Poland travel OK as a non-white person?

[Anonymous]

You people are missing the point. YES! Poland is white. It SHOULD be! lol, if I go to China, I expect Chinese people there. Likewise, if I go to Poland, I expect polish people to be there! The issue is whether or not one will be attacked or receive hostility simply because they’re not white while traveling there.

[Anonymous]

I remember going to a conference for work, and a person there grew up in Poland and immigrated to the US. She said the first time she saw a person of African descent, she burst out crying. She had never seen one before.

I enjoy ethnic food festivals and usually always feel welcomed as a POC. I went to a Polish one and the people were so unwelcoming and made me feel like I shouldn't be there.

I feel Poland would probably not be friendly, due to their history of being invaded and are not welcoming to immigrants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I remember going to a conference for work, and a person there grew up in Poland and immigrated to the US. She said the first time she saw a person of African descent, she burst out crying. She had never seen one before.

I enjoy ethnic food festivals and usually always feel welcomed as a POC. I went to a Polish one and the people were so unwelcoming and made me feel like I shouldn't be there.

I feel Poland would probably not be friendly, due to their history of being invaded and are not welcoming to immigrants.

You haven’t even been to Poland, why do you even have an opinion?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You people are missing the point. YES! Poland is white. It SHOULD be! lol, if I go to China, I expect Chinese people there. Likewise, if I go to Poland, I expect polish people to be there! The issue is whether or not one will be attacked or receive hostility simply because they’re not white while traveling there.

Of course they won’t be attacked! Stop with the dramatics.

[Anonymous]

I'm East Asian and went to Poland a few years ago. I was in Krakow and a small town in southern Poland. Never felt unsafe. In Southern Poland I went into a museum and there was a group of teenagers there on a field trip. They were obviously curious about me and many tried to move closer for a better look. It's very similar to the reaction that my Caucasian friends get when we went to Japan and China.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I remember going to a conference for work, and a person there grew up in Poland and immigrated to the US. She said the first time she saw a person of African descent, she burst out crying. She had never seen one before.

I enjoy ethnic food festivals and usually always feel welcomed as a POC. I went to a Polish one and the people were so unwelcoming and made me feel like I shouldn't be there.

I feel Poland would probably not be friendly, due to their history of being invaded and are not welcoming to immigrants.

You haven’t even been to Poland, why do you even have an opinion?

DP

Perhaps because she’s had two bizarre experiences with Poles that lead her to believe one might experience something similar?

That’s valid, right?

My Polish friends who live in the US (arrived as young adults or are first Gen) are pretty open about racism in their country. Apparently it’s a thing.

Anyway, I heard a scary news segment over the weekend where panelists were contemplating what would happen if Putin becomes so frustrated that he drops a nuclear bomb. Apparently that’s a scenario the grownups are worried about.

[Anonymous]

We were just in Poland for spring break to krakow. It seemed to attract a fair number of non white visitors. I am white so I can’t speak to their experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We were just in Poland for spring break to krakow. It seemed to attract a fair number of non white visitors. I am white so I can’t speak to their experience.

Yeah I was just about to say that Eastern Europe, Poland included, has experienced an increase tourists from Asian countries in particular in the 2000s. It’s not like the iron curtain just fell.

For those who purport to worry about the safety of POC tourists in Poland because it’s so “white”, I wonder if you have any stats on the violent crime rate against POC in Poland vs the US. Because overall, the rate of gun violence is far higher here.