Monday, March 19, 2007

RACISM ( WHY US?)

One day, my dad called me & my elder sis & told us we were going to study abroad, i was scared (not because i have never been abroad before) cos he said we were to complete our studies there. I had freinds in naija (my life was in naija) so i was not happy to leave them but i had no choice. I never knew i would have to deal with racism. My journey from one country to another started from there. The 2 countries were i recieved the most racist abuses was England & Dubai. Iwill talk about my experiences one by one.

EXPERIENCE OF RACISM IN THE UK
Me & my sis went to a girls school in Plymouth Devon. The first thing i noticed when i got there was the fact that there were hardly any black people at all in Plymouth. In my school, there were just 8 black people (including myself & my sis). We were 7 nigerians & a girl from London. Naturally, as we were the only blacks in the school (there were mostly chinese & white girls) we stuck together. But the racism started from the school itself. From the woman that called herself our headmistress.
First, we (the blacks) we banned from hanging together cos the headmistress (i'll call her Ms Short) said that the teachers & other students complained that we were "intimidating" them by hanging together. We were told that if we were seen together, we will be suspended. That was just the beginning. We all lived in the school dormz, so we were suprised when one of our matrons resigned. She said Ms Short gave her a racist order to carry out against the black students.
Ms Short hated everything about us. She would scream at us & when we tried to talk, she would be like "SHUT UP, DNT TALK WHEN IM TALKING", but when the white girls wanted to speak, she would let them. This was racism in the school. Lets talk about outside the school now.
One day, i was walking to town to get something for school & some guyz in a car sped past me & threw coke on me while shouting "FREAK! GO BACK TO YOUR COUNTRY". I was so upset, i went back to the dormz. All this went on for a while. I was in Plymouth for 2yrs.
Later on, we complained to my dad, he told us to leave plymouth & we moved to London. I heard that the other girls left the school & im also happy to say that Ms Short lost her job. Im also happy to say that since i moved to London, i have never experienced racism.

EXPERIENCE OF RACISM IN DUBAI
Some people would ask me, "what were you doing in dubai?" Well, my dad said i needed a change so i went to live in dubai. Just me this time round cos my family stayed in London (they later moved to london). I started Uni there. Dubai is a very beautiful city & they have loads of international uni's in Knowledge Village (KV) like Middlesex Uni. Yes Middlesex has a branch in Dubai.
Enewayz, to continue with my story,i was in dubai, Loving the atmosphere & sky scraper buildings unlike the old buildings in London, i didnt know they would be worse than the people in Plymouth.
In the UAE (United Arab Emirates) it is almost impossible to get a job. Why? Because you are black. They prefer people who speak Arabic or white people. We blacks are taken as freaks. In the UAE the worst problems facing the black woman is the Arab men. Over there, their most of their women wear "Sheila & Abaya". Im sure you guyz know what im talking about. You know the black thing the women wear & cover their face with it? Thats it. So when the men see you are not wearing the Abaya, they immediately take you as a prostitute. They follow you everywhere while screaming "HOW MUCH?" The first time i experienced this, i felt so insulted. I thought they treated all women like this but later i realised it was the blacks that were being treated like this. Why? Some black women come over there as prostitues, but does that mean they should take every black girl they see as a prostitute? I felt this was just ignorance. I tried to deal with it but the worst aspect of it was the Indian & Pakistani drivers who think because you are black, they are above you, they also ask you "How much" for your services. This was racism at its highest for me. If it was the UK i would have loved to sue all of them for sexual harrasment but this is UAE were there is no democracy & Human Right Laws.
There was a time when i was walking past, minding my own business & some group of children started following me shouting racists insults & jumping up & down like monkeys. I was angry at them but i blamed their parents more cos they were teaching them to beleive that black were beneath them. I thought to myself, if i start screaming "SUCIDE BOMBER!" to every Arab that passes my way, i would have sinked to their level. And i am much higher than that. I decided to let it go. I would talk more about dubai in some other post.

We black people have been insulted too much. Why? Because of our colour. I think Enough is Enough! We should do something but also remember not to sink to the levels of those who are rascist to us. They are IGNORANT.

28 comments:

Azuka said...

Ignorance is a disease. I don't know what I'd have done if I were in your shoes -- especially the Dubai incident. May God help us...

Chika said...

your experiences are rather sad and touching but i bet they made you stronger.like u said,u'd be treading their same filthy paths by calling them names so its better to overlook their ignorance and keep up you black and proud ways.

Idemili said...

Hell yes!!!! Girl, your post is great! I have somethiing similar coming up so watch out at the weekend for it. Thanks for stopping by mine.

Idemili said...

The Emily writer you are talking about, is it Emily Bronte?

Brilliantly Me said...

Interesting...and I always wanted to visit the UAE...I guess that's not going to happen anymore.

I definitely understand your experience with racism. I experienced it when I first came to the US, not only from white people, but from ignorant blacks who didn't understand the first thing about Africa and it's many cultures.

Ignorance isn't bliss after all.

Unknown said...

what doesnt kill us will only make us stronger.

thx for stopping my blog earlier.

xxx

♥♫♪nyemoni♫♪♥ said...

LMAO is what I did when I read this... serious! These people are jokers... I mean, how ignorant can they be? Unbelievable... I really don't bother about ignramuses like these, serious. Sorry about your experience, but I'm sure it'll make you stronger... Stay BLACK and PROUD!

Yankeenaijababe said...

Girl,l can imagine the embarrasment and the insult cos we black. I can imagine living in Dubai, l heard it's such a lovely city. Where do you reside now? Experiencing Racism sucks.......l can imagine.

chidi said...

yes the experiences have made me stronger. Sometimes, im so tempted to be racist to other people but im happy i've not sinked that low yet cos im BLACK & PROUD!!!!
@yankeenaijachick- i dnt live in the UAE anymore. Im back in the UK
@idemili- actually the book is called "Emily". I couldn't & still can't remember the name of the writer

Anonymous said...

these white skinned people thinks they're all and alll... i thank god you're left that god forsaken dubai... dont mind them.... they're bunch of animmals..i've also witnessed racism in south africa as well, can you blieve that, the afrikaans people are the worst... i will talk about that later on my blog,,,,, make sure you check to see..... thanks for passing by me.

4wardnfiaca said...

i have to say i've been there as well. not as rough as u had it tho. Don't know what I'd had done...
But the key is not stooping to their level like u said. tho that could be reeeeeeeeaaaalllllllllly hard.
nice blog btw

Anonymous said...

Hmm...I agree that most of these people are ignorant but that shouldn't be an excuse. If you are a grown ass man and you still think have racist views, you think certain people are beneath you because of the color of their skin then you really have no hope – you stop being uninformed when you are old enough to know the difference between right and wrong, when you can read, when you watch TV and get the necessary exposure.

Too bad, I also have always wanted to visit UAE…well so much for that trip

An-Igbo-Dude said...

wow!! u mean it still happens, i have to commend u for being brave enough to say it out. many people would rather have it be. WE ALL NEED TO DO SOMETHING TO EDUCATE THE "IGNORANT" ONES

Naijadude said...

You know whenever I read/hear about this, I just laugh it out and say this people are ignorant. I am beyond what they could see/perceive my skin color can never stand as a barrier to my achievement, that is what is beyond their reasoning, only if they look beyond that and see the goodness there is to this life.
Dont be bothered by that hun! You are BETTER than them, look beyond the skin color and see the real you! Live and enjoy life despite it all!!

IJEOMA said...

your experiences are sad.. but i cant help reverting back to what Nyemoni said on my blog.. "Funny how Nigerians complain about racism but practice tribalism on the reg".

Racism.. tribalism.. two sides of the same coin..
reconciliation must start from somewhere

Confused Naija Girl said...

I have not really experienced overt racism like that. Though i have lived in the states and other countries. dont let some ignorant people affect you and your life. Its something that wil never change and we all have to deal with

Cheetarah said...

All I can say is damn!
As kanye said 'racism still alive, they just be concealing it' Im sorry for what you had to go tru.

LG said...

its a shame you had to experience this but you know what these stories speak volumes about the people who acted racist towards you.
I mean if you were suggest to anyone of them that some people are superior or inferior to others on the basis of their eye colour they'd yell preposterous. So it amazes me that people can have these same ideas on the basis of ones skin colour. Its just ludicrous and speaks much about them and how they were raised. They are beneath you!

Anonymous said...

I never knew such thing could happen in dat country. And to think dat many of our people usually go there for business, u would've thought they'll be used to us by now. Na wa o.

chidi said...

@obiwanne-thanks. by saying the africaans people, do you mean the blacks?
@4wardnfiaca-thanks. i love your blog as well
@RJ-you are right.Ignorance is not an excuse for stupidity
@an ibo dude's corner-yes we really all need to do something to educate the ignorant ones
@naijadude-thanks cos i know that I AM BETTER THAN THEM
@ijeoma obu iheoma-you are so right about the tribalism thing. We nigerians have to try hard to stop being tribalists cos when we leave our country, we face racism & then when we come back to our country, we face tribalism. Loved your blog. Will visit it all the time.
@confused naija girl-i know. Its being around for decades. Centuries even. Its something we have to deal with
@cheetarah-thanks
@littlegirllost-their behaviour does speak volumes about how they were raised. They are all beneath us BLACKS
@wienna-i know. I was also shocked cos i thot they would be used to us by now cos loads of 9ja people go der for business, but i guess it proves they are not.

Klara said...

Ur experiences made wanna cry, That's so sad n depressin! Our sociey is full of arrogant, self-immensed people who are so oblivious of their actions n thoughts!
I hope u do get 2 forgive them! Racism & Tibalism make me sick!!

36 INCHES OF BROWN LEGS said...

na wa o!! thats serious stuff.

Anonymous said...

hi girl,

You better learn yourself some Arabic. It would help you flow better. Forget all those racist dubai remarks. They dont know better. I remember when I was in Highschool that my teacher asked me if my curly black hair went straight when wet and curled back when dry. I was like ...duh!...majority of these peeps don't know jack about Afica. So just leave them alone. Worse is that we are not helping ourselves with the kind of news ppl hear about Africa.

Daisy said...

That's just awefully sad! It is amazing how backwards a lot of so called "educated" people are. Milwaukee is a crazily racist city like many places around the world and it makes you realize just how enlightened you are when you can see past race.

Good to meet you Chidi and thanks for visiting my blog!

Daisy said...

That's just awefully sad! It is amazing how backwards a lot of so called "educated" people are. Milwaukee is a crazily racist city like many places around the world and it makes you realize just how enlightened you are when you can see past race.

Good to meet you Chidi and thanks for visiting my blog!

? said...

in reaction I always show pity for such ignorant people. Excellent post and blog

Anonymous said...

First of all, LOL @ the "SUICIDE BOMBER" statement. I liked it.

I do not think that Blacks or African Decents are maltreated because of our color. That's a superficial reason.

I do think though that we are maltreated because we command no respect, both internationally, and domestically (if you live outside of Africa, e.g, England, U.S, Dubai, etcetera).

Globally, Africa is a person, just as each country is a person at the United Nations. Having said that, Africa(as a person within the global landscape) is too selfish and he behaves foolishly. From an international perspective, Africa is the only continent to have gotten POORER in the past twenty years, despite his resources.

He (our bastard leaders, whether by force or electoral manipulation of the people) allows the rest of the world to pimp him, his children, and his resources. If it's not a civil war commander in the Congo, it is Mugabe in Zimbabwe, and let's not forget the billions that Obasanjo, Babangida, and Abacha have stored in Western banks such as Citibank (New York), to Swiss Bank, and the Bank of London. Even the beloved late MKO (Abiola), who was not a military man, made his money by embezzling the funds from a contract for a telephone project for all Nigeria. And of course, these billions booost the economies of the Western Hemisphere.

How then can the African command respect at a meeting in the community of the American (Northern & Southern), European, Asian (Far and Middle East), and

China, of all countries, China, called all African leaders to a conference and simply said "We'll give you whatever you need or want." CHINA!, since when? Reading between the lines, you might agree that what China is really saying to Africa is, "I am next in line to exploit you-Your people, your resources, your money. I want them, and you will give them to me, because you are a fool, and you have given yourself over to the Europeans, the Americans, and I'm next to get my share of the cake."

Our leaders sell us, they pimp us. Africa is a whore, and everyone's coming to get them a piece. How then can African children command respect when they leave the continent to find a better life overseas?

Our color is the superficial reason for racism. Rather, it is the lack of respect for the continent, that incurs these abuses on our people.

If Africa were the imperialists, or if he commanded any respect within the international community, citizens of our continent would not be throdden upon or disrespected around the world, because we wouldn't even have to leave home.

We've sold ourselves, and cheaply. But I ask, what happens to the girl known as the class ho, when she becomes a woman and values herself and her resources?

Her past becomes a no more than a painful memory, her present becomes characterized by the determination to get all that she's worth, and her future is beautiful, when alas, along comes the man to appreciate her.

The African (the people, and the leader) must first value himself, and act accordingly, before being respected within the international community.

End Transmission

Anonymous said...

Loved the Suicide Bomber statement.

My mum lived in Saudi Arabia for 10 years so I know what you are talking about here, blacks are almost lowest of the low over there.

Suby