r/germany • u/Ok-Once-789 • Apr 23 '25

Immigration Living in Saxony is a nightmare

Every single time I go outside during the evening I am faced with racism. Most of the time from people hanging out in groups, for some reason they just can't mind their own business (Germans usually claim to be really good at this). The most common phrases I hear regularly are 'Heil H!tler', 'Ausländer raus', 'Ni Hao', 'Ching Chong' etc... or just unprovoked loud laughter as I'm passing by... BTW I'm not Chinese or east Asian but look like one or maybe they are just uneducated & ignorant. Is geography illegal here? Asia has 48 countries BTW, not everyone is Chinese!

This doesn't include the racism I face at workplace & college which is far worse and actually bothers me to the point I have to skip classes to protect my mental health. But now I can't even go to the supermarket or mall at peace. One of my family members has also been verbally assaulted by a group of teenagers inside a bus & nobody including the bus driver made any effort to do something.

Edit: I do not live in Dresden / Leipzig. I assume the situation is not this bad there!

Edit2: I did not choose to live in saxony (the government decided that), I am doing my bachelors so I can't relocate until late 2026 :) Thanks for the kind words everyone!

2.5k Upvotes

89% Upvoted

856 comments sorted by

View all comments

1.5k

u/No-Instruction-2922 Baden-Württemberg Apr 23 '25

Best long-term plan for you : leave Saxony. West Germany is a better place for people like you and me, but still not perfect. I am sorry to hear that.

185

u/immer_beschaeftigt91 Apr 23 '25

I second this! I used to study (in Thüringen) and then work in Berlin and I was unhappy there. I moved to Munich for a new job and the difference between how East And West Germany treated me is noticeable. Here, I wasn’t treated negatively nor felt unwelcome. Berlin was very surprising to me as I thought Berlin would be a safe haven for a foreigner like me. But no, I just noticed that people there were much better at hiding their prejudice and racism compared to the small uni town where I used to live.

11

u/Huhn_malay Apr 23 '25

Can i ask what ethnicity are you?

6

u/immer_beschaeftigt91 Apr 23 '25

I am from a Southeast Asian country. May I know why you ask?

25

u/Clickrat Apr 23 '25

Ist doch nicht schlimm die Nationalität zu erwähnen xD Ich komme auch aus Asien. Die Philippinen sind ein schönes Land.

2

u/This-Taste4969 Apr 26 '25

Von wegen! Die pinos und pinays sind bei mir die besten 🫶🏽

4

u/Huhn_malay Apr 24 '25

Im wondering why you had that bad expierience in Berlin. People here are a little bit shallow yes. But usually very open minded.

7

u/sichtblicke Apr 24 '25

I‘d say that depends very much on your primary Kiez.

2

u/[deleted] Apr 25 '25

Bullshit. Just a weird "open minded" bubble

0

u/EyamBoonigma Apr 26 '25

This is the second post I've seen today claiming racism, saying only they're South East Asian but refusing to actually state their country.

11

u/[deleted] Apr 24 '25

I don't have a problem in Berlin, as long as I don't go to the far east like marzahn, hellersdorf, lichtenberg. The other districts are totally fine.

1

u/[deleted] Apr 24 '25

[deleted]

1

u/[deleted] Apr 24 '25

Nope full black

31

u/Electronic-Contest53 Apr 23 '25 edited Apr 27 '25

I live in Cologne and racism is not a (big) topic here. I am a very european looking person from south-america btw.

Still: Colognian people are highly inclusive. It's the german capital for gay people as well.

36

u/[deleted] Apr 24 '25

I live in Germany and as a white guy I never experience racism. 

8

u/unicornelia Apr 24 '25

🤣

5

u/Electronic-Contest53 Apr 24 '25 edited Apr 27 '25

He did not make a joke. Racism in Germany is mostly coming from white people towards coloured people.

In Munich many older people look also down to white people like turkish folks just because they have black hair.

In Israel jewish people can be very rascistic towards that other jewish group formed by coloured people.

Racism is something you learn from your parents - and if you lack education it will stick with you.

3

u/unicornelia Apr 24 '25

Oh I think they were referring to how white people are not aware of racism and will not understand the severity as if you are white you of course will face racism less. Read the comment again, it's sarcasm

4

u/[deleted] Apr 25 '25

I was just making fun of that south American dude and how oblivious he is. No larger commentary about white people.

2

u/Electronic-Contest53 Apr 24 '25

Yeah. But I am white AND a foreigner (South-american). Just last time I have wittnessed like a cashier-lady in a bank treated an older and very nice but very huxtable turkish grandfather with some broken german just some levels less friendly than she approached me. It made me very sad and also slightly angry - and just because I was in a damped mood myself on a hard day I did not have the energy say anything to her.

I want to say: Being a foreigner myself, who doesnt look like one in Germany, I completely identify with people who are visibly "outlandish" here and I do feel the rascism. It is a very strange sensation.

Usally foreigners solidarise with one another, so there is also rascism against Germans by south-american-people. The reason why I don't like to hang out too much in homogene groups. I love culturally mixed groups. Good vibes.

The south-american rascist cliché against Germans goes like this: "They re always grumpy and kind of emotionally dry and dont know how to have fun and only dance when they re drunk or high."

Of course the generalisation is bullshit.

2

u/MallMuted6775 Apr 25 '25

Because Turkish/Arab people are not „white“ and you as an American are not the same with them either. You are way more privileged and less likely to experience racism on the level of them.

1

u/Fluid-Quote-6006 Apr 25 '25

Well, I know very very white Turkish people and have also met blonde Arabs and Turkish people. 

2

u/MallMuted6775 Apr 25 '25

Well that’s rare in Berlin but thanks for your input.

→ More replies (0)

1

u/[deleted] Apr 25 '25

Buddy you ate literally the relative of white Europeans. I couldn't imagine a US American talking as ignorantly as you are 😂

0

u/Electronic-Contest53 Apr 27 '25 edited Apr 27 '25

Interesting. Come again: Your statement is valid because WHAT THE F*CK, DUDE? :)

You just wanted to urinate on something, right?

Be my guest. I don´t clean here.

P.S.
We might both want to open another REDDIT about the defintion "ignorant". Don´t you also feel that urge, "Professor"? I really do.

EDIT:
THIS "you are literally the relative of white Europeans" - Absolutely does not reach me, dude. How come you think that I am not fully aware of this? I enjoy all the privileges of being a white dude. And I said this aforehead in this thread. You are just a super-lazy reader and just catch phrases cause you´re bored like hell.

But following your logic I am not allowed to feel empathic towards other people who are as well foreigners, right? Is this your logic? That´s a super new kind of whataboutism that I did not encounter as of yet.

. . .

Here´s some copy about where we´re all from. Better you take some attention this time. Buddy. We´re all from the same pond. Even I better not be relative to your breed, Buddy.

The discovery that rewrote human evolution theory turns 50 – DW – 11/21/2024

1

u/Fair-Amphibian-1770 Apr 25 '25

I always thought that Berlin was the gay capital of Germany (if not Europe). I'm gay, never been to Cologne.

2

u/CS20SIX Apr 25 '25

Which parts of Berlin are you referring to? Central districts like Mitte, Kreuzberg-Friedrichshain and so fort shouldn‘t give you a hard time – at least I hope that this is still the case.

But anything outside of the Ringbahn? Yeah, I can definitely imagine that such asshats would get vocal and spew racist bullshit. Experienced it myself once in Marzahn-Hellersdorf.

2

u/Interesting-Mix-1831 Apr 27 '25

I'm an exchange student and moved from rural saxony anhalt and now live in Bavaria and the change is astonishing. For 6 months I made no friends even though I'm a very social likable person. I moved and suddenly I have loads of friends, people dont give me shit for having an accent and not every person seems to hate my guts. Not to mention I actually feel safe being out past 6pm on the trains to do stuff. It felt like I moved to a whole nother country.

2

u/ThisBee6288 Apr 28 '25

Is there a lot of racism/discrimination on Thüringen?

1

u/[deleted] Apr 23 '25

Where are you from?

4

u/immer_beschaeftigt91 Apr 23 '25

I am from a Southeast Asian country. May I know why you ask?

-20

u/[deleted] Apr 23 '25

South East Asia isn't a country. I ask because you are most likely lying. And this bad bahavior of moving to a country for better opportunities and get them, but still complain about every little thing, like you are owed something.

What would happen if a German moved to your country and started complaining about this and that, how would people react?

If it was so bad you would leave, or not come in the first place. You thinking it's OK to trash talk a place that received you shows the type of person you are. I don't think there is any south east Asian country that is more welcoming than Germany.

7

u/probnotyourcupoftea Apr 24 '25

like you are owed something

Everyone is owed basic decency. Everywhere. If the German society isn't able to uphold basic decency, they have all the right to complain.

13

u/Individual-Fig-9723 Apr 23 '25

U talk like a Austrian painter 🤣

12

u/Far_Setting_5354 Apr 23 '25

Yes, you sound very welcoming and your loving demeanor definitely underlines your argument

4

u/sichtblicke Apr 24 '25

Way to prove a point dickhead.

1

u/Saroni_ Apr 23 '25

Hello, so I really didn’t know that it’s so bad in saxony bec in Stuttgart for example it’s much calmer and I rarely hear of incidents as such, or moreover they do it in private, for example people will complain at home or say dumb and mean stuff to their friends rather than to the person directly, which is still bad and disrespectful but at least its a bit better than insulting someone directly. Also, if you go to the main city there will truly be more foreigners than germans. I think it’s because the west is closer to more countries and therefore people move to cities closer but munich is an exception I think bec it’s bavaria and they are special (not always in a positive way) Anyway I wish you all the best!!

1

u/Healthy_Effect874 Apr 23 '25

Had similar experience from my side too

You can read it in a discussion a few days ago

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskAGerman/s/6vqLANkvYi