As someone of Asian descent, I've always found that my experiences tend to be different from those of my friends who are of European descent (I do have diverse friends, always have). When they discuss travel, especially to Europe, I hear things that don't match with my own experiences. I've had racist comments hurled at my face by total strangers, especially in the Netherlands. I have many relatives in the Netherlands. They have been there for 50-60 years, some were born there. They all speak fluent Dutch (my dad's generation spoke Dutch as a first language). My relatives are successful professionals (though many are retired now). Yet, they are treated as second class citizens at times, such as being served last though they have been waiting in queue earlier than others (I did actually see that myself). When I was a graduate student, I had a fellow grad student friend who's of Japanese descent but Canadian born. We were discussing our experiences in Amsterdam. She told me she had a group of young black men shout racist insults at her.

I grew up in a diverse multi-cultural community where someone's skin colour or ethnicity didn't matter. I had friends of all backgrounds and we didn't notice that we were any different. We were all just Canadian kids. Oftentimes, I don't even notice what someone's skin colour or ethnicity is (until someone ultimately reminds me I need to treat different people differently). Someone on this site called me "colour blind", and that is supposedly not a good thing. But I can't help that. I treat everyone as they treat me. I help anyone who needs help no matter who or what they are. I am not naive and unaware of the social/political/economic issues that relate to race and class. After all, I am educated in Anthropology, Sociology, Criminology, History, etc. I've worked pretty closely with indigenous communities as well.

The experiences of those students of yours are probably similar to mine (though may be much more severe and frequent for them). Growing up where we were and highly educated as we are, we just never expect to be singled out for racist comments. We grew up among people who didn't make our race an issue, then we go out to other environments, and we are shocked that some people would throw racist comments in our faces.

But racism isn't a one way street either. My relatives can be very racist towards persons of African/Carribean descent (it was interesting when I dated a couple of such individuals). My auntie came to my parents' anniversary party last year, and she said she didn't like London because "there are too many black people now". I was so disgusted at her. I wear my "colour blindness" with pride. I don't care.

Though racism is very much alive, it is my belief that is is dying a slow death. It is the people like you with empathy and compassion that's gonna play an important role in the necessary changes coming about. Thanks for sharing this experience here.

Unfortunately, for those of us in the US the disgust and shame you now feel towards your less enlightened countrymen as well as the anger is an every day occurrence. There have always been ignorant racists here, but in the past three years they've become emboldened and take pride in being lowlife scumbags.

The ONLY thing any of us can do is call it out when we witness it.
Influence the people in our lives as much as possible.
Refuse to accept it, and make those we catch acting that way, feel as
terrible as possible about it.
Shame them for being assholes.
Use your anger. Channel it into not remaining silent.

It's terrible. Our current political situation, with Brexit over there and Trump over here seems to be making people feel justified voicing these racist views. It's such a step backwards.

Tell them their best revenge is to succeed at what they are striving for. I am one person rooting for them. I have students of all colors, backgrounds, etc. That makes me feel so free. Please give them hugs for me.

and people will say "why don't blacks achieve as much?" This is why... minorities and those perceived as different are systematically beaten down from childhood in small and large ways.

I'm sorry they suffered that. I hope they rise above it and take their places wherever THEY choose to be. I hope they succeed and never look back and most of all I hope their children never suffer that abuse.

Unfortunately it is so because we do not know or take time to know each other. When we intermingle, when we take time to sit down and talk, we see that we are not that different, that we want the same things, to belong, to be loved, to be able to bring up our families, to work at a job that pays us at least a living wage, to feel like we are contributing, to feel like we matter. But when we have forces that try to divide us with lies, then it is extra difficult................

It's is horrible the way some people behave. I have come upon racism myself. As I am originally from Europe but live in Australia. I speak with a slight Scandinavian accent and sometimes at work when people call they want to speak to an Australian they say, they want to speak to my supervisor or someone higher up. Well I don't fall for that, I straight away pull them up about their racist remarks and ask them if they are Aborigines to have a right to question my nationality, most of them just hang up, some start swearing but they I end the call.

Shocking...and yet I’m not really surprised. In the areas away from the large metropolitan areas, where there are very many less black and ethnic minority people than you would find in any of the bigger cities, the amount of racism is high. I think it’s always been there, but it wasn’t always so obvious before the Brexit Referendum. The leave campaign seemed to unleash a flood of repressed racists....it was as though they were just waiting for permission to vent their ideas of hatred and bigotry. This government are not in control of anything, and the Police Commissioner has just stated that funding cuts are affecting the ability of the police to prevent and prosecute crime. I’m sure raciallly motivated crime is hugely on the increase, but the chance of the authorities getting to grips with it, especially preventing and countering it, is remote at present. Sad for people such as your students.

So sad. This is why the Black Lives Matter movement is important.

To me, that is sickening stereo-typing to say the least.
I was 'adopted' by Australian Aboriginal rite and lore with the agreement of my father when I was 13 years old by a very well respected and old Aboriginal friend and his wife.
Jack and Mary, my adoptive Aboriginal parents, had 2 sons and a daughter and ONE major rule in their household, NO Alcohol what-so-ever which both boys broke and were consequently asked to leave the family, young Virginia, " GinGin" as she called herself as a child, is a very brilliant, clever and highly intelligent person who, despite the hassles, etc, etc, has gained numerous degrees in Science and now holds a very prestigious position in a Scientific Research Organisation here in Australia.
My sister still calls herself Gin-Gin and still calls me the albino Brolga, the brolga being a native bird and known as the 'native companion' btw. Both Jack and Mary decided to give me the name Brolga because, like the bird, I had long, skinny legs and was always shuffling them around similar to how the birds 'dance.'
No matter the skin coloration or ethnicity, there should be NO precise little 'boxes' for anyone to made fit into, we can and SHOULD be allowed to strive for and reach our OWN fullest potential.

I have no words of wisdom but I am appalled at how humans treat one another over something as silly as skin color. We appreciate animals of varying colors but not our own species....

This is so painful and sad. As a military brat, I was raised in what I call a mini UN, type of environment, and feel this is what helped me form my views of other people. There were, black, brown, Asian, Indian, every type of people you could imagine. My parents were also very open minded and taught me that racism is an awful way to go through life. I look at behavior before anything else. I keep hoping one day the world will stop all this hatred simply because of the color of a person's skin. Please give a hug to your students from me.?

I feel your pain. It is just too easy now-a-days, to say things without wondering if this/that person will be offered. When I grew up, I was considered ‘poor white trash,’ but it was subdued and by adulthood, I had a decent sense of myself. But, people in my early adult years (back then) seem to show more respect for other people. However, only 50-60 yrs later, there seems to be blatant disregard, for people, in general! And it gets worse, if you are different in some obvious way. Maybe a large segment of any population, lacks empathy! At least, it appears so, here in the US.

This story just breaks my heart. Do what you can, when you can. That is all we can do. There are good people out there too. We need to speak our minds and drown those bigots out until their voices are so small that nobody can hear them. I wish I could hug and console your students.

Stand by and support them as you have been doing . . well done

Why would someone who's the target of such ignorance apologize? I'd like to introduce you to Julie's negro mentality. Did you know that years ago, and perhaps today, Blacks from other countries are encouraged to forgive white supremacy and are told they are different from American Blacks? So you feel anger because it's close to you.. like having that one black friend who was called a N? This entire system should make you angry. what is wrong with white folks are they just on another planet? I guess that's part of the privelige they experience.. I sound angry and hateful, but that's just seeing and expressing a view form a place different than yours. one that's been discounted.

I'm very sorry that you had to deal with the ugliness of racism. You were not directly involved, so don't be so hard on yourself. You're not close minded like those other idiots.

Do not feel guilty, racism is an irrational feeling, ignorant people and idiots are racist.

Your guilt is unearned. Don't be so hard on yourself. Your anger over the issue, however, is spot on. It is unbelievable that we are still dealing with this shit in the 21st century (and I would lump religion in with bold, bullying racism and all of the other backwards thinking that still affects human societies. =[

Nobody is born a racist.

Not being a Brit, I do not know what you mean when you say, "I am white, ginger, ...." What the hell is "ginger"?
Other than that, I don't see an end to racism anytime soon.
My first serious girlfriend (in the U.S. Army), was 1/2 white but I was unaware of that (she looked and passed for the most part as white and I did not really care. However, some of the white solders took it upon themselves to inform me that she was Black. "You do know she is Black", etc., as if, if I knew, I would break it off with her. Things did not work out...I as at a very bad point in my life and the relationship did not progress (my fault, not hers), and we made no plans to stay together when I was discharged. Things have come full circle and my son is engaged to be married to a real nice (intelligent as hell, very involved in bettering the world), Black girl.

maybe the fact that they were doing so well on the course had something to do.