I'm a white Dutch person and even after 20 years of living in Munich I still notice the staring. Used to live in Hamburg, too and there I never had that. It seems to be a typical Munich or maybe Bavarian thing. One actually feels judged by it, but I've come to the conclusion that it's simply one of those cultural things and people don't really mean anything by it. In the Netherlands, people tell you their opinion even when they were not asked and are total strangers, for example. They mean no harm. You can either be bothered by it, or try and laugh it off. Mind, I'm not trying to downplay the factor that you are indeed not looking like a Bavarian native and that racism and too overtly displayed curiosity (not necessarily malicious but annoying nonetheless) aren't playing a role, but I think those are not the main reason people stare. Good old sexism will also play a part, you being a handsome young woman. I am, however, shocked by the amount of racist incidents you have had to experience. Should I ever witness such a thing, I would definitely butt in and give my unsollicited opinion (hey, I'm Dutch, what can I do? ^^ ), to put it mildly. I've already come very close to getting physically aggressive with a person making lewd prejudiced remarks behind her back about one of my friends here, whose parents are originally Nigerian.
Awesome video! Thanks for this - I'm mulling a move over to Munich, and am not sure about it, especially as a black man. This has helped me consider the move and understand what I can possibly expect if I go over there!
People always stare here. But that seems to be an issue literally everyone mentions who is coming to germany. We don't really think about it because we're feeling safe just going outside. But it's interesting to see how often people complain because they feel attacked in some way. But that's because of learned fear mechanisms people bring with them, from expiriences they made in their lifes and with their societies. Some feel uncomfortable and think it's because they have dark skin, look lgbt+ or something else with what they expirienced discrimination. Some people also feel protective when somebody stares at their kids in the park because (for example the US) teaches them that there might be sex offenders everywhere. But that's not the case. It's just culture. People feel safe, they look around, stare around and see what people are up to. Sometimes you just stare and "dont see" because you're with your own thoughts, thinking of what might have lead them to this point. Often you hear people complain saying: "Yeah but why don't they change that if it makes people uncomfortable?" Imagine if someone told you to change your cultural habits because THEY are uncomfortable with something harmless. A better Step would be forward into realising this safety and becoming a part of it :)
There’s an Afro shop in Trier and what you have to do is keep your eyes peeled for a black hairdresser in a salon. There’s not many but they do exist. I’m a Scot living in Germany so happy to find your channel 😅. My daughter’s best friend is half German and half Dominican Republican so she tells me about her experiences, like being stopped and checked for a valid bus ticket. Her boyfriend lives in a tiny village so basically the whole village stares at her. She’s such a shy person that it’s quite a torture but there’s nothing you can do about it except like you said, try and be self confident. The closest I came to racism as a white Scottish girl was working with East Germans after the wall came down and it was so incredibly hurtful to be hated and treated less than for just existing. They had virtually no contact to foreigners for 50 years so I guess that explains the attitude. Never forgotten it because it’s a particular type of hurt that you can’t explain unless experienced.
i just moved to germany and i’m in the countryside, i’ve only seen one other black person so far. the older people stare so much, it’s crazy! i’ve already had people touching my hair and being fetishised by the guy. i know i’m black and super interesting here but i’m tired of having discussions about race
Amazing informative video! Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences! Have you thought about Vlogging some of the parts of Germany? For example, known cites to visit, transportation, working overseas, stores, food, and cultural events?
Please keep these videos coming ! as a fellow black brit, I've been looking for others and their experiences living and working in Germany. I can't relate to most of the other videos out there by black Americans, since they're coming from a very different cultural/national background. Bonus points for being funny and pretty, keep it up! 😭
Owning an American stafford terrier as a German in Germany helped me a lot to not give a damn about people’s opinion and their dumb prejudice. My dog is great with people and very friendly yet I experienced lots of prejudice. But at the same time I had lots of very good experiences too like moms rushing to me with their kids who wanted to pet my dog. Actually the worst encounters happened to my girlfriend because those people are weak and usually don’t dare to confront a tall man like me.
As a German I don’t think we stare but other people avoid eye contact. When I was the only white person in Hong Kong amongst hundreds of Asians (and I’m quite tall) I was honestly disappointed that nobody seemed to look at me at all 😤
I am always sad when people label asking "where are you from" as racist. I love geography, I have travelled, it interests me where people are from. And asking that does not mean that one thinks the other person does not belong, it just means they have a different heritage. What is wrong is if the black person answers say US or UK and then people say, "no where are you really from". That is pure ignorance of the fact that black people are natives to those countries.
I am not interested in the feelings of the person asked, I want an answer to my question. If woke do-gooders want to recognize racism in it, that's not my problem.
Hi Elle ! I feel for you as German living in US , as far as old german people staring so intent on other people My mother came to visit here and she did the same thing , just stare , you would talk to her in a restaurant and she would turn her eyes away But i hope you ignore that soon , i have to thank Oprah for explaining on the show what black girls have to go thru with there hair and that’s in the US I am surprised you found somebody in München , Great Video
@@theemelaninexpat I also want to say thank you for sharing this. I live in Munich (I'm white) and it's important to know how black people feel here in order to understand and improve their living situation in Munich :) have a nice day! And merry Christmas
The staring is not exactly because you‘re black. I‘m white and was so weirded out in the beginning why so many people would stare at me. I‘ve gotten used to it already, but it‘s just weird, nevertheless.
Ah, yeah, the staring thing...Well, some of those who stare might be racist a-holes who don´t like you being here because of stupidity. But most people are just trying to figure out where you came from (the last hour or so) like, did you just get off work or were you out shopping, like that. Others get that stare if they try to recapitulate what their day was like. It´s a bit annoying, but we need to look somewhere, and we´re not that kind of people who look out the window, just to avoid eye contact with other persons. Many germans believe, that if a person can´t look into their eyes, this person is up to no good things, so...yeah...
I guess you might over interpret some of those people watching you. Probably they don’t think much at all while looking at you and most people probably couldn’t care less who your boyfriend is in a relationship with. The most likely thing is that they are curious what your history is like, eg where you both from etc. Of course there is also racism but this is a small minority from my experience
For me it's funny to hear always the staring thing.. What`s wrong with that? For me it is totally normal to look at other people. Why not? But that really seems to be a very german thing..
im german and i had some racist experience in the UK but mostly because they mistook me for either an irish person or because i was not catholic. also where i lived in the UK were not so many black people either, maybe just students going to university, but except that most were white in northern scottland. but i guess that might not be part of UK anymore soon. i had more racist experiences though in germany though, since many west germans look down on east germans.
This is because many German are dissatisfied with themselves! And also the envy is a big problem here! I had never see such people in countries like Italy .Spain ,Greece ,Turkey Morocco ! People are very friendly . Not all Germans are bad people but unfortunately many! This one reason wy so many German people leave Germany!
Well, I live in Frankfurt/Main, but am not black though. I know a few black guys though from growing up here and also stayed in London for some years. The guys here haven't really told me that they had bad experiences in Frankfurt. Well, just one told me he got dissed back in school in the 90s. Paradoxically, the bullies weren't really German racist guys though, but guys with Turkish/Middle Eastern background. He changed schools then. Nowadays though he doesn't have problems with guys from any ethnic group as far as I can tell. He is also quite popular with the local women. P.S. there are a few afrohair shops here as far as I can tell, so maybe the situation is a bit better than in Munich.
My South African, white and blond girlfriend has been complaining about being startet at for more than 10 years. I still don't understand what she's talking about though.
Hmmm, I have no idea about how things are in South Africa. But I can only relate that if you are a minority, then being stared at can make you feel uncomfortable! But then again depends on the person, it happened to my partner (white 6ft German guy) when we went to Nigeria and he loved it 😂
@@theemelaninexpat Sorry, there was a typo. Should read "stared at", not startet at. My point was though that she doesn't look foreign as both her parents were white. I think it's a thing cultural Anglosaxons feel and Germans/French don't.
Aha. Also die Leute starren? Wo nicht ? In welchem Land starren die Leute nicht ????????? Es wird kein Starren stattfinden, sondern wohl eher ein Schauen. Irgendwo müssen die Menschen hinsehen?? Wenn ich in den USA bin schauen die Menschen, wegen meiner nicht perfekten Aussprache.... Aber das ist menschlich ?? Also was soll dieses Video ?
In De ist das Starren sehr häufig! Man wird von oben bis unten gemustert! Erlebe ich auch oft und ich bin nicht schwarz! Das ist diese extreme Neugier und die Oberflächlichkeit und der Neid auf teure Kleidung ,Taschen Autos etc,,
Yes, the germans, especially older ones, used to stare at people in the streets. Doesn't matter. As a german I got used to this. By the way the spaniards do so too.
Racist abuse and staring are really two different kettle of fish in Germany. Germans stare more than Brits, at anyone, not just people of other races. That especially applies to public transport: Brits desperatedly try to look at something that isn't a person, Germans do the opposite - you may become the movie they are going to watch for next 45 minutes. Yes, you may get extra stares if your looks are in any way unusual for them, but if you are the only person in their general line of sight on that bus or train then they will stare at you no matter what.
I'm very sad and embarrased that you have had so many racist experiences here! I couldn't imagine feeling so excluded! Hopefully we will learn and become kinder
I'm a white Dutch person and even after 20 years of living in Munich I still notice the staring. Used to live in Hamburg, too and there I never had that. It seems to be a typical Munich or maybe Bavarian thing. One actually feels judged by it, but I've come to the conclusion that it's simply one of those cultural things and people don't really mean anything by it. In the Netherlands, people tell you their opinion even when they were not asked and are total strangers, for example. They mean no harm. You can either be bothered by it, or try and laugh it off.
Mind, I'm not trying to downplay the factor that you are indeed not looking like a Bavarian native and that racism and too overtly displayed curiosity (not necessarily malicious but annoying nonetheless) aren't playing a role, but I think those are not the main reason people stare. Good old sexism will also play a part, you being a handsome young woman.
I am, however, shocked by the amount of racist incidents you have had to experience. Should I ever witness such a thing, I would definitely butt in and give my unsollicited opinion (hey, I'm Dutch, what can I do? ^^ ), to put it mildly. I've already come very close to getting physically aggressive with a person making lewd prejudiced remarks behind her back about one of my friends here, whose parents are originally Nigerian.
Awesome video! Thanks for this - I'm mulling a move over to Munich, and am not sure about it, especially as a black man. This has helped me consider the move and understand what I can possibly expect if I go over there!
People always stare here.
But that seems to be an issue literally everyone mentions who is coming to germany.
We don't really think about it because we're feeling safe just going outside.
But it's interesting to see how often people complain because they feel attacked in some way.
But that's because of learned fear mechanisms people bring with them, from expiriences they made in their lifes and with their societies.
Some feel uncomfortable and think it's because they have dark skin, look lgbt+ or something else with what they expirienced discrimination. Some people also feel protective when somebody stares at their kids in the park because (for example the US) teaches them that there might be sex offenders everywhere.
But that's not the case.
It's just culture. People feel safe, they look around, stare around and see what people are up to.
Sometimes you just stare and "dont see" because you're with your own thoughts, thinking of what might have lead them to this point.
Often you hear people complain saying: "Yeah but why don't they change that if it makes people uncomfortable?"
Imagine if someone told you to change your cultural habits because THEY are uncomfortable with something harmless.
A better Step would be forward into realising this safety and becoming a part of it :)
Thanks for the video. Thinking about taking a job there for a while. I just want to make sure I’ll be in no danger unfortunately.
There’s an Afro shop in Trier and what you have to do is keep your eyes peeled for a black hairdresser in a salon. There’s not many but they do exist. I’m a Scot living in Germany so happy to find your channel 😅. My daughter’s best friend is half German and half Dominican Republican so she tells me about her experiences, like being stopped and checked for a valid bus ticket. Her boyfriend lives in a tiny village so basically the whole village stares at her. She’s such a shy person that it’s quite a torture but there’s nothing you can do about it except like you said, try and be self confident. The closest I came to racism as a white Scottish girl was working with East Germans after the wall came down and it was so incredibly hurtful to be hated and treated less than for just existing. They had virtually no contact to foreigners for 50 years so I guess that explains the attitude. Never forgotten it because it’s a particular type of hurt that you can’t explain unless experienced.
i just moved to germany and i’m in the countryside, i’ve only seen one other black person so far. the older people stare so much, it’s crazy! i’ve already had people touching my hair and being fetishised by the guy. i know i’m black and super interesting here but i’m tired of having discussions about race
Amazing informative video! Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences! Have you thought about Vlogging some of the parts of Germany? For example, known cites to visit, transportation, working overseas, stores, food, and cultural events?
Thank you!! Will definitely take this onboard for my next videos 😊
Please keep these videos coming ! as a fellow black brit, I've been looking for others and their experiences living and working in Germany. I can't relate to most of the other videos out there by black Americans, since they're coming from a very different cultural/national background.
Bonus points for being funny and pretty, keep it up! 😭
A lot of people might be staring because you're *beautiful;* because you are.
Owning an American stafford terrier as a German in Germany helped me a lot to not give a damn about people’s opinion and their dumb prejudice. My dog is great with people and very friendly yet I experienced lots of prejudice. But at the same time I had lots of very good experiences too like moms rushing to me with their kids who wanted to pet my dog. Actually the worst encounters happened to my girlfriend because those people are weak and usually don’t dare to confront a tall man like me.
As a German I don’t think we stare but other people avoid eye contact. When I was the only white person in Hong Kong amongst hundreds of Asians (and I’m quite tall) I was honestly disappointed that nobody seemed to look at me at all 😤
I am always sad when people label asking "where are you from" as racist. I love geography, I have travelled, it interests me where people are from. And asking that does not mean that one thinks the other person does not belong, it just means they have a different heritage. What is wrong is if the black person answers say US or UK and then people say, "no where are you really from". That is pure ignorance of the fact that black people are natives to those countries.
Good point! I think it really depends on how you ask and the tone. I’m always happy to share bc of course I speak German with an accent/not so well 😅
@@theemelaninexpat Deutsche Sprache schwere Sprache.
I am not interested in the feelings of the person asked, I want an answer to my question. If woke do-gooders want to recognize racism in it, that's not my problem.
Hi Elle ! I feel for you as German living in US , as far as old german people staring so intent on other people
My mother came to visit here and she did the same thing , just stare , you would talk to her in a restaurant and she would turn her eyes away
But i hope you ignore that soon , i have to thank Oprah for explaining on the show what black girls have to go thru with there hair and that’s in the US
I am surprised you found somebody in München , Great Video
I am German-Asian and I get the stare all the time. I think I expierence this more than Others because I have a Chronicle Low self esteem.
Please make more videos this was very informative
Aww! Happy to hear 😊 more videos to come v soon!!
@@theemelaninexpat I also want to say thank you for sharing this. I live in Munich (I'm white) and it's important to know how black people feel here in order to understand and improve their living situation in Munich :) have a nice day! And merry Christmas
Great work hope to collaborate with you 💙 ❤Namibia 🇳🇦
The staring is not exactly because you‘re black. I‘m white and was so weirded out in the beginning why so many people would stare at me. I‘ve gotten used to it already, but it‘s just weird, nevertheless.
If blond people visit small cities in asia or africa people are staring too.
@@nortlicht i think because the history of blonde hair blue eyes..... i am from Chicago and history says watch out!
Thanks Magdeburg ❤❤❤
😘😘
I've never had any desire to go to Germany, mostly because of its history. I believe that hate for other races runs deep.
Well, you're a dummy
Ah, yeah, the staring thing...Well, some of those who stare might be racist a-holes who don´t like you being here because of stupidity. But most people are just trying to figure out where you came from (the last hour or so) like, did you just get off work or were you out shopping, like that. Others get that stare if they try to recapitulate what their day was like. It´s a bit annoying, but we need to look somewhere, and we´re not that kind of people who look out the window, just to avoid eye contact with other persons. Many germans believe, that if a person can´t look into their eyes, this person is up to no good things, so...yeah...
I guess you might over interpret some of those people watching you. Probably they don’t think much at all while looking at you and most people probably couldn’t care less who your boyfriend is in a relationship with. The most likely thing is that they are curious what your history is like, eg where you both from etc. Of course there is also racism but this is a small minority from my experience
For me it's funny to hear always the staring thing.. What`s wrong with that? For me it is totally normal to look at other people. Why not? But that really seems to be a very german thing..
im german and i had some racist experience in the UK but mostly because they mistook me for either an irish person or because i was not catholic.
also where i lived in the UK were not so many black people either, maybe just students going to university, but except that most were white in northern scottland.
but i guess that might not be part of UK anymore soon.
i had more racist experiences though in germany though, since many west germans look down on east germans.
This is because many German are dissatisfied with themselves! And also the envy is a big problem here! I had never see such people in countries like Italy .Spain ,Greece ,Turkey Morocco ! People are very friendly . Not all Germans are bad people but unfortunately many! This one reason wy so many German people leave Germany!
Well, I live in Frankfurt/Main, but am not black though. I know a few black guys though from growing up here and also stayed in London for some years. The guys here haven't really told me that they had bad experiences in Frankfurt. Well, just one told me he got dissed back in school in the 90s. Paradoxically, the bullies weren't really German racist guys though, but guys with Turkish/Middle Eastern background. He changed schools then. Nowadays though he doesn't have problems with guys from any ethnic group as far as I can tell. He is also quite popular with the local women. P.S. there are a few afrohair shops here as far as I can tell, so maybe the situation is a bit better than in Munich.
Are you the type of friend who invites your Black friends' honesty about racism in Germany?
Ur beautiful 😍
My South African, white and blond girlfriend has been complaining about being startet at for more than 10 years. I still don't understand what she's talking about though.
Hmmm, I have no idea about how things are in South Africa. But I can only relate that if you are a minority, then being stared at can make you feel uncomfortable! But then again depends on the person, it happened to my partner (white 6ft German guy) when we went to Nigeria and he loved it 😂
@@theemelaninexpat Sorry, there was a typo. Should read "stared at", not startet at. My point was though that she doesn't look foreign as both her parents were white. I think it's a thing cultural Anglosaxons feel and Germans/French don't.
Aha. Also die Leute starren? Wo nicht ? In welchem Land starren die Leute nicht ????????? Es wird kein Starren stattfinden, sondern wohl eher ein Schauen. Irgendwo müssen die Menschen hinsehen?? Wenn ich in den USA bin schauen die Menschen, wegen meiner nicht perfekten Aussprache.... Aber das ist menschlich ?? Also was soll dieses Video ?
In De ist das Starren sehr häufig! Man wird von oben bis unten gemustert! Erlebe ich auch oft und ich bin nicht schwarz! Das ist diese extreme Neugier und die Oberflächlichkeit und der Neid auf teure Kleidung ,Taschen Autos etc,,
@@sahratank7504 aha.. Alte Leute sind also neidisch auf teure Klamotten und Autos?!
Yes, the germans, especially older ones, used to stare at people in the streets. Doesn't matter. As a german I got used to this. By the way the spaniards do so too.
Racist abuse and staring are really two different kettle of fish in Germany. Germans stare more than Brits, at anyone, not just people of other races. That especially applies to public transport: Brits desperatedly try to look at something that isn't a person, Germans do the opposite - you may become the movie they are going to watch for next 45 minutes. Yes, you may get extra stares if your looks are in any way unusual for them, but if you are the only person in their general line of sight on that bus or train then they will stare at you no matter what.
I'm very sad and embarrased that you have had so many racist experiences here! I couldn't imagine feeling so excluded! Hopefully we will learn and become kinder
"German Stare" - it's really a thing.....
Elle I love you honey