As a minority, where should I avoid travel?

[Anonymous]

I am blond and blue eyed and very light skinned. I feel uncomfortable in certain parts of the world. But, hey, now I know how it feels to be different.

[Anonymous]

I taught in a DOD school in Germany. When we took the kids on field trips, the people were fascinated with the little AA kids. They wanted to get close to them. They actually were charmed.

[Anonymous]

https://www.yahoo.com/travel/black-while-traveling-what-you-need-to-know-110696817357.html

I read this article a few weeks ago and thought it was an interesting perspective.

[Anonymous]

Black woman here. I stick with urban/cosmopolitan areas. Limits the choices but I have no desire to spend my money to be uncomfortable or unwelcome.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I taught in a DOD school in Germany. When we took the kids on field trips, the people were fascinated with the little AA kids. They wanted to get close to them. They actually were charmed.

Really? In this day and age?

[Anonymous]

Uruguay
Paraguay

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I traveled overseas pre- 9/11 and most of the comments I received could be perceived as racist but were generally just curious...I had an old Italian lady tell me my skin was beautiful and she had never met a dark.

I have truly felt uncomfortable in parts of Western and Southern Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and North Carolina.

+1. I'm a dark skinned woman and I feel uncomfortable as soon as I leave big cities anywhere in the US.

[Anonymous]

My dark skinned brother is visiting Barcelona right now. He was walking on a street and stopped by the police who asked to see his passport. Was let go once he showed he was a US citizen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My dark skinned brother is visiting Barcelona right now. He was walking on a street and stopped by the police who asked to see his passport. Was let go once he showed he was a US citizen.

Know someone who had the same experience. Papers please. No attitude and speak a little bit of basic local dialect and things are usually ok.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://www.yahoo.com/travel/black-while-traveling-what-you-need-to-know-110696817357.html

I read this article a few weeks ago and thought it was an interesting perspective.

Thanks for sharing. I like the article. I'd also add that for any traveler, regardless of ethnicity, it is important to know your history and current events. Like the writer, I've found that other cultures can be curious about life in the US or AA life in the US and expect us to have some knowledge about it.

[Anonymous]

japan

Maine

Oregon, outside of portland

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:India

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:India

+1

Hmmm, I don't know about this. My DH is dark skinned and has been to india a couple of times and said everyone was hospitable.

[Anonymous]

Op here. Thanks for the feedback. To the pp who found this thread sad. Well I agree. But it is the way the world is. It also makes me feel sad that I am limited in where I could go because of the color of my skin. Would love to see Budapest and Prague...

[Anonymous]

In Japan, being black will stick out but you won't experience any violence or overt racism.

Russia is where you need to be careful. They have right-wing groups, one is known as "Nashi" (loosely translated as "Us") that is hard-core, like groups roaming the street looking to give a beat-down. Ukraine and other countries nearby, to a lesser extent. I have one Indian friend who got heavily beaten in Lithuania. He was ex-military but that's no good when it's 5 on 1 (and the cowards usually fight like that). Still has a mean scar on his face to show for it. Then I know another guy, also Indian, who got beaten in Estonia and it was so bad they sent him to nearby Finland for medical treatment. Took him about a month to recover.

Actually, despite politics you're more likely to be safe if you make it clear you're American. A lot of these guys (and they're almost always guys) are after the Africans, particularly Nigerians, because they have reputation for scamming and crime in those countries.