student safety in St Petersburg

[Michele A. Berdy]

Well, I give up, Mr Hosseini. You don't want to acknowledge studies of hate 
crimes against non-whites conducted by Russians, or MVD statistics, or even, 
it would seem, Russian official statements about skinheads and nationalist 
violence. You seem to be content in thinking that it's no worse in Russia 
than in the US. Well, show me a US city that locks their minority students 
in their dorms on Hitler's birthday, and then I'll believe you.

Prof Meerson, there are various attempts to combat this, but there is, I 
think, a lack of real support at every level, including (unfortunately) the 
Church. And it's hard to erradicate because it has become socially 
acceptable to utter racial and ethnic slurs. I personally think the Russia 
media plays an enormous role encouraging this. Someone who did a TV film on 
the 1940s had no trouble with the bosses over showing aspects of Stalinism, 
but he was told to cut scenes showing a positive British character because 
"we don't need to show good foreigners on Russian TV."  Or you'll hear on 
Ekho Moskvy a "liberal" commentator saying, "Well, I'd expect that of naglye 
amerikantsy, but not of the French." It's very discouraging.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dustin Hosseini" <dustin.hosseini at GMAIL.COM>
To: <SEELANGS at bama.ua.edu>
Sent: Friday, November 27, 2009 4:48 AM
Subject: Re: [SEELANGS] student safety in St Petersburg


> So typical is this response if someone should question a source - and 
> claim
> that they don't like the answer.
>
> No, I am sorry for the fact that you do not understand that I am simply 
> not
> satisfied with the positions that have been provided.  I will admit, I am
> suspicious of evidence provided by Western organizations of Russia because
> they see what happens through a Western lens, which is tainted with ideas
> and ideals that do not currently exist in Russia itself.
>
> It might be strange to put this position forward, but I think that if we 
> as
> Westerners only see what happens in Russia through Western eyes, ideals,
> values, motivations, etc.,  then we are expecting too much...  Racism 
> exists
> in most if not all Western mentalities, but can we say it exists on the 
> same
> level in Russian mentality?
>
> Having said that, I ask that more evidence be presented rather than just
> looking at one single (small) group of people from which a blanket 
> statement
> is made.  As you have said, certainly not every single person of color is 
> at
> risk, but there still is a risk.  There's a risk in the UK, US, Germany, 
> or
> even Japan of anything happening based on the color of one's skin, or the
> slant of one's accent.
>
> Why not then survey the Chinese, Filipino, and Caucasian 'minorities' who
> live in Russia as well?   There are tons of Asiatic Russians that live all
> over Russia, but do we hear of them being discriminated against, beaten, 
> and
> spat on as you infer?  What about the so-called 'dark Russians', those 
> from
> the southern areas?
>
> I am sorry, but for you to say that well dressed white people are not
> stopped is a general statement that doesn't hold water.  I taught plenty 
> of
> students in Moscow who were completely white, yet they were stopped by
> police in Moscow for X or Y reason.  Oh, and they were reasonably dressed 
> if
> that helps.
>
> In terms of routine document checks, I think it is safe to say that from
> 2005 to 2009 there was a steady decline in the number of "routine checks".
> No, I don't have the statistics to back that up, but I have my own
> experience that will suffice for now.
>
>
> To Olga: Most people are racist to some extent, they just don't want to
> admit it.  Yes, that is a broad statement, but I honestly feel that it 
> true
> to a certain extent.  Jane Elliott's blue eyes/brown eyes experiment is a
> good example of this.   I have also been mistaken for being Georgian,
> Mexican, Arab, etc, etc, etc.  And I really hate the general idea among
> average Russians that 'all Westerners are Catholics', but all we can do is
> change the way Russians think by sending more students abroad to dispel
> those stereotypes...
>
> While we are on the topic of minorities, what about gay rights?  Do you on
> this board think that it is right for a British MP, or foreign gay rights
> activist, to go to Moscow to try and force gay rights upon the Russians?
>
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> No one is avoiding the question, but you don't seem to like the answer.
> People of color, Asians and dark-skinned people (who look like they might 
> be
> from the Caucasus) are the targets of hate crimes in Russia. There is 
> plenty
> of evidence of this, including the survey in which black people describe
> their experiences. Certainly not every single person of color, Asian, or
> dark-skinned person who comes to Russia experiences this, but it is a 
> risk.
>
> In addition to this, just about everyone may have problems with the cops,
> although the cops do not stop white people -- particularly well-dressed
> white people -- for "routine document checks" as frequently as they stop
> people of color, Asians and dark-skinned people.
>
> What do you think -- that if you gave the same survey to white foreigners 
> in
> Moscow you'd get the same results? Do you really think that 74.5% of white
> foreigners in Moscow have been verbally attacked in the way the Africans
> have?
>
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