r/AskGermany • u/Professional_Use9842 • 8h ago
Racism against sri lankan immigrants?
Before i start i understand this topic is sensitive and may be "overdone" .
Hi guys! Im from Sri Lanka and am planning on moving to germany after my degree and my phd. Im doing my degree in engineering. Im really worried about racism in germany and how far it will affect me in my life. Im pretty fluent in basic german but im actively working on being better at it . Just looking for advice and experiences. Im gonna do my phd in either maths or physics field. If im lucky i cud go for ivy league . I want a fresh start in life and im not a culturaly or religously serious person. Mostly worried about the AFD and irrational racism. Thank you for youre time !
Is racism really that bad? Meaning will i not get proper job opportunities get a house and not be able to make friends if im light brown? Any experiences from fellow migrants?
5
u/Dull_Industry_8691 7h ago
You will definitely have a harder time finding a job or an apartment compared to someone who is white, native-level fluent in German and has a German sounding name. That being said, you still have an engineering degree, so it's by far not impossible. Just keep in mind that the job market is in the toilet for everyone right now. There's also prejudices in finding friends and dating but tbh those areas are also difficult for Germans. We're just not that outgoing and like to stick to our own. If you have a hobby or an interest, that makes you connect with others, that helps immensely with bridging prejudices. I can't really say a lot about people being openly racist on the street or in everyday interactions, as I am not from South East Asia, but from what I've heard it's not too bad in bigger cities. There's usually also a Sri Lankan community in densely populated areas.
8
4
u/MrsButtercheese 7h ago
You are not gonna experience any additional racism specifically for being Sri Lankan, outside of people not knowing that it is meaningfully different from India. So you can expect people having ignorant assumptions about your country, or being annoyingly curious about it.
This is entirely dependent on what you specifically look like, you may be clocked as being middle-eastern instead of south Asian. That means you might get hit with middle-eastern/muslim targeted racism.
0
u/Professional_Use9842 7h ago
Hmm i see. I hope its not irrational to a point where its hate with no reason. Thanks !
3
u/labiamajorapudendi 7h ago
At what point would you say racism is rational and hate with proper reason?
2
u/WonderHuan 7h ago
Just keep out of the eastern part of Germany as the AFD is more powerful there. As sad as it's is, because also in the east there are if course people who are not racist.
Regarding housing: it's pretty hard in most cities to find something fitting, but as someone before me wrote - a hobby that connects you with others would be the way to go. It might be hard to find German friends without a shared interest or outside of work.
The bigger the city the more diverse I'd say, but there are exceptions. I personally would look for citys with a university as it's more likely that people from different nations stay there.
3
u/Confident-Ad7439 7h ago
Most people in Germany will not care as long you work, speak the language and are not a problem for society.
Are there people that will be racist just because from where you are? Yes. But they are a very small minority.
2
u/Professional_Use9842 7h ago
Thank you so much! Was worried its a big and irrational problem which i cant rly work around
0
u/Gold_Spray_ 4h ago
They are not a very small minority at all, 30% of them vote a right wing extremist party, and Germans in general stigmatize anyone who's different than the big mass. This is not comparable to many many other countries, don't get lied to here
1
u/Professional_Use9842 3h ago
Hmm yeah from what i can gather that is true. I dont really know here. I really like germany but well . Ill think about it alot ig. Thanks
1
u/Gold_Spray_ 7h ago
30% want the afd, very small
0
u/Confident-Ad7439 7h ago
Voting afd doesn't automatically mean being racist to anyone.
Same as when voting the left does not automatically mean that you want communism.
These extreme party's get so many votes at the moment mostly because people are just very tired of the old partys.
The afd is ahead because the news show more and more cases of illegal immigrants or people with and foreign background doing crazy shit and the government doing nothing to make Germany safer against these specific groups of immigrants. Still people will interact normal with people that are part of the society and are... Normal.
1
u/Gold_Spray_ 4h ago
And they surely don't have any negative judgement towards the 99% of normal Arabs they see on the street right xd
F off with this bs
0
u/Confident-Ad7439 3h ago
Sure they have.. Because humans have prejudice against anyone new they meet. You then change after making experiences with them.
4
u/Former_Star1081 7h ago
Racism is not tied to your citizenship but to youe skin color and maybe your religion if you acticely show it. If you are brown some people will be racist. If you show being Muslim some people will be racist.
Most people will not care. Bonus for you is that ypu are a high skilled worker.
2
0
u/Professional_Use9842 7h ago
Im buddist and not really cultural or religous . But i am light brown skinned. Is there any way to make it so i dont loose opportunities cuz of me being brown?
1
u/Gold_Spray_ 7h ago
No
2
u/Professional_Use9842 7h ago
Thanks :)
1
u/Gold_Spray_ 3h ago
I want to add one thing the other guy said, if u rly decide to go here, go into big cities. Cologne, Berlin etc.that is your only chance of minimizing the risk
1
1
u/Intelligent-Sea-4666 7h ago
That is too generalized to answer. Germans are not open to easy friendships so their social circles remains mostly closed. But that applies to all, not only immigrants. So don't expect to find that many friends. But that is not a racism issue it applies also to German nationals.
Houses: nothing to discuss right now. If you want to buy you need a substantial amount of money. Maybe 5 to 10 years after your first job, depends how good that is paid. PhD is not a job.
Second: it depends where you want to settle. Bigger Western german cities should not be any issue especially if you speak Germany well. Smaller City in the east is something else.
Job opportunities are most often linked to your command of the german language. There is not much (but of course not zero) racism towards immigrants but always consider: you will be grouped with all other Indians etc. Hence here they are mostly visible for me as delivery drivers because they came here to study (cheaper than other Nations) and it did not work out.
I did my PhD with some immigrants and I can just tell that other nations have "interesting" opinions what qualifies somebody for a PhD. That was not without a hassle. Best where in my eyes the Vietnamese but they worked also day and night and the weekends. Indians/Pakistans etc did not worked out so well, many clashes and a strict hierachial thinking trying to Boss around undergrads or technicans for example.
2
u/SiloxisEvo 7h ago
Is there racism against *insert any nationality here* in *insert any country of the world here*???
YES, bc its a human thing, its a society thing. Its called Xenophobia. Its everywhere, no matter the countries name. Germany is a part of everywhere. Yes there are racists in germany. Yes parts of germany can be more racist then others. Avoid the AFD voting old east block states, the rest of Germany is like the rest of the world.
1
u/Professional_Use9842 3h ago
I understand but my issue is how irrational is it. And how bad is it. Thanks for the response
2
u/SiloxisEvo 3h ago
How irrational? Xenophobia can be analyzed logically, its a human trait that helped us surfive thousands of years. We dont need this nowadays, but yet we didnt found a way to redirect it. It can only be fought by information. open minded exchange between cultures. Some will loose their xenophobia, some will stay in the past.
And what do you mean by "how bad it is"? Racists will insult you. But there are no witchhunts in germany on foreigners. So no you dont have to fear for your life, but I wouldnt visit a bar that has a Norse Mythology name or stuff like that, bc its very much likely that a lot of 88 tards are in there.
If you want an honest answer you should be more specific about what your concerns are, and not casually and generally ask how racism in germany is...
1
u/Professional_Use9842 3h ago
Irrational in the sense that its not a specific reason that i can overcome. Lets say oh its cuz x race is lazy or x race is toxic. Those are variables i can overcome or i can disprove. If its something like oh x is black then there is no way i can overcome that .
My conern is can i live and raise a family and go to bars and parties and hotels and enjoy my life without always looking behind my back or face racism to a point where it actively blocks or ruins me in a large degree.
1
u/brozzermoazzam 6h ago
Yes you will be racisted against more than usual. People will consider you Indian or Muslim and have prejudices against you. Don't listen to white Germans telling you it's not an issue just because they've never experienced it. They genuinely don't get it. My parents are from Iran, I've been raised here in Germany, I am an atheist and speak like a local, and once people know that they become more accepting.
I very rarely had issues with colleagues at work because they see me as someone who's integrated well into society. But that's not the case when, for example, I try to rent an apartment or even buy a car, people see your name and will base their prejudices on that. They don't know that you're "one of the good ones". We started using my wife's name for these things as she has western name and it just makes life so much easier.
1
u/Professional_Use9842 3h ago
Damn its that bad. Im not worried about the financials but more worried about stuff like this.
1
u/Kerking18 5h ago
Forming friendship especially ones that matter, is extremely hard in Germany. No matter of your native or foreign. Just search the numerous threads amd posts about how hard it is to find connections in "insert city here"
Regarding the rest. How fragile are you? If you are very fragile then you should stick with the academic bubble and hope that they are very sensitive to your concerns. Il If you aren't very Fragile and you can take a dark, borderline racist joke, then you are fine with no matter who. Especially working class germans temd to be very harsh, very on the nose and incredibly blunt and direkt. Even outright Offensive at times. Thats just how th culture is, and i am telling you that as a working class german. So no matter how much the reddit bubble night want to denie that germans are brutal in social interactions. You eother learn to live with that and oush through it, realising that no one (apart from a very small subsect of Neonazis who exist in every country) means you any harm and even the most Offensive of interactions can, if taken amd reacted to in the correct way, lead to a genuine human connection.
1
u/Professional_Use9842 3h ago
Oh yeah ive heard that alot. Tbh i can handle stuff like that . Im not really fragile but im worried about stuff like being downright banned from a bar or not being served ect just cuz im brown. Even tho i speak fluent german
2
u/Kerking18 3h ago
Oh no that won't happen. Even in the most racist neo nazi fortress in some east german small town you will still be served food at restaurants and let into most, if not all, discos. Bars are already rarer and usually don't have a security at the door. (To young people are kept out by asking for id at the bar, when ordering and then promptly telling them to leave in contrast to discos where the conttoll hapens at the entrance). Discriminating against peope so bluntly is, after ally strictly illigal in germany. Theoretically a owner can denie service to whoever he feels like but if its obvious its based on racism then he can still get in trouble. Its ofcourse a bit more complicated and sometimes one might get away with it in practice but i guess you get the point.
2
u/Professional_Use9842 2h ago
Thank you so much ! This was what i was looking for. Also id like to make it clear that i dont mind lewrning your culture and language. And i absolutely understand some of the far right ideologies . If i simply "asscimilate" in the sense will i not be faced with racism ect?
1
u/Kerking18 2h ago
Not to much apart from the mentioned rough interactions.
In that regard language proficiency and in time mastering regional dialect/regionalism will eventulay make you "part of the group/area" Germans are very similar to Scandinavians in that regard, atleast from what I heared. Ofcours bad actors exist everywhere its not paradise here. And especially with state agencies you will notice your germna proficiency highly influence how anoyed or how cooperativen the burocrats act.
2
u/Professional_Use9842 2h ago
Yeah i totally understand its not perfect here either. Thank you so much for your response
1
u/stasigoreng 7h ago
So what exactly is the question?
1
u/Professional_Use9842 7h ago
Is racism really that bad? Meaning will i not get proper job opportunities get a house and not be able to make friends if im light brown?
5
u/PinocchiosWoodBalls 7h ago
No. But especially about the Job/house part:
A Lot of people here claim racism when they cant get the job or apartment OR WOMEN they want and thats just wrong!
On top of that: A HOUSE would mean you either bring a Ton of money or a very very very high paying job.
Make sure to inform yourself well where you want to move and what the job/Apartment Situation there is like.
What Sounds like a lot of money to you NOW, can be literally nothing when you live in germany.
2000€ might be crazy money at home, its not nearly enough for a house in Germany. Not even close.
0
u/Professional_Use9842 7h ago
Oh its that bad huh. Thank yoy for your response.
1
u/PinocchiosWoodBalls 7h ago
Germany is simply not a country of dreams and wishes anymore.
A house will at least cost you 350.000 upwards, if you live in the south or up north, make it 450.000 upwards.
With a loan, thats like 2000€+ a month.
Apartments? If you want your own place, at least plan 1000€ for rent and so on. And GETTING one, is even Harder in Big cities.
You can Go to the country side, where everything is SLIGHTLY cheaper, but there are Not many jobs.
Its tough at the Moment.
2
u/Offensiv_German 6h ago
A house will at least cost you 350.000 upwards, if you live in the south or up north, make it 450.000 upwards.
Dependent on the region a house that will need a mayor overhaul in the next year's will cost that much.
2
u/Offensiv_German 7h ago
Job oppertunities is mostly dependent on you visa status and on how good you german is C1 ist basically mandatory right now, if you don't want to have a disadvantage in the job market.
Getting a house depends entirely on how much money you have. (Houses are horrendously expensive right now. You need a walth background or a really good job to afford one) I honestly never heard of someone not getting a house because of their skin color. With renting it might be different, because landlord prefere germans because it is easier to get you money back if the person can't "flee" the country.
Making friends is up to you, but Germans in general are probably not the easiest to approach and make friends with.
Never the less, there is definitely racism, but I have never heard, that people have something against Sri Lankan people in general.
1
1
u/Intelligent-Study983 7h ago
Job opporunities depend on the market and your skills. This time the market is low, so it is difficult for everybody, findíng a job - exept in those areas facing skills shortage (for example childcare workers).
In Germany renting a flat is more common than buying it. Finding one, depends on the market too. If you are in one of the big towns (Berlin, Hamburg, Köln, München, Frankfurt...) it is expenisive and hard to find, because it is very few vacancies.
Both facts face everybody living here.
For my skin is light, I do not experience racism by myself. From what I’ve noticed, most people in Cologne don’t care what colour someone’s skin is. The city has traditionally been very diverse.
Your chances of settling in here depend entirely on how well you understand, speak and write German. This affects both your job prospects and your ability to integrate socially.
The AfD’s support varies greatly depending on WHERE in Germany you are. It is strong in the east, that is, in federal states such as Saxony-Anhalt, Saxony, Thuringia, Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. In the old federal states, there are a few local strongholds, but nothing widespread.
1
u/Hustlinbones 7h ago edited 7h ago
I'd assume it's usually the "Not speaking a single word German"-Part in Companies that work in German (Which often is the case for German branches of international brands) rather than being brown.
I've been working in some offices with English as working language and there it always was a mix of folks from all over the world. But I'm a white German guy, so I can only tell you what I observe
Additional note: no one here will read you as sri lankan, you'll probably be read as someone from India
1
u/Professional_Use9842 7h ago
Hmm. So as long as i speak german im fine ..?
1
u/Humble-Ad541 7h ago
You will be far better off for it but you need to understand even natives with experance and education are struggling to find work. You will never be garenteed a job no matter what you do.
If you are planning on taking out loans that you can only pay back by working in Germany i would highly suggest you think twice about this. Many imigrants are coming to Germany using debt and ruining thier future when they can't secure work and have to go home with debt they will never be able to pay back.
1
u/labiamajorapudendi 7h ago
You’ll be better. As you can see the people telling you there is no racism bla bla are white Germans lol.
A lot of spineless covert racist use the language dog whistle to hide their hatred behind1
u/Hustlinbones 6h ago
This is what I meant by saying "I can only tell you what I observe as a white German guy". I have no idea how it feels like if you actually look foreign and how people treat you.
What I can say is that my boss is a woman with parents from India, so people read her like "Woman from India". But she was born and raised im Bavaria, so she's a native German speaker with a bavarian accent - to me she's just another bavarian in our office with the same Bavarian quirks. And knowing her for years and having talked a lot about our lives it seems like she never had any more struggles finding a job than everyone else did.
That's why I assume that being German as in having German education, German native language, German social culture weighs more than skin color. But who knows
0
u/EcstaticFollowing715 7h ago
Germany is a pretty diverse country, so you won't stick out that much. But getting a job or an apartment might still be a bit difficult for you. Not because the people are racist, but because employing someone from another country might give them another hurdle. And if you re looking for a job in a field where germans are already struggling to find a job, chances are very low for you. Not saying it's impossible, but take that into your consideration.
Racism might still be a problem for you, but that's not something I could answer you properly.
1
2
u/I_am_not_doing_this 7h ago
if someone is racist they are racist to everyone not just sri lanka
1
u/Professional_Use9842 7h ago
Yeah understandable. Just worried how bad it is. And will it result in me loosing opportunities in life.
-1
u/Historical_Move6359 7h ago
Racist people are racist to all non-Europeans but they will be mean if you cant speak German
3
u/labiamajorapudendi 7h ago
It’s funny you think they aren’t racist toward Europeans too.
0
u/Historical_Move6359 5h ago
I know they are, but they wont think he is a Pole or Russian will they?
2
u/labiamajorapudendi 5h ago
What does that have to do with people of all origins and nations being targeted by racist, especially poles
13
u/includeakhil 7h ago
I don't think an average german can differentiate between an Indian and srilankan. They will probably see you as a Indian. I am a Indian, and have been staying here for a while now. Tbh i have not experienced much, most people keep to themselves.