commentary to student safety in St Petersburg

[Leigh Burns]

Hi there everyone;

I did not see the original commentary, and I liked and understand all the comments made on the topic.  Some may speak from experience, and some may speak from what they wish world would be.  I myself have raised this question in the past month to fellow classmates.  I am thinking of taking the trip to Russia but have been told by classmates that its highly dangerous, especially for people of color.  The classmate told me that Indian students going to school in saratov were roughed up, and he pretty much said I shouldn't visit the smaller cities alone.  I am a mixed person and I have been to many places on earth where my safety could ha been compromised, and I have been there alone.  I guess since I have been around the block, I thought the warnings were a bit uncalled for.

My comment/question is: I understand statistics and racism appears in many forms- should every non caucasian foreigner reroute their life away from russia just because a statistic says some caucasian has more of an idea to hurt me just because my skin color isn't like theirs?

Since this is being discussed in this circle and forum...should I keep my plans to live in Russia?  Or should I scrap the idea?

I ask this question because I've got a bit of experience being racially discriminated against.  I don't think I will let a statistic will scare me away fro the possibility of working in Moscow in the future.


As a minority in America, on one hand, I have and continue to face the same difficulties and dangerous had I lived in my mother's hometown of Pontotoc Mississippi, where skin head and klansmen want to rid themselves of the black people who live in the community. I face those same dangers if I am on the wrong side of a white supremacy rally in ,lets say, a state like Montana or Idaho. I face those same dangerous where I live in Arizona from backwards thinking chaps who believe in white power.  I heard racial slants against me even though I am in the military.

On the other hand, I don't think I should regulate my activities because of my brown skin.  If that were so, then the civil rights movement would not have happened.  If that were so then many people on earth would not have ever been.  If that were the case then I should be living in fear all the days of my life rather than enjoying all the world and its culture.

For the record, I've had racial slurs thrown at me through passing vehicles, and I was curious to know if the time and place were different would they do that.  I've been randomly pulled over because Im a brown skinned girl driving a car with tinted windows.  I've been the object of store owners glances because they think 'we all' steal.  

I do plan to make the trip across the pond agin to Moscow, Pete, and other places.  I think I will be alone during many parts of my journey as well.  MLK combatted racism by actually presenting it to the american population to understand. 

I am not sure if racism is exactly the same in russia, but the roots of racism are generally from the same fear and mindset.  Whether Russians would be racist because they completely hate and dislike another race to the point of extermination or enslavement, or whether they just are not used to people living amongst them who look different, I can't see us foreigners not going there just because there is a possibility for us to be roughed up.  One one hand, it happens everywhere. One the other hand, knowing the facts is good for your personal what we call in the military, SA, or situational awareness.

Leigh B
University of Arizona Graduate student
EC-130H Russian Linguist
Davis Monthan Air Force Base,
Tuscon Arizona



________________________________
From: Dustin Hosseini <dustin.hosseini at GMAIL.COM>
To: SEELANGS at bama.ua.edu
Sent: Thu, November 26, 2009 6:48:55 PM
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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