I see and feel the sufferings of others. Your hate for Germany (because you failed in that country) has made you so obsessed that you cannot see anything good about Germans and its sad to see that there is not a tiny light of hope in you to see the suffering of immigrants in Canada. I call it double standard or just a selfish attitude to only see your pain and deny the suffering of other by you (Canadians).

    I talked about some Canadian characteristic that they never see out of the box and they never accept criticism even how many facts you show them and thanks for proving my point.

    Please ask those Turks who are leaving country whether they want to move to Canada, if they have some relatives in Canada then they may say... thanks but no thanks. One more thing please don't put America and Canada in the same pot, as they are not really the same. In America people are never excluded due to their non-American professional experience or education. Please ask those doctors and even IT specialist who leave Canada as soon as they get citizenship as they get better jobs in US and are honestly welcomed.

    According to Don DeVoretz, chairman of Simon Fraser University's Centre for Research on Immigration, about 30% of immigrants leave Canada in the first five years after arriving. (survey from 2002 later years the numbers soared).

    Hong Kong immigrants to Canada have a high rate of returning to HK and its 10x more in numbers of Turks returning to their home from Germany. You will find Turks in each and every small town of Germany. And please look at immigrants in Canada who are forced to to stay only in big cities.

    "If Canada doesn't want the brightest computer programmers, science PhDs, doctors and financial experts there are a hundred other countries that do," says Myer Siemiatycki, director of Ryerson University's graduate program in immigration and settlement studies.

    "Canada is gaining a reputation overseas as a place that's not as friendly to immigrants as people like to think. And, now, immigrant patterns and opportunities aren't what they used to be."

    Zhang says 675,000 Canadians have moved to Asia alone – the majority over the last decade – and that figure doesn't include those who left the country before getting their citizenship.

    "The numbers are soaring," says Don DeVoretz, a professor of economics at Simon Fraser University who has studied the trend of immigrant flight for over 10 years. "Hong Kong, India and the U.S. are the most popular destinations.

    "I did a study to find out who is leaving and it's the best and the brightest, immigrants and those born in Canada. The research shows they do much better than those they left behind."

    http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=222593

    Newcomers from the United States and Hong Kong were most likely to leave Canada, with about half leaving within 10 years. Newcomers from Europe or the Caribbean, in contrast, were about half as likely to leave.

    Language was also a factor. Bilingual immigrants and those fluent in French had 25 per cent shorter stays. Married immigrants stayed 25 per cent longer than single immigrants.
    http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2006/03/01/migrate060301
    .html

    "As for Rob Ford becoming the mayor, it had a lot to do with the car drivers who voted for him, immigrants included." It proves my argument again, these cab drivers who were back home doctors, engineers and pilots have voted Rod Ford because these people don't want that more immigrants will come and will be either jobless or do petty work like they are doing.

  • போஸ்ட் செய்யப்பட்டது  அதில் ஜெர்ம்னிஅமைப்பு 

    I had no idea. We never investigate a lot about Canada I guess.

    I always had the idea that Canada was like the US only but with the European social system. And I always thought Canadians were so great, because every Canadian I met here in the US was very nice and had a good sense of humor.

    But I guess, like we say in Spain and I don't know if it's the same in English or how it is: it is not gold all that shines.

  • போஸ்ட் செய்யப்பட்டது  அதில் ஜெர்ம்னிஅமைப்பு 

    "It's not that Canada gets away with it, but each country is a sovereign nation that can decide what's best for the people"

    Of course, with 'gets away with i' I mean that nobody ever says Canada is not open or whatever, and if other countries, say Germany, were to do that, people would say, see? still nazis.

    That's what I meant.

  • T Yஇன் profile க்கு செல்லுங்கள்

    போஸ்ட் செய்யப்பட்டது  அதில் ஜெர்ம்னிஅமைப்பு 

    You criticized how Canada picks and chooses only the rosy aspects they want you to see, and now you've done exactly the same, just the ugly side.

    First of all, it's too naive to come to a new country to expect to become one of "them" right off the boat. Maybe you are surrounded by immigrants who didn't make enough effort despite what they said. But the ones I meet daily are very successful, I also have done well, so well that I decided to quit my full time job to become a freelancer so that I have more free time while I make just as much money. And I still get job offers. But all this wasn't given to me at the airport. I worked my ass off for 10 years, and I didn't give up. And most of my immigant collegues have gone through the same to get to where they are now. I work with them everyday. I also met a couple of japanese guys working here said they couldn't make as much in Japan as what they are making in Canada! They are better compensated in Canada than in Japan! And let me tell you, their English is somewhat limited. But they are good at what they do, and Canadian companies recognize that.

    And what makes Canada and the US different is that when you do work hard, no, sorry, work harder than the locals, you will eventually be recognized and rewarded, while for example in Germany, 40% of university educated Turkish Germans, who are exactly the kind of people Germany needs, choose to leave Germany because they don't feel at home in their home country where they were born and raised and can't find decent jobs there.

    As for Rob Ford becoming the mayor, it had a lot to do with the car drivers who voted for him, immigrants included.

  • போஸ்ட் செய்யப்பட்டது  அதில் ஜெர்ம்னிஅமைப்பு 

    "that's how Canada keeps its society working" its you who says its working and I call it self denial. As in reality its not working. Even though Canada gets the cream and Europe gets uneducated asylum seekers still highly educated immigrants in Canada are not happy, it shows that Canada has serious problem. Even immigrants in city like Toronto are against immigration, especially the visible minorities, this is the reason they elected the current mayor. And the reason they are anti-immigration is simple, they don't want that people will come and meet the same destiny like them. Even white Europeans who come to Canada due to false advertising do leave the country. Canada desperately wants European white people but this will not help as white Canadians also think that they are superior than Americans and Europeans.

    Here you go, how even white immigrants are happy in Canada:
    1. "I like the cynical, ironic, but VERY humorous tone as it matches my own. I made the same conclusion that the large visa income which Canada generates allows them too give you those huge glossy brochures/diaries/newspapers as you arrive at the airport. It also pays the wages of those friendly ‘immigrant’ people manning the ‘Welcome to Canada’ section also at the airport. At the time I was over the moon at the friendly Canadian welcome, but now I realise I paid for all of this and it is largely useless. I recently chucked those books in the trash…a final awakening to the reality of the situation. I am going home in September (UK)"

    2. We came from the UK where we were relatively well off, we had good holidays abroad, 2 cars, etc. We are now virtually bankrupt, and like Sophie, we find ourselves heading back to the UK soon. We are disappointed that our dream has to end. Like lots of other people out there.

    3. As you all guys I am an immigrant here fed up with what seems to be the opposite of what Canada advertises overseas. I come originally from Eastern Europe, am perfectly bilingual, or excuse me trilingual, and so what? Over the past couple of years, I have got a few fixed-term contracts here and there but that’s it. Playing the hide-n-seek sort of hidden market employment game every since I landed here in early 2007.

    Well, anyway, 4 years have gone by and I can’t wait to resume my life back in Europe, hopefully in a couple of months.

    This country is just a big business, which is bringing into Canada a minimum of around 2.5 billion dollars annually from the application fees skilled immigrants pay and the money in savings they land with, in case any of you ever wondered. And to that, honestly, I didn’t dare add the money brought in by the entrepreneurial category of immigrants.

    So all in all, my conclusion, all they care for in this business is NUMBERS and not individual/immigrant well-being. Ha ha, the biggest joke ever for someone who keeps wondering why on Earth didn’t think of trying Iceland first before flying all the way to the other end of the world. At least, that would have been a place closer to home, where they do recognize foreign credentials as opposed to here where they keep reinventing the wheel.

    4. I brought with me a PhD from America and international work experience, but I am still doing sporadic jobs that give a pathetic income. The first full-time job that came to me left me with an injured arm a few months later....

    5. Well if I can turn back time I will rather stay away from Canada. Now is too late to go back.

    6. All immigrants should think 5 times before making decision to move here. Canada has the best educated pizza delivery guys in the world. And also Canada has the best educated security guards and janitors in the world. Cool isnt it? Only in Canada doctors from foreign countries are doing flyer delivery and they even cant be janitors in hospitals because they are over qalified. Guys you should stay in your countries. This is just good marketing and with good marketing you can sell everything even Canadia dream.

    7.That said, the issue you will face, is a hidden hostility towards foreigners. I am white, english speaking and I hold a Ph.D. I do not get any warm receptions. Frankly I find the workplace hostile. I too left a position of economic comfort, and find it extraordinarily difficult to replicate...

    and last but not least

    8. WHY are we allowing more immigrants in Canada, when we have plenty who are here about 50% who end up LIVING on poverty and greatly affecting the BORN CANADIANS LIVELIHOOD??

    http://www.canadaimmigrantblog.com/a-glossary-of-canadian-te
    rms-and-phrases-529/#comment-3173

    and list goes on but whom I'm telling all this....

  • போஸ்ட் செய்யப்பட்டது  அதில் ஜெர்ம்னிஅமைப்பு 

    Yes you're absolutely right but also in Europe there we have example of Switzerland which never gets any bad name even how bad its immigration policies are, or how unhappy its immigrants are. When you think about Switzerland then what comes in your mind is beautiful landscape now tell me we have beautiful landscape in lots of European countries, this Swiss Alpine landscape is shared by Germany, France, Italy and Austria but its stereotype that Switzerland is most beautiful. Same applies to Canada, Rocky mountains and landscape like Northern territories are also in US, but people think that these things are only in Canada. This stereotype is the result of using exaggerated marketing tools about showing beautiful Canada and Switzerland. I've never seen any advertisement of Spain or Germany but every person have read about Canada and Switzerland.

    Moreover in Canada its everyday on media and even in public places or teachers in school repeatedly brainwash you by admiring Canada and the Canadians. Only once in a day you will hear at least more than 5-6 times that Canada is best country in the world, its most peaceful, immigrants are very happy and people have very successful lives. Then you will also see that everyday they show history programs and nazi movies and tell their audience that Europe is still very racist and Canada is the best place to live. You will never have any program which will tell you the true story and positive things about other countries. Canadian unemployment rate is as high as in US but how many people know about it. Difference is that US tells the whole world while Canada picks the statistics of summer jobs (temporary) and claims that country is doing perfect and immigrants have jobs. They always hide the truth and worst is that people are not allow to criticize the system. Forget criticizing just look how Canadians are so conscious about very small stuff: "London teen Awish Aslam, said she and some friends were kicked out of a Conservative rally on Sunday when organizers saw her Facebook profile picture, which was a snapshot of her with Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff." http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Canada/20110405/election-leaders-h
    ustings-110405/ this is true example of Canadian mentality that they never allow any criticism and how think.

    In Canada we are not free but have always been programmed to believe we are. Our media, workplace actually everything is controlling immigrants minds and telling them that every country is bad only Canada is best. Unfortunately neither Europe nor any other country has any interest to really think about Canada, probably because Canada is not important country for the world, so whatever Canada does no one picks on them. Look at Denmark, tell me how many people know that Denmark is not in Scandinavia, even Danish people are not aware of this fact, as it has been told them every day that its Scandinavian country. They only trust their "Fakta" book and and when they read that then they see that I'm not lying but at least after reading their fact-book they admit but Canadians never admit even if you show the facts. Its simply they live in a small box.

    While for many European countries, they criticize themselves on local and international level. Tell me have you ever heard on Spanish or any other European TV where people are admiring themselves and their country on everyday basis???

    If you want to hear that how happy immigrants are living in Canada then read the comments of people on this blog. Its fairly new blog and I'm afraid it will not stay any longer on internet. http://www.canadaimmigrantblog.com/an-idiots-guide-to-stayin
    g-positive-as-an-immigrant-216/#comments

    There you will find many comments of Europeans, who will also tell you that how paradise is Canada and how happy immigrants are they.

    People are so naive in Canada that once a person said to me that he was under the impression that doctors who drive cabs love to do it because as cab driver they can make more money....this mentality makes me to bang my head on the door...I said door as Canadians have paper wall :-)

  • T Yஇன் profile க்கு செல்லுங்கள்

    போஸ்ட் செய்யப்பட்டது  அதில் ஜெர்ம்னிஅமைப்பு 

    It's not that Canada gets away with it, but each country is a sovereign nation that can decide what's best for the people.

  • போஸ்ட் செய்யப்பட்டது  அதில் ஜெர்ம்னிஅமைப்பு 

    That was very interesting, I didn't know Canada had such requirements for immigration. Though I have to say, good for them.

    What bugs me is that if it were the US or Europe doing the same, people would scream racism or who knows, but yet, here we are with Canada. We having this idea that Canada is such a nice place where they like everybody, and it turns out, they are just quietly doing their thing.

    Well, I'm not against it, I think it's a good thing for Canada to screen like that and others should do it too, but I don't like the fact that Canada gets away with it while others would not.

    And I understand that if most of your immigrants are so great, you are going to be open to immigration. If your crime goes up like crazy with immigration, you are just not going to like seeing any foreigners.

ஒரு பதிலை போஸ்ட் செய்யவும்