An NRI woman living in a Canadian town near Toronto has opened up about the "subtle racism" she regularly encounters while living abroad, sparking a wider conversation on social media about everyday prejudice faced by Indians abroad.
In a Reddit post, the anonymous poster wrote, “My ID always gets double-checked at concerts. At nail salons, they immediately say ‘It’s expensive’ before I even ask the price. We get looks when we go to nice restaurants, like we don’t belong there.”
While she claimed she was used to these microaggressions, a recent interaction at a spa prompted her to share her experience. "I was at a spa, and this white lady asked where I was from. I said India. Then she said, “Did you learn English after coming here? Your English is exactly like mine.” I told her I’ve spoken English all my life and she just stared at me until her pedicure was done and she left," she wrote in the post.
Take a look at her post here:
The experience left her feeling exhausted. "I didn’t even know how to react. It wasn’t aggressive, but it was so ignorant. Stuff like this happens too often, and it’s exhausting," she said.
{{/usCountry}}The experience left her feeling exhausted. "I didn’t even know how to react. It wasn’t aggressive, but it was so ignorant. Stuff like this happens too often, and it’s exhausting," she said.
{{/usCountry}}The NRI added that another form of subtle racism, she has faced is often being told that she’s “not like other Indians” because of her fair skin. “How is that even a compliment?” she asked.
The post divided social media users. While some empathised with her complaints, others claimed the behaviour was ignorance rather than racism.
"That’s not racism, that’s ignorance. Unsurprisingly, there's a lot less of it in areas that are more diverse. You answer politely, don't take it personally, and go on with your life,” said one user.
Another said, "I grew up in the West, and the only way is to grow a thicker skin. In most people's minds, you will always be a second-class citizen, and these things will continue."
A third user urged her to dismiss such comments. "They are just people at the end of the day. They might have formed opinions based on what they usually experienced and you stood out. Take it in grace."