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Racism?

Roswell

I often find people look at me with suspicion or wariness when I look at them. I've noticed this doesn't happen to other people as much. I also sometimes get stared at if I go into a bar or on a bus.

I'm half-Jewish and in my family the genetics didn't go into my siblings and mother as much. I have more olive, dark skin and very Jewish looking hazy eyes.

Something that makes me wonder if it's racism is I've met two Spanish people recently and one Portuguese person and they were all really friendly with me, and of course, they have more olive coloured skin in those countries. 

  • EDIT  

    Considering the posting by Extraneous below, I feel my reply was very badly written. 
    It wasn't meant as a challenge or disregard to the original post.

    It was written to give considerations about the experiences and hopefully not feel so negative about them or confirm the negativity of them.   

    I don't want to mislead or upset, so out of respect I've deleted it. 

  • ...As this Thread is now dropping into obscurity (or similar) ... I shall venture this Post. Unfortunately, Nowadays, Sometimes simply mentioning other Races apart from one's own Race, seems to be seen as "racist"... Nowadays...

    https://www.stylist.co.uk/long-reads/nadiya-hussain-panic-attacks-disorder-anxiety-mental-health-symptoms-diagnosis-tips-self-care-bake-off-reality/215594

    ..."Nadiya Hussain" is a famous Muslim Lady. And that there, is the link to an interview concerning her having "Anxiety" and "Panic Disorder".  I post the most pertinant parts of it here, next:

    "Is mental health widely talked about within the Muslim community?

    Absolutely not. If you’ve got problems they’re either brushed under the carpet or you’ve been possessed by a jinn [supernatural creature]. If anything, it’s now even harder! There seems to always be an answer [to how to ‘cure’ it], but that’s not the answer. It’s finding out what the problem is."

    ...As asked in this Thread, 'Are there any Muslim or Hindu Members here?'...I also wondered this, but perhaps this interview explains why there might not be.

  • With any health condition, especially hereditary, then we are all different.  Out perceptions are that and unless someone with you confirms that then it remains just our own.  These perceptions are based on our personal experiences which change with time and experience.

  • Just to let you all know I have removed a video link that was posted in this thread as it might cause distress or offence to some users.

    Just a gentle reminder that this is a supportive community which provides a safe place to share openly with one another and it is maintained as a hate-free zone. We do not permit sexism, homophobia, racism, anti-Semitism, religious intolerance, transphobia, disability hate speech, hate speech, obscenities or pornography to be posted or linked to here ( community rule 6 ). 

    Heather - Mod

  • No offence to anybody reading this, but I'm a bit perturbed by the number of Jewish or Jewish in origin members of this forum who I have encountered over the years, despite such people comprising only a tiny fraction of the UK population. Are there any Muslim or Hindu members here? Religious groups which are far more numerous in terms of people living in the UK than Jews or Jewish origin are.

  • Often we can think things are happening more to us than others. I don't want to undermine or belittle your problems, they are very real to you and you may be subject to abuse, but perhaps you would allow me to say one or two things.

    First no one has to like everyone or even anyone.  There are many people, of all races, religions, beliefs, disabilities, ages, sexes and genders with whom I get on very well. There are also those whom I dislike intensely, some of whom may have done nothing inherently wrong to me.

    Second, we tend to notice certain things when we are affected by them ourselves or they are close to us. When I was subject to a life-changing condition (not autism I may add),  every television programme and news item seemed to be about that condition, from Casualty to Coronation Street, to the Ten o'clock news and every documentary, and every quiz programme seemed to feature a contestant with that condition. It was not that suddenly more programmes.were.discussing this it was just I noticed it more readily.

    And thirdly, if like me you are autistic, there are certain characteristics that make some folk think you are staring at them in a strange way, whether or not it is true or not.  Yes it is not nice when they take umbridge at you doing that, and they do not understand why you are doing it so it makes them feel disconcerted.  This is down to education that some people are autistic and do not realise what they are doing.  Life can be an uncomfortable journey.

    There will always be bigots who make crass remarks and are objectionable, whether they are doing it on grounds of race or not.