INDIVIDUAL REPORTS OF MICRO-AGGRESSION AND RACIAL DISCRIMINATION CASES WHICH ASIANS EXPERIENCE IN THEIR DAILY LIFE IN WESTERN COUNTRIES
in Europe
„There is no racial discrimination in London.“ This phrase is racial, because the people who say this don't have any idea, what racial discrimination actually is.
2017
Germany
We chose him as a new roommate, so I added him as a friend on Facebook. He sent me a message, 'Konnichiwa.' (It means 'hello' in Japanese. The person who wrote this report is Korean. Very probably, the guy knows about her nationality, but he didn't respect it.) I wrote back, „This is not funny.“ He answered, „Hey, come on. It's funny.“
When I talk with my Korean friends in Korean language, he used to hear it and try to imitate it, not in a gentle way.
He told me, „For us, Europeans, you Asians look all the same. Slit-eyed.“
2017
in a train / in Strasburg and Paris
As soon as I entered a train station in France, I heard 'Nihao' and 'Ching Chang Chong'.
As I took off the train, I heard again 'Nihao' and 'Ching Chang Chong'.
On the road, again, 'Nihao' and 'Ching Chang Chong'.
It goes on and on.
2017
Immigration office / Halle /Germany
In order to extend my visa, I went to the immigration office. It opens at 9'o clock and at 8:30, there was already a long waiting line outside, in front of the main entrance. At 9'o clock, only 20 people entered the building. The rest of the people waited, without further information, standing outside aprox. 4 hours without any chair, awning, etc.
2017
in a bus / Germany
I was sitting in a bus. An elderly woman came towards me and asked, „Did you eat garlic?“ I answered that I didn’t and asked the reason why she asked such a question. She answered, „You (Asians) eat lots of garlic. I thought that I smelled something.“
2015
in a bus / Paris / France
A man sitting on the opposite seat in a bus kept on watching at me persistently. After some moment, he said, „You have a nice posture. Women should sit like asian women, putting knees together.“
2016
at the Schiphol airport / Amsterdam / Netherlands
I tumbled and fell to the ground, getting off of an airport bus. Three white men were pretending to help me, but they grabbed my breasts. When I was falling, I dropped my wallet and my passport. They tried to take them.
April 2014
at a bus stop / Bremen / Germany
I was waiting for the bus at the bus stop. A man, who looked at twenties, was passing by. He asked me, „How much should I pay for you for one day? Will you do sex with me, if I pay 100 Euros?“ I turned it down. He asked again, „Aren't Asians here for prostitution?“ Then, people near the bus stop had to stop him.
Berlin / Germany
The male personnel of a hostel saw me and said, „I prefer asian women to european women, because they are passive.“ He asked my age and I answered. Then he said, „Well, then, you might not have sex yet. Have you ever done it?“ Hoping that he didn't ask about what I was assuming, I ignored him. Then, he spelled the word.
Summer 2015
at the lobby of a hostel / Iceland / Reykjavik
I was having a nice time with a woman from Hong Kong at the lobby of the hostel. Around one o' clock at night, I went to my room. One white man with thick beard, who was going up stairs in front of me, shouted, 'fucking Asians' and pointed the finger to me.
2016
Germany
I went to the office for foreigners in order to receive a visa for students. The personnel said to me sarcastically, „How were you accepted in this university? You are rich and maybe you paid for the entrance.“
2014
in the office / Sangerhausen / Germany
I visited South Korea with my german husband. We bought a rice cooker and flew back to Germany. My husband told his colleagues that he bought a nice and expensive rice cooker from Korea. Then, one of his colleagues told him, 'you brought two rice cookers to Germany.' His colleagues laughed out. They mentioned about me as a rice cooker, as an object.
January 2016
in a supermarket / Paris / France
We were standing on the line next to a counter. Two white women saw us and said, 'do monkeys know how to drink wine?' My friend, who can speak french fluently, retorted back. They were surprised and quibbled that they didn't know that my friend can speak french.
2010
Berlin / Germany
I don't speak german fluently, so my (german) boyfriend made a call for a reservation at an hospital. He explained symptoms during 6 or 7 minutes. When he finally announced my name for reservation, the nurse excused herself, saying that there is no more time available, and hung up right after.
November 2014
Germany
I was looking for a room. I made a call in order to know if the room was still available. The person answered in an irritated tone, that the room is not available any more. I asked to a german friend if he could call to the same house and ask the same question. The person told him that the room is still available and asked if he wanted to come by.
Muenster / Germany
A boy who was playing in the same football team asked me, if I knew the player Kagawa Shinji (japanese football player in the team Borussia Dortmund). I answered that I knew him. During the play, he kept on calling me 'Shinji.' He could have said, 'pass!', instead of shouting continuously, 'nihao, gonnichiwa.' After the training, I asked him not to call me in that way. He doesn't do it any longer, but I could understood how he considered me.
July 2016
Halle / Germany
There were Germans who looked and shout ‘China’ at me on the street.
Street / San Francisco / USA
An old lady beckoned me over with a wave to say that you should go back to your country.
2014
Street / Dublin / Ireland
When I was about to crossing the road, three men in a cab repeated ‘ching-chang-chong, ching-chang-chong’ for mocking me.
2014
Los Angeles / USA
I was walking on the street with having a phone chat. Suddenly an man passed by me, giggling and taking the Chinese greeting position.
2015
Near the university campus / State of Ohio / USA
A boy out of two teenagers whispered to my ear “I hate Chinese people” while I was waiting for a passing signal.
2016
Museumsinsel / Berlin / Germany
While I was taking a rest with having Currywurst, a group of German men found me, mocking me by saying Nihao eat CurryWurst.
2013
Park / Copenhagen / Denmark
When my boyfriend and I went around in the park in Copenhagen, Denmark, a middle-aged couple was looking at us and told each other in Danish: they felt sympathy for the Asian boy (me), and they wondered how much my boyfriend had to pay my parents to get me here. They did not know we could understand what they were saying as we can speak Swedish. And Swedish and Danish are almost similar.
2015
In a classroom at school / Nuemberg / Germany
After hearing that I have a German boyfriend, a classmate said „why? Will you solve your visa issue after getting married to him?“
2014
Language Institute / Munich / Germany
A language school teacher called her students by name except for Asians as she could not memorize Asian names, then called them by indicating with Sie (the honorific expression of you in German). I tried to let her know my name but she said Asian names are so difficult to memorize, saying some words similar to Chinese like Chingchong.
2016
University / Germany
After borrowing a lighter from me, they put their hands together. I explained Koreans do not do that, and they laughed and said „All Asians put their hands together, don’t they?“
2016
High School / New York / USA
When I visited an affiliated high school near New York, USA with my school, I had a school tour in pairs with one of its students. My partner was a male African footballer, and he kept shouting “This is my Korean girl! Come see her!” during the tour with looking around. Some white girl students of the school could not bear this situation, then they suggested me to walk around with them. I realized that an Asian girl can be despised not only by White people but also by Black people.
2010
University / Frankfurt / Germany
University colleagues said I speak German well compared to other Asians, and they sometimes found European characteristics from me. A man said that I looked attractive as I was not a typical Asian. I pointed out that this was not fair, then all of them were upset as they complimented me as I was not a typical Asian.
2016
University of Bonn / Germany
The professor was explaining about bees in his lecture, Introduction to Animals. When he showed a picture of a German woman stung by a bee, he made a joke “this woman is not Asian, but got swollen after being stung by a bee.”
March 2015
Bahn / Frankfurt / Germany
An old man in front of me pointed the finger at an Asian, saying to his friends that „Look at the Asian. Asians sit correctly and straight.“
2016
U-bahn / Berlin / Germany
In a tube station, there were several groups of Koreans, Africans, and other Asians. When we were talking each other in Korean, a tall White blond man with holding beer, loudly shouted at us at a stop before getting off, „Guten Heimflug! Guten Heimflug! GUTEN HEIM- FLUGGGG!&dquo; (Safe flight back to your country).
2012
Tube station / Berlin / Germany
At a trackless U-bahn station, I was sitting at a one side and a couple was on the other side on a bench. Speaking in English, they were giggling, saying that Asians looked so funny, and taking the slanty eyes gesture. After seeing my straight face, they lowered their voice.
2014
In the train / Train to Munich
On my way to the toilet in the train, a German old man stood in front of the toilet door to block me. I asked him to clear the way in German, but he mocked me and stood still. Being so upset, I asked him whether he was a racist or not, then he said yes. When white men came, he cleared the way. And such a racist behaviour made me feel absurd. In the end, I could not go to the toilet because I am an Asian.
2015
INDIVIDUAL REPORTS OF MICRO-AGGRESSION AND RACIAL DISCRIMINATION CASES WHICH ASIANS EXPERIENCE IN THEIR DAILY LIFE IN WESTERN COUNTRIES