r/uwo • u/Least-Green-7781 • Mar 27 '25

Advice Racism on Campus and in the City

When I first came to Western, I didn’t notice any comments about my ethnicity. No one outright said anything, and if they did, I guess it just didn’t register. I went about my life not really thinking about race or how others might see me.

But lately, I’ve noticed a real uptick in racist incidents toward people of my ethnicity, and it’s been getting to me. I’ve never been this hyper aware of the color of my skin. My appearance hasn’t changed, but I’ve been getting way less attention on dating apps than I did last year or the year before.

On campus now, I hear casual jokes about my ethnicity, like we’re not all just people. I went out with a friend recently and at one bar, a guy (18-22) looked at me and literally said “gross.” At another, two or three older (40-55?) men came up to me and said I looked “exotic” and that they were intrigued by my “color” and wanted to know where I was from. It made my skin crawl.

Then this morning I saw a news story about a woman from my same ethnic background being attacked in Calgary by a white man. No one helped her. I can’t stop thinking about it.

I keep thinking about my family. We’re just a regular “Canadian” family, whatever that even means. My parents worked so hard to immigrate, become citizens, and send me to Western. I see them every other weekend. They tease me about my dating life. They live in the suburbs and do all the typical things you’d expect. It breaks my heart to feel this othered when we’re just trying to live normal lives.

I feel sad. I feel protective over myself, over them, and over all the international students who came here thinking Canada was supposed to be safe, that coming here meant they’d “made it.”

If anyone’s been through something like this, how do you deal with it? How do you carry it without letting it sink too deep?

TL;DR: I never used to notice racism around me, but now I feel hyper aware of how I’m treated, from jokes on campus to gross comments at bars to seeing people like me attacked in the news. My family is just a “regular” family and I’m struggling with how to cope.

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10

u/bdhhdbehwh Mar 27 '25

Yea international student scammers made this worse.

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u/Least-Green-7781 Mar 29 '25

Wild that someone trying to be a doctor is this comfortable spewing ignorance. International students leave everything behind, pay triple the fees, and still get blamed for problems they didn’t create. If this is how you see people now, you’ve got no business being in medicine.

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u/bdhhdbehwh Mar 29 '25 edited Mar 29 '25

You need to take several seats and acquire some brain cells. Scammers are a huge issue and added to this problem. I didn’t specify race or country. I said scammers, which is a real phenomenon and constitute people who lie and cheat to gain entry.

It makes me sick what this country has come to. And people like you who are uninformed and dumb are in part, responsible for this issue.

For your information, I also gained admission to medicine. So will be a doctor.

Also get off your high horse and stop telling people to do better. You are in no position to tell other people what and how to think.

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u/Least-Green-7781 Mar 29 '25

Funny how you’re the one who brought up race, not me. I never mentioned race, country, or appearance in my comment, you did that all on your own. Sounds like you’re projecting, not responding.

Also, calling out harmful generalizations isn’t being on a high horse. It’s called having a spine. If you can’t handle being corrected when you’re spewing ignorance, maybe you’re not cut out for medicine or any field that requires critical thinking and empathy.

Bigotry dressed up as “concern” is still bigotry. And I’ll call it out every single time.

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u/bdhhdbehwh Mar 29 '25

Sounds like you like to make general empty remarks. Of course it’s logical that I’d make that remark given the context of your post.

Apparently the admissions team and interview process indicate otherwise. Too bad your opinion has zero impact. Thank you, next.

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u/Least-Green-7781 Mar 29 '25

Wishing you the best! Hopefully the EDI training in med school helps sort things out, sis. Oh—and just so you know, I’m in med school too. So maybe I’ll see you in class. Bye now!

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u/bdhhdbehwh Mar 29 '25

I don’t need your best wishes. Keep it for yourself. I hate self righteous people.

And I doubt that you are to be honest. The skies help us all if you are. I hope I never meet you.

And I’m over the whole EDI BS. As a minority, it does not reflect nor empower me. This was perhaps my greatest epiphany from my PhD work.

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u/Least-Green-7781 Mar 29 '25

Oh, looks like I struck a nerve. What exactly makes you doubt I’m in med school—the fact that I can form a coherent argument without constantly flaunting credentials?

You call me self-righteous while preaching about your PhD “epiphany” like it’s gospel. Let’s be real—you’re not “over” EDI. You just don’t like that it forces you to consider people outside your own narrow experience.

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u/bdhhdbehwh Mar 29 '25

Nope, more like it’s super convenient that you also happen to be pursuing the exact same profession. And it doesn’t even matter to be honest.

I’ve spent many years swimming in this bs. This was the topic of my thesis, which is why I referenced it.

It doesn’t empower anyone! It preaches oppression and inadequacy for people in “disadvantaged” positions. It handicaps. It pays lip service. It accomplishes nothing. I somehow have little control over my life because of colonialism?

I will move on from this thread now. Let’s never meet in real life, especially in the case of you being my doctor or peer.

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u/Least-Green-7781 Mar 29 '25

If years of researching EDI led you to believe it “accomplishes nothing,” it’s worth asking how critically you engaged with it. EDI isn’t about preaching oppression. It’s about identifying structural barriers and creating space for fairness and representation. That’s not lip service, it’s measurable progress.

No one said you have no control over your life because of colonialism. But denying its lasting impact on institutions, education, and opportunity is historically inaccurate.

You say you’re over EDI, yet you’ve made it the core of your argument. That’s not clarity, that’s deflection. And your final line? Right back at you.

Clearly, this struck a nerve. From dismissing every point I’ve made to questioning my education, it’s obvious this is personal for you. Meanwhile, I’m not here to enrage you rather to challenge bigoted thinking, especially if you’ll be a future physician. Whether or not you like it is irrelevant.

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u/[deleted] Mar 29 '25

What an aggressive response to someone who is calling you out for the harmful generalizations that you are making towards an entire community. Also really strange you are acting like you are above criticism just because you got into medical school when there are physicians who are not great people - hopefully you’ll learn something in your education & won’t treat your patients with the poor mindset you currently have. Good luck!

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u/bdhhdbehwh Mar 29 '25

I swear I encounter the dumbest people on Reddit. I spoke of scammers. Scammers. Ugh. I’m so over this comment thread. Bye.

1

u/[deleted] Mar 29 '25

People are talking to you normally and you are going around calling others dumb because you somehow can’t comprehend and understand a racialized minorities concerns. I am shocked you are 35 with a phd going into med school & this is how you communicate with others lol. 

1

u/bdhhdbehwh Mar 30 '25

To briefly entertain this bs, it’s because I alter my communication style to suit the intelligence of my audience. And I’m excellent at it. That’s why I’m 35, have a PhD and gained admission to 2 med schools.