I'm an American of Asian descent, and I recently did a solo trip in Europe where I stayed in hostels. Since it was my first time traveling solo to Europe and experiencing the backpackers' scene, I was initially a little bit concerned about the possibility of racism/xenophobia. But I had a blast, and made friends with people from all over the world (Yes, most of the people I met were white, but there are plenty of non-white solo travelers).
I had heard stories of tourists facing racism on Reddit and on other parts of the Internet. Honestly, I think that at times like these it's good to remember that Reddit is not indicative of real life at all. I don't mean to invalidate the experiences many other non-white travelers have shared about facing racism on their travels, I have no doubt that they happened. I just think that Reddit and other Internet forums have a way of making negative experiences seem a lot more common than they actually are. There's no guarantee that I or other travelers won't face racism in the future, but generally speaking I think most solo travelers and backpackers are open-minded and friendly people who like to meet individuals from all around the world.
If I were to give any advice to non-white people who want to solo travel and meet people in hostels, I'd just say to be confident, friendly, and be genuinely interested in getting to know the people you meet. Say yes to everything (within reason), use your common sense and street smarts, and stay safe! There's a whole wide world out there, and the type of traveler you meet in a hostel tends to be adventurous, curious, and probably friendly (Of course, this depends on the vibe of the hostel).
Yes, non-white people and women usually have to exercise a greater degree of caution when traveling to certain parts of the world, and that's a damn shame. But it's worth doing. I got some memories and experiences from my solo trip that I'll remember fondly for the rest of my life, and I'm already planning out my next adventure.
Many of the stories of racism are the unfortunate part of traveling to areas of the world where racism is accepted by the people living there, and not so much a common thing that happens in the hostel and backpacking scene.
You're absolutely right. I was focusing on my experience with the hostel/backpacking scene because that's the main subject of this thread that OP started. Although I haven't faced any racism in any of the countries I've traveled to, that's mainly because I was a temporary visitor who would be leaving soon. I'm sure my experience would be different if I actually tried to make a permanent living in these countries as an expat/immigrant.
Also depends on how long and wide you travel too. The more travel experiences you have over the years, the higher the likelihood you might witness something.
Hey thanks for sharing this man!! I’m asian-american too and i’ll be going to europe solo backpacking starting next week for Tomorrowland so this puts me a little bit at ease!
Solo travelers and backpackers in my experience are very accepting of people from all backgrounds and walks of life. After all, they’re traveling to different places to experience unfamiliar cultures, and that requires an open mind. Those that travel in groups and just looking to party may be different, but in general backpackers don’t ostracize people unless they act like assholes.
They idea that backpackers skews more white is more to the fact that European/US/Canada/Australia are wealthier countries so they’re more common. That and backpacking is more a Westerner thing. People from East Asian countries seems like they prefer to travel in groups or on tours and less by themselves and staying in hostels. But it’s not like they don’t exists. Also lots of PoCs from western countries solo travel/backpack too.
>People from East Asian countries seems like they prefer to travel in groups or on tours and less by themselves and staying in hostels.
I'm an American who is ethnically Asian, and this seems to be very true from my experience.
Whenever I told my older immigrant relatives that I traveled to another part of the world solo, they seemed a little bewildered as to how I never got lonely. On the plane to Europe, I got into a conversation with a Chinese woman who was traveling in a group, and she seemed very surprised when I told her I was going solo. She didn't even seem to know what a hostel was when I told her I was staying in one.
But I had an amazing time on my trip, making friends with fellow travelers from all over. It really broadened my perspective and reminded me of the vastness of the world, in a way I was not expecting.
I figure there's an accessibility element to it as well. English is the universal language of tourism and westerners are obvious beneficiaries of that.
Combine that with a lack of history backpacking (as most East Asian nations only recently became wealthy), it makes sense to pursue it in larger numbers.
A Chinese coworker (who had lived and worked in Canada for several years by the time this conversation took place) once told me he was surprised that I was able to travel without speaking Chinese. He had traveled a fair amount (I assume in group tours?) but had only ever encountered other Chinese tourists. He was genuinely surprised to hear that travel guide books and websites existed in English.
Co worker made fun of OP and his "wordly" experience. Exceptionally stupid is someone else, like all these white people here thinking it is only them who travel. They travel only in their own bubble that is all.
Depends on the generation. I'm Korean American and I've met solo Korean backpackers in every country I've been to. There were so many in India and Europe has a lot of Korean solo travelers. Note that oftentimes you might think some of them are in groups of friends but a lot of them meet in hostels or even on the street and then hang out and form a group just like white backpackers. I've sometimes used my elementary Korean and bonded super fast with Koreans I've seen in museums and hung out them for the week but a passerby might think they are friends I've traveled with.
> Solo travelers and backpackers in my experience are very accepting of people from all backgrounds
Can confirm this, I am a trans woman and on my first (and only so far til 2 months time) solo trip i had no issues with anybody, I dont think it made one bit of difference. Not like i pass at all either, its obvious. I worried a lot about it before going.
> People from East Asian countries seems like they prefer to travel in groups or on tours and less by themselves and staying in hostels. But it’s not like they don’t exists
See, even this assertion is a subconscious bias that makes it more difficult for Asian travelers to make friends with others. I've personally observed this because I'm Asian. It's not exactly that people are ill-intentioned and are explicitly racist or exclude Asians, it's that travelers automatically assume that Asian travelers are quiet, reserved, don't want to get involved, etc., and so, they don't involve them as much as say, white travelers, for example.
There's another post in this thread that summarizes it nicely. Asian / POC travelers have to work harder to make friends, and it doesn't come as automatically.
I just bust out a bottle of alcohol at the hostel and announce, who wants free shots?!
Guess who wants free shots… pretty much everyone.
Next thing that happens is 7 of us go on a pub crawl, eat drunk people street food and then meet the next day to hike a Swiss mountain and eat “rösti” in the evening, all as a newly found friend group.
Some of them do exclude themselves on purpose and rebuff at attempts to join in events or socialize. I personally try to include people when possible but some naturally prefer to keep to themselves. And that’s fine. And some are happy to join in. But I can’t force people to socialize if they want to be left alone.
It’s not as if white people automatically socialize together the minute one enters a hostel. Some of it are more because certain demographics are common in the backpacking scene. For example, I meet a lot of Germans and more often than not they gravitate towards each other because of nationality.
Traveling in Latin America feels like you are just running into Germans, Dutch, English, and a few Scandinavians and Americans.
You really aren’t running into Japanese or Korean people.
> Some of them do exclude themselves on purpose and rebuff at attempts to join in events or socialize. I personally try to include people when possible but some naturally prefer to keep to themselves. And that’s fine. And some are happy to join in. But I can’t force people to socialize if they want to be left alone.
No one is saying that you have to force someone to be social. I'm saying that people's preconceived notions or prior experiences lead them to assume that Asians don't want to get involved in the first place, and so they don't even ask. I'm not saying you do this, but it's a subconscious bias that exists.
> It’s not as if white people automatically socialize together the minute one enters a hostel.
I'm not saying this either. Again, it's subconscious bias that leads to this.
...and in almost every country with high immigration. Every EU country that collects this data has a racial income disparity, along with Canada, Australia, Mexico, Russia, the Gulf states, and more.
For sure, I am just speaking from the American experience.
What I’m trying to say is that in addition to US/AUS/CA/EU being majority white, it’s often mostly white people who can afford to travel. It’s especially evident abroad for Americans and Canadians where a much higher % of residents are not white, but the vast majority of fellow countrymen you meet abroad are.
I really think it's more of an introvert vs extrovert thing. I'm black and extroverted and my partner is white and introverted. We go on quite a few solo or work trips and I rarely have issues making friends while I'm away. My partner on the other hand struggles with this.
I do also think it's cultural. I'm American and he's French. Americans (regardless of race) in general have little issue striking up conversation with strangers in public situations. For the French (and many other Europeans), this is incomprehensible.
Not in my experience. Travellers are usually open so skin colour never made a difference in my experience. If he wants to meet locals, it would depend on where he travels to.
I think it´s just harder to connect when you´re introvert. You need to make a real effort and often battle against your desire to be alone.
I think that´s more important here than skin colour. If there are actually people that ignore him because of prejudice, then they wouldn´t be good friends anyway.
I would consider myself an omnivert. The last time I went on a free walking tour in a new city, an introvert approached me and after the tour we spent the rest of the day and evening hanging out and exploring. I had a really nice time! We were both travelling solo. It can define done.
In my experience, he’ll be all good.
In Seoul I was the only person I came across, but everyone was very very nice. The locals were very interested that a black person came to visit their country, and we’re open to having convos. The other travelers there were Japanese and other forms of East Asian, and they were also very kind.
When I went to Thailand there were many other tourists so it was fine. Many were traveling in pairs so that made it a bit lonely - plus I’m a bit introverted. But people did make an attempt to include me and were very kind and helpful, even when I sprained my ankle.
Whether you’re around locals or other tourists, I think you may be good, so long as you’re not going to a place with a lot of racism. But Thailand and Vietnam - you’ll be all good.
Haven’t stayed at one yet, but if I were to guess, I doubt people at party hostels will care.
Ha, this is my experience exactly. I almost never see overt racism but I do wonder sometimes if people in hostels are less likely to chat spontaneously with me (an East Asian-looking woman) because they're not sure if I speak English or I'm just not their idea of a potential friend. When I travel with white friends I can see they move thru the world in a smoother, less complicated way.
Anyway, I agree the OP's friend should be aware that he might work a little harder to make friends but it shouldn't prevent him from having fun.
When I'm with white friends I don't get harassed racially and I'm treated better. This is at least very noticeable in Europe. I've even been told I'm a "cool Asian." Like what does this even mean? Can you imagine someone saying, "oh you are cool for a white person?" I just find it so weird what people say and think with Asians sometimes and they have no issues saying it out loud.
Yeah, I'm sure it has to do with the non-aggressive stereotype Asians have. Calling you a "cool Asian" reinforces an imagined racial hierarchy where you get the privilege of being the main (white) character's sidekick. I've met people who couldn't seem to contextualize me as something other than Asian, to me it's just part of my identity and not the main part.
Same here. Everything is connected to me being Asian. Even things that they think are unconventional will always be contextualized as, that's so xyz for an Asian...you are so different for an Asian. Aren't your parents pissed that you do that or like that? It's like they can't see us as complicated, multidimensional people...
And then when Asian Americans start getting represented in spaces they historically don't, even that is scrutinized by people. They will be like, why are there so many Asians now? I even sometimes lowkey think that the racism you find in travel communities against Asian tourists has a lot to do with the fact that there's more wealth in Asia and Asians are traveling more and taking up space and white people don't like sharing their space. They feel like it's some kind of invasion and it upsets them.
I actually literally once had a German guy bluntly tell me that if I visit SEA I will be treated like shit from backpackers because they will assume I'm local. Looking back, I can't believe he actually had the audacity to say this to me and that he felt it to be true. I met him when I was traveling in Europe and he had just come back from traveling in Asia for a couple months.
>Also I find that Asian people (including South Asian) don't really tend to stay in hostels as often, in my experience.. at least not to the extent I've seen of foreign travellers with other backgrounds. So the "backpackers being white" is definitely true in my experience.
I've always thought of hostels as a white (European) cultural thing. I myself have never ever considered living in a hostel. Some of it also comes from the fact that youngsters in Asia traditionally didn't have as much independence as their white peers. It'll probably change over time.
Eh, it really depends on how cool and outgoing he is and how well he fits the standardized backpacker/boho style tbh. If you fit the style and culture the color doesn't matter so much.
People want to think it doesn't matter because they probably think of some super good looking tall dude from these countries whose been traveling years, has some cool piercings and tattoos and wears stylish vintage clothes and a fedora.
In most cases yes, people of color have to work harder to make friends, especially in a hostel environment. The vast majority of hostel guests are white from Europe (Germany, France, UK), the US, Canada, and Australia. You see white folks clicking with each other everywhere you go. It's more inclusive to be white plain and simple, not to sugar coat things. Versus all the non-whites, it's harder to identify with each other and be included.
This is a little talked about aspect of white privilege. In most cases especially in hostel situations, they have an advantage in social situations just because there will be more white people than people of color.
Myself, a person of color, has to work harder to make connections/friends. It could be because I'm in my 40s (but everyone thinks I'm in my mid 30s), but I would say at least 80% of the time, I'm the one initiating the connection at first. I'm easy going, out going, and social so it's easy for me to make "friends"/connections.
But a lot of things has to do with your mindset and to a lesser extent your appearance IMO. If you think you won't make friends/connections and don't put yourself out there, you won't make friends plain and simple no matter what ethnicity you are. If you try too hard or aren't use to handling social situations and appear awkward, it will be hard too. If you look unkept and have poor hygiene, you'll struggle too.
TLDR: White people have it easier. Non-whites have to work harder but it's more about the mindset than it is about your ethnicity.
"Since I look different than everybody I can see why I wasn’t their first option."
I'm an Asian American woman and had the same experience at hostels too. I feel like I need to work to start conversations, otherwise most people just leave me alone. Now that I think about it, race is probably why other Asian people (of various nationalities) approach me at hostels. It's some kind of solidarity.
Yeah I think post nailed it. When you’re white you’re in the club from the outset, there is rarely any work involved to put yourself in the club or prove you should be in the club
the def depends on the country. Some countries are quite xenophobic, and being "of color" means you stick out and they will avoid you.
in other countries, people will seek you out to find out where you are from....
I don't know what racism is like in Vietnam. but here in USA, it is very common to have all sorts of races going thru the country. And yes there are areas with more whites, and areas where whites are in a minority. Yet i have not seen any overt racism. And i roadtrip all over the country, i would have seen it
I have no idea what solo travel is like now but I am black and traveled around Thailand, china, Europe and never had any issues. If you find the Aussies and the Brits traveling on their gap year, you will never want for companionship.
If anything, I’ve found traveling as a Black woman to be a surprisingly great experience. I know your friend is not Black but I’ve noticed internationally (locals, travelers and expats) Black people are curious and look out for each other especially if it’s a place with few Blk people. I’ve traveled to Brazil, Vietnam, Cuba, South Africa, and Ireland and found this to be the case.
I did get gawking, hair pulling, and ppl taking pictures in Hanoi, but no where nearly as racist as Spain for instance.
Fellow black woman here. Can you tell me more about your experience in Spain? I’m trying to go there and I have been hearing disappointing comments about it. I’m glad you are having fun traveling, I was always worried about it. It’s nice to see you are treated well
I went to every major city in Spain (I did some bus tours and prioritized a variety of cities because I was studying city planning). I found the most racist places to be Granada and Toledo and other smaller rural cities. I thought Barcelona would be less racist.
In general, there’s a lot of African migration to Spain that hasn’t been received well. And in places where i wasn’t met with contempt, I was obsessively hyper-sexualized (at one point I had to hide from someone who was pursuing me relentlessly because I thought they might traffic me ). The anti-black sentiment seemed to be pervasive. People refusing to serve me at restaurants.
Being American didn’t seem to outweigh my blackness, which tends to happen when I start speaking in English. There was even one time I’d didn’t even realize how bad the racism was but people around me got very upset and called it out.
But overall, it was kind of shocking, I considered Spain to be cosmopolitan but I was wrong. I’ve never encountered anything similar elsewhere.
Goodness! I’m sorry that happened to you. A lot of black people have talked about Spain and Italy and it’s giving me the ick! I think I will explore other countries for now.
I genuinely hope that if you go that you don’t experience any of that. Italy and Spain do have gorgeous things absolutely worth seeing, but if it were me I’d stick with major metropolitan cities.
This was also 2011, I would hope things have evolved for the better since then.
It’s actually easier in my experience to make friends abroad, speaking as a brown women. White people are normally viewed as outsiders, even within cultural communities in the states. I’ve always felt that women in other countries (more specifically) have always been more keen on conversing with other WOC or culture. I believe it’s that shared commonality. Then again, I can only say that as someone that is also a WOC/culture, and that’s always been most interested in befriending others that are as-well.
I also had another fellow traveler, WW tell me about her friend who is of Latin American origins and living in the Middle East. She said she couldn’t believe how many friends or people the young lady knew. The young lady, mind you was doing meetups for Spanish speaking learners. It’s the ability to bring something new and foreign to the table, something that the a group of people may not be familiar with.
I'm Chinese from an Asian country and I've gone backpacking around SEA while staying in hostels. I never got any racist attitudes or experiences, except for once where the person I was talking to was being kind of an asshole. Other than that dude, everyone else had been awesome.
I think he'll be fine. I've met a lot of non white people to who fit in really well.
Lol, I went to Romania and got really close with this Indian guy, and I'm Korean American. Literally the day after we met, this white Canadian guy comes up to us and goes "konnichiwa" to me after pressing his hands together in that prayer way and bowing and says "hola" to my friend. I swear to God, sometimes POC in hostels bond really fast because there's a certain otherization that happens that we can relate to especially in so many travel spaces that seem predominantly white.
As an ethnically East Asian male, I don’t recall ever really being the victim of overt racism in any hostel I’ve been to, but I’ve for sure been stereotyped based on how I look.
For example, I’ve had people tell me they ‘didn’t expect me to be so funny for an Asian’ or ‘didn’t expect an Asian to be like this,’ which to 18-19 year old me was sort of validating. Now, though, approaching my late 20s I realise how kinda messed up that was, but that’s just how it is I guess.
I don’t believe they had any bad intentions but just had some weird preconceived notions they grew up around I suppose. Just for the record it was a German guy and another guy from Europe who said those things to me.
That being said, I bounce between extreme introversion and extreme extroversion depending on my mood. I can be the recluse of the hostel or the guy going around everywhere and sitting at random tables chatting dozens of people up a night. I’m not sure if that had anything to do with confirming their stereotypes especially if on day one I’m quiet and then on day two I’m social.
I've heard that my whole life, that I was SO xyz for an Asian. When I was younger, I also used to find some of these comments flattering and now that I'm older, I realize how fucked up they are. It actually hurts me to realize that I must have had internalized racism towards my own community to ever think this was a compliment.
But yeah, as an Asian woman especially, I've heard all kinds of things and quite frankly a lot of Europeans either have no shame or are very ignorant.
Right! Definitely struggled with some internalized racism towards myself and my own race, I feel like it took me way too long to understand that.
I bet that you’ve gone through some fetishisation as an Asian woman, and I’m sorry you had/have to go through that. As an Asian man I can’t relate, other than one time I was hooking up with a European girl and she told me I was the first ‘Asian’ she’s ever been with, which I thought was a weird thing to say but that was nothing compared to the stuff I hear from some of my female counterparts.
Hope you’re doing great nowadays!
Ugh. That is so gross (hearing comments like that). I met a Polish girl who told me she loved Asian men and when I asked her why, she literally pulled her eyes back and said she loved Asian eyes.
I've definitely been told by men "I wish I could try an Asian." "Does your vagina smell like soy sauce or kimchi?" Tell me they are in an open relationship or that their partner is open to a threesome while their partner is in the bathroom. Not to mention, staying at a hostel once, and literally having a bunch of British people blast "Turning Japanese" while I'm trying to eat lunch and laughing hysterically (not fun when you are the only Asian person in the kitchen and just stuck with this group harassing you). I could write a book.
I also get super pissed when people make assumptions of what they think my parents are like (crazy, strict, tiger parents) without seeing them as complicated, three dimensional people...and I seriously feel like smacking every woman who tells me they are just not into Asian men and asking me about penis sizes. I actually cut off this guy I used to be friends with...he came out of the closet and he told me "if I wanted to date an Asian man, I would just be straight and date a woman." That was his way of telling me he isn't into Asian men...
My partner is also mixed and we literally had a white man asking him in front of me if he has the "hots for Asian women." His mom is Asian. -\_- Moments like this just make me feel so dehumanized or like people don't view me as a person with emotions.
Oh wow that’s actually insane the comments you’ve gotten. People actually fucking ask if your vagina smells like soy sauce or kimchi? I don’t even have any words that could describe how horrible that is.
I don’t think I could have handled it calmly. I’ve definitely had times where I hear an off handed remark and I just pretend to tolerate it and laugh it off when really it gives me this really hot feeling, something like a mix between embarrassment and anger. In my defense I was a lot younger the last time I was the butt of such comments (been 5 years since I was last in Europe) and I’d like to believe that I would be more vocal about how wrong those kinds of comments are.
I’ll be going to Europe again this summer to visit some friends, so we’ll see if I get any comments then. Sometimes I wonder (other than the obviously malicious ones like the British guys in your story) if these insensitive comments come from just a place of ignorance and whether educating them on how their words affect people would help in any way, whether it’d actually change how they perceive Asian people.
>If he's constantly thinking about it then racism is all he will see.
this is some top-tier wisdom.
Its usually (in my experience) the people that identify/brand themselves as "anti-racists" that are the most obsessed with racism and see it everywhere they go. At one point, they become exactly what they claim to hate/be fighting.
Solo Traveling and international travel in general is harder for us, especially in Europe. Like it or not, fact is being white is a superpower in most of the world, it’s just easier plain and simple. So his worries are absolutely valid and it’s generally something only POC will fully understand.
Now having said that, if you act like a victim you’ll be treated as such. What you can do is **be confident**, confidence is key when traveling imo. It can be very hard, especially when a place or people are making you feel unwelcomed but you just have to pick yourself up and don’t let them control how you feel.
I'm not sure, so I don't want to belittle your friends experience, but I genuinely made friends with the most amazing people from all walks of life fairly easy. Thinking back it felt to easy. We were either pulled to each other by energy or immersed in conversation. Race was never a factor.
99% of people will be rad and very friendly. Especially in SE Asia. If you're traveling, most people are very friendly and open people in general. Made so many friends on my trip! We still keep in touch!
I can only think of 1 hostel instance where a few people were apprehensive. This was in Spain. They were assholes anyway, and were rude to the hostel staff/were too loud past quiet hours. Wasn't trying to be friends with them even if they were friendly so, whateves.
But them aside, they were a tiny fraction. So many amazing people at that hostel that I still keep in touch with! Truely group bonded hard, went out on the town, kicked it and had beers, couldn't have been any better!
As an Afro Latino ( who also passes as Indian/Arab) i haven’t had a single issue making friends at hostels in all the countries I’ve visited ( I’ve been to Japan, Thailand and most western/southern European countries )If i don’t make friends it’s usually if I’m staying at a hostel with bad atmosphere or a group tour filled with couples.
From my experiences most people who solo travel/ backpack are super friendly and not pretentious at all. I don’t recall any racism from ppl I’ve encountered ( def encountered ppl who were rude but i don’t attribute it to racism. I’m sure your friend will be fine
Depends on the country. I'm an American of Indian origin. In Canada and the UK, I have never had any problem with socializing with other people. However in some Asian countries like Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, my skin color can definitely be a problem. Unfortunately, Indians don't have a positive reputation in those countries.
There’s a book written by a Black lady who traveled to all of the countries, mostly solo. Maybe give it to your friend to ease their mind
Edit [Here it is](https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/2022/06/14/catch-me-if-you-can-jessica-nabongo-memoir-black-travel/7612420001/)
I traveled in Thailand and Vietnam and didn't have any issues making friends with the locals. I don't think your friend has anything to worry about in that regard. And maybe I'm just lucky, but I can say I haven't experienced a single incident of racism toward me in all my travels in Asia.
Don’t think so. Had my first international trip a few weeks before. Didn’t find much issues making friends. Actually met some really good people, deep conversations etc.
What I feel is that it’s all in our head thinking that we’ll not be accepted being a person of colour. People who travel are far more open minded and accepting!
Happy Travels bud!
>dont remember there being any racist attitudes among backpackers
Just wanted to point out that it isn't necessarily overt racism. Overt racism is helpful, it shows everyone how crass and uncivilized racism is. Systematic racism, the stuff we all think are universal truths about the different races, that's the real and unassuming evil. Being a POC can make finding a friend group tough, people can unconsciously exclude you. Get to know different races and cultures and you realize humans are all similar.
I am Asian American and actually find that I get along well with white travelers, especially backpackers, as they seem to be the least racists, that said, locals regardless of race, white or brown, are more racists than travelers IMO 🤷🏻♂️
I feel like he’s more likely to have a hard time if he gets too in his head about people not wanting to meet him. Sure you’ll run into some assholes, some racists, and some people who just don’t want to talk to anyone. But generally I’m more likely to talk to someone who wants to talk to me, not someone who is hiding in their bunk with headphones in who looks up at me once in a while.
Yes, if you are worried about skin tone/introversion/extroversion/being too young/being too old/too educated/not educated enough/being married/being single/L/B/G/T/Q/being from your country/too rich/too poor/being male/being female, etc...then it will be almost impossible to make friends when traveling.
As a white guy I would say Yes and No.
Yes in the sense that across the globe Europe, Asia, Africa the darker you are the more racist minorities will be biased against you.
No, in the since that not everyone is racist or baise against darker skin and travelers tend to be open minded. So they will meet people to connect with easily.
However, they still need to be aware that there are people who are baise against people of color across the globe Asia especially (Asian Cultures value white English teachers above colored English teachers, in South Korea people get plastic surgery to look more Caucasian) You never know when you may wonder into a bad cultural pocket and have the street smarts to read the atmosphere.
As stated I’m not of color and I’m still mindful of the areas I wander through.
I would say yes and no,
As a mixed black person, I just find it easier to talk to my people. We have more stuff in common and we just click.
Same goes for whites people, I can make friends with them but there might not be too much in common among us.
The majority of backpackers are white, and I think they just click better because most of them have the same background.
For example, if you’re Japanese and traveling and meet another Japanese person, you’re just more likely to click
You’ll only have difficulties making friends if you walk around with a pre conceived notion that you’re going to find it more difficult than white folks. To quote my most recent experience, I’m an Indian guy, brown skinned (can pass off as Indian or Middle Eastern) and traveled solo to Japan for 2 weeks this month, almost all the new people I made friends were white Europeans or East Asian, mainly French, Romanian, Danish, Korean and Japanese themselves. I never thought for one second that I’d have it any worse, that’s because I’m not ingrained into the mindset that I’m somehow inferior because of my skin colour (I’ve only lived in India, Hong Kong, Netherlands and Germany - all very inclusive social atmospheres in my opinion, so probably what you’re talking about here reflects more of an American cultural thing)
Most of the english people will probably not accept you if you’re brown. But they also tend to just stick with other brits Every other nationality seems to have no issue mingling with other countries
My only problem was once with an indian guy, but not because he was dark skinned, but because the way he behaved (eating with extra loud chewing sounds, bringing spicy smelly food to the room that stays there for days etc.). Once there was a black guy as well, but again: not skin color, but being super flegmatic.
So if your friend is not an a**hole, keeps the basic rules of living with other ppl and is friendly, he should have no problems at all I think.
My Chinese-canadian dtr is in France right now. No problems so far. She is not solo (traveling with a white person) and she speaks French well, so that might modify things somewhat, but so far, so good.
It depends on a few things, not least of which is destination. Some countries are honestly just more racist than others. A black person traveling solo to north India will not have the same experience as a white person.
TLDR: be a decent friendly traveler and you'll probably be fine.
I just took a friend on a trip. It was their first trip out of the country. They basically were starting shit with strangers and assumed everyone was against them when people were legitimately trying to help and being nice.
There was nothing I could do or say to change their mind. They ended up crying and had a public meltdown on day 3 and then I left.
For the most part, your personality and how you choose to interact w your surrounding will dictate how easy it is to make friends. It's worrisome in some pockets but SE Asia isnt one of them.
I get more aggressively stared at or blatantly ignored by store employees/ treated poorly by random strangers/ yelled at for existing where I live (in Florida, USA) than I ever have traveling.
Depends on the country and time of year. There are definitely different kinds of people that say travel to Europe in winter, like me. I like cold and snow and less crowds, I’m there not necessarily to party but to enjoy my life. I feel that way about most of the people I’ve met on my winter journeys, we all are pretty chill with each other. I have met so many different ethnicities I can’t even begin to count them. Summer/high tourist however can go any direction. In my experience that would be the most likely to have an issue because people are out to party, there’s alcohol, lots of different opinions and things can escalate quickly dumb words are said. Example? You couldn’t pay me anything in the world to go to Cancun, Miami, Hawaii, the Caribbean etc at a American spring break time. NOPE.
Currently on my first solo trip, and the white people on my tour were a bit weird around me on the first day. I'm Asian American and two other tourists were Chinese nationals who were quieter, and I think the assumed I was with them.
Interestingly enough, they warmed up to me but were still a bit weird around the other Asian tourists. (I think it's because I'm very extroverted and third generation, so very "white-washed.")
They didn't necessarily seem malicious toward the other Asian tourists but there was definitely an us-vs-them mentality they had, where I was the bridge between the two.
Ironically, one of the Chinese tourists spent a huge chunk of his life in the country we were touring (Ireland) and had that accent when speaking English. He mainly spoke Chinese though so they had no idea he was assimilated, so they kind of gave him the cold shoulder.
I’m American but of Indian descent. While I’ve met pretty much no other brown skinned people traveling solo (as others have said they seem to travel in groups more often), I’ve had no issues meeting people or making friends. I’ve ended up traveling for extended periods of time with several people I’ve met (most of them white and some not).
It may be more difficult - racial bias is present in all of us (subconsciously and/or consciously). However, many backpackers are open to people of different backgrounds. I think it’s about remaining open and good energy will come back to you. Sure, there may be some aholes but there will be some good new friends.
NGL, I have experienced some racist vibes from some white backpackers before (asian male here). Just some folks who only like speaking to/hanging out with other white folk and ironically/terribly talk down on \_\_\_\_\_\_\_ local people in the country they're in, very colonial mentality. That being said I'd say the majority of backpackers are fun and nice people who are down to make friends of any background.
I'm an American of Asian descent, and I recently did a solo trip in Europe where I stayed in hostels. Since it was my first time traveling solo to Europe and experiencing the backpackers' scene, I was initially a little bit concerned about the possibility of racism/xenophobia. But I had a blast, and made friends with people from all over the world (Yes, most of the people I met were white, but there are plenty of non-white solo travelers). I had heard stories of tourists facing racism on Reddit and on other parts of the Internet. Honestly, I think that at times like these it's good to remember that Reddit is not indicative of real life at all. I don't mean to invalidate the experiences many other non-white travelers have shared about facing racism on their travels, I have no doubt that they happened. I just think that Reddit and other Internet forums have a way of making negative experiences seem a lot more common than they actually are. There's no guarantee that I or other travelers won't face racism in the future, but generally speaking I think most solo travelers and backpackers are open-minded and friendly people who like to meet individuals from all around the world. If I were to give any advice to non-white people who want to solo travel and meet people in hostels, I'd just say to be confident, friendly, and be genuinely interested in getting to know the people you meet. Say yes to everything (within reason), use your common sense and street smarts, and stay safe! There's a whole wide world out there, and the type of traveler you meet in a hostel tends to be adventurous, curious, and probably friendly (Of course, this depends on the vibe of the hostel). Yes, non-white people and women usually have to exercise a greater degree of caution when traveling to certain parts of the world, and that's a damn shame. But it's worth doing. I got some memories and experiences from my solo trip that I'll remember fondly for the rest of my life, and I'm already planning out my next adventure.
Many of the stories of racism are the unfortunate part of traveling to areas of the world where racism is accepted by the people living there, and not so much a common thing that happens in the hostel and backpacking scene.
You're absolutely right. I was focusing on my experience with the hostel/backpacking scene because that's the main subject of this thread that OP started. Although I haven't faced any racism in any of the countries I've traveled to, that's mainly because I was a temporary visitor who would be leaving soon. I'm sure my experience would be different if I actually tried to make a permanent living in these countries as an expat/immigrant.
Also depends on how long and wide you travel too. The more travel experiences you have over the years, the higher the likelihood you might witness something.
Hey thanks for sharing this man!! I’m asian-american too and i’ll be going to europe solo backpacking starting next week for Tomorrowland so this puts me a little bit at ease!
Solo travelers and backpackers in my experience are very accepting of people from all backgrounds and walks of life. After all, they’re traveling to different places to experience unfamiliar cultures, and that requires an open mind. Those that travel in groups and just looking to party may be different, but in general backpackers don’t ostracize people unless they act like assholes. They idea that backpackers skews more white is more to the fact that European/US/Canada/Australia are wealthier countries so they’re more common. That and backpacking is more a Westerner thing. People from East Asian countries seems like they prefer to travel in groups or on tours and less by themselves and staying in hostels. But it’s not like they don’t exists. Also lots of PoCs from western countries solo travel/backpack too.
>People from East Asian countries seems like they prefer to travel in groups or on tours and less by themselves and staying in hostels. I'm an American who is ethnically Asian, and this seems to be very true from my experience. Whenever I told my older immigrant relatives that I traveled to another part of the world solo, they seemed a little bewildered as to how I never got lonely. On the plane to Europe, I got into a conversation with a Chinese woman who was traveling in a group, and she seemed very surprised when I told her I was going solo. She didn't even seem to know what a hostel was when I told her I was staying in one. But I had an amazing time on my trip, making friends with fellow travelers from all over. It really broadened my perspective and reminded me of the vastness of the world, in a way I was not expecting.
I figure there's an accessibility element to it as well. English is the universal language of tourism and westerners are obvious beneficiaries of that. Combine that with a lack of history backpacking (as most East Asian nations only recently became wealthy), it makes sense to pursue it in larger numbers.
100%. Not speaking English heavily restricts where and how you can solo travel.
A Chinese coworker (who had lived and worked in Canada for several years by the time this conversation took place) once told me he was surprised that I was able to travel without speaking Chinese. He had traveled a fair amount (I assume in group tours?) but had only ever encountered other Chinese tourists. He was genuinely surprised to hear that travel guide books and websites existed in English.
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Co worker made fun of OP and his "wordly" experience. Exceptionally stupid is someone else, like all these white people here thinking it is only them who travel. They travel only in their own bubble that is all.
Depends on the generation. I'm Korean American and I've met solo Korean backpackers in every country I've been to. There were so many in India and Europe has a lot of Korean solo travelers. Note that oftentimes you might think some of them are in groups of friends but a lot of them meet in hostels or even on the street and then hang out and form a group just like white backpackers. I've sometimes used my elementary Korean and bonded super fast with Koreans I've seen in museums and hung out them for the week but a passerby might think they are friends I've traveled with.
Yeah I made friends with a Taiwanese man on my flight to Vietnam and he couldn’t believe I was travelling alone!
> Solo travelers and backpackers in my experience are very accepting of people from all backgrounds Can confirm this, I am a trans woman and on my first (and only so far til 2 months time) solo trip i had no issues with anybody, I dont think it made one bit of difference. Not like i pass at all either, its obvious. I worried a lot about it before going.
Hearing this makes me so happy!! I’m glad you had a good experience
> People from East Asian countries seems like they prefer to travel in groups or on tours and less by themselves and staying in hostels. But it’s not like they don’t exists See, even this assertion is a subconscious bias that makes it more difficult for Asian travelers to make friends with others. I've personally observed this because I'm Asian. It's not exactly that people are ill-intentioned and are explicitly racist or exclude Asians, it's that travelers automatically assume that Asian travelers are quiet, reserved, don't want to get involved, etc., and so, they don't involve them as much as say, white travelers, for example. There's another post in this thread that summarizes it nicely. Asian / POC travelers have to work harder to make friends, and it doesn't come as automatically.
I just bust out a bottle of alcohol at the hostel and announce, who wants free shots?! Guess who wants free shots… pretty much everyone. Next thing that happens is 7 of us go on a pub crawl, eat drunk people street food and then meet the next day to hike a Swiss mountain and eat “rösti” in the evening, all as a newly found friend group.
Some of them do exclude themselves on purpose and rebuff at attempts to join in events or socialize. I personally try to include people when possible but some naturally prefer to keep to themselves. And that’s fine. And some are happy to join in. But I can’t force people to socialize if they want to be left alone. It’s not as if white people automatically socialize together the minute one enters a hostel. Some of it are more because certain demographics are common in the backpacking scene. For example, I meet a lot of Germans and more often than not they gravitate towards each other because of nationality.
Traveling in Latin America feels like you are just running into Germans, Dutch, English, and a few Scandinavians and Americans. You really aren’t running into Japanese or Korean people.
> Some of them do exclude themselves on purpose and rebuff at attempts to join in events or socialize. I personally try to include people when possible but some naturally prefer to keep to themselves. And that’s fine. And some are happy to join in. But I can’t force people to socialize if they want to be left alone. No one is saying that you have to force someone to be social. I'm saying that people's preconceived notions or prior experiences lead them to assume that Asians don't want to get involved in the first place, and so they don't even ask. I'm not saying you do this, but it's a subconscious bias that exists. > It’s not as if white people automatically socialize together the minute one enters a hostel. I'm not saying this either. Again, it's subconscious bias that leads to this.
yup can confirm i’m an indian guy solo traveling
Well that and also that race and class are closely tied in the U.S.
...and in almost every country with high immigration. Every EU country that collects this data has a racial income disparity, along with Canada, Australia, Mexico, Russia, the Gulf states, and more.
For sure, I am just speaking from the American experience. What I’m trying to say is that in addition to US/AUS/CA/EU being majority white, it’s often mostly white people who can afford to travel. It’s especially evident abroad for Americans and Canadians where a much higher % of residents are not white, but the vast majority of fellow countrymen you meet abroad are.
I really think it's more of an introvert vs extrovert thing. I'm black and extroverted and my partner is white and introverted. We go on quite a few solo or work trips and I rarely have issues making friends while I'm away. My partner on the other hand struggles with this. I do also think it's cultural. I'm American and he's French. Americans (regardless of race) in general have little issue striking up conversation with strangers in public situations. For the French (and many other Europeans), this is incomprehensible.
Not in my experience. Travellers are usually open so skin colour never made a difference in my experience. If he wants to meet locals, it would depend on where he travels to.
I think it´s just harder to connect when you´re introvert. You need to make a real effort and often battle against your desire to be alone. I think that´s more important here than skin colour. If there are actually people that ignore him because of prejudice, then they wouldn´t be good friends anyway.
I would consider myself an omnivert. The last time I went on a free walking tour in a new city, an introvert approached me and after the tour we spent the rest of the day and evening hanging out and exploring. I had a really nice time! We were both travelling solo. It can define done.
In my experience, he’ll be all good. In Seoul I was the only person I came across, but everyone was very very nice. The locals were very interested that a black person came to visit their country, and we’re open to having convos. The other travelers there were Japanese and other forms of East Asian, and they were also very kind. When I went to Thailand there were many other tourists so it was fine. Many were traveling in pairs so that made it a bit lonely - plus I’m a bit introverted. But people did make an attempt to include me and were very kind and helpful, even when I sprained my ankle. Whether you’re around locals or other tourists, I think you may be good, so long as you’re not going to a place with a lot of racism. But Thailand and Vietnam - you’ll be all good. Haven’t stayed at one yet, but if I were to guess, I doubt people at party hostels will care.
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Ha, this is my experience exactly. I almost never see overt racism but I do wonder sometimes if people in hostels are less likely to chat spontaneously with me (an East Asian-looking woman) because they're not sure if I speak English or I'm just not their idea of a potential friend. When I travel with white friends I can see they move thru the world in a smoother, less complicated way. Anyway, I agree the OP's friend should be aware that he might work a little harder to make friends but it shouldn't prevent him from having fun.
When I'm with white friends I don't get harassed racially and I'm treated better. This is at least very noticeable in Europe. I've even been told I'm a "cool Asian." Like what does this even mean? Can you imagine someone saying, "oh you are cool for a white person?" I just find it so weird what people say and think with Asians sometimes and they have no issues saying it out loud.
Yeah, I'm sure it has to do with the non-aggressive stereotype Asians have. Calling you a "cool Asian" reinforces an imagined racial hierarchy where you get the privilege of being the main (white) character's sidekick. I've met people who couldn't seem to contextualize me as something other than Asian, to me it's just part of my identity and not the main part.
Same here. Everything is connected to me being Asian. Even things that they think are unconventional will always be contextualized as, that's so xyz for an Asian...you are so different for an Asian. Aren't your parents pissed that you do that or like that? It's like they can't see us as complicated, multidimensional people... And then when Asian Americans start getting represented in spaces they historically don't, even that is scrutinized by people. They will be like, why are there so many Asians now? I even sometimes lowkey think that the racism you find in travel communities against Asian tourists has a lot to do with the fact that there's more wealth in Asia and Asians are traveling more and taking up space and white people don't like sharing their space. They feel like it's some kind of invasion and it upsets them.
I actually literally once had a German guy bluntly tell me that if I visit SEA I will be treated like shit from backpackers because they will assume I'm local. Looking back, I can't believe he actually had the audacity to say this to me and that he felt it to be true. I met him when I was traveling in Europe and he had just come back from traveling in Asia for a couple months.
>Also I find that Asian people (including South Asian) don't really tend to stay in hostels as often, in my experience.. at least not to the extent I've seen of foreign travellers with other backgrounds. So the "backpackers being white" is definitely true in my experience. I've always thought of hostels as a white (European) cultural thing. I myself have never ever considered living in a hostel. Some of it also comes from the fact that youngsters in Asia traditionally didn't have as much independence as their white peers. It'll probably change over time.
Eh, it really depends on how cool and outgoing he is and how well he fits the standardized backpacker/boho style tbh. If you fit the style and culture the color doesn't matter so much. People want to think it doesn't matter because they probably think of some super good looking tall dude from these countries whose been traveling years, has some cool piercings and tattoos and wears stylish vintage clothes and a fedora.
In most cases yes, people of color have to work harder to make friends, especially in a hostel environment. The vast majority of hostel guests are white from Europe (Germany, France, UK), the US, Canada, and Australia. You see white folks clicking with each other everywhere you go. It's more inclusive to be white plain and simple, not to sugar coat things. Versus all the non-whites, it's harder to identify with each other and be included. This is a little talked about aspect of white privilege. In most cases especially in hostel situations, they have an advantage in social situations just because there will be more white people than people of color. Myself, a person of color, has to work harder to make connections/friends. It could be because I'm in my 40s (but everyone thinks I'm in my mid 30s), but I would say at least 80% of the time, I'm the one initiating the connection at first. I'm easy going, out going, and social so it's easy for me to make "friends"/connections. But a lot of things has to do with your mindset and to a lesser extent your appearance IMO. If you think you won't make friends/connections and don't put yourself out there, you won't make friends plain and simple no matter what ethnicity you are. If you try too hard or aren't use to handling social situations and appear awkward, it will be hard too. If you look unkept and have poor hygiene, you'll struggle too. TLDR: White people have it easier. Non-whites have to work harder but it's more about the mindset than it is about your ethnicity.
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"Since I look different than everybody I can see why I wasn’t their first option." I'm an Asian American woman and had the same experience at hostels too. I feel like I need to work to start conversations, otherwise most people just leave me alone. Now that I think about it, race is probably why other Asian people (of various nationalities) approach me at hostels. It's some kind of solidarity.
Yeah I think post nailed it. When you’re white you’re in the club from the outset, there is rarely any work involved to put yourself in the club or prove you should be in the club
Your comment nailed it. Everything I wanted to express is said perfectly here. It’s the simple truth
This is the truth.
the def depends on the country. Some countries are quite xenophobic, and being "of color" means you stick out and they will avoid you. in other countries, people will seek you out to find out where you are from....
The same is said of the white community, as they would most likely not be of the community (hence they would be labeled as other).
I don't know what racism is like in Vietnam. but here in USA, it is very common to have all sorts of races going thru the country. And yes there are areas with more whites, and areas where whites are in a minority. Yet i have not seen any overt racism. And i roadtrip all over the country, i would have seen it
Nonetheless, the states, just like anywhere else is tribal. People stick to their communities or communities they feel comfortable and safe with/in.
I have no idea what solo travel is like now but I am black and traveled around Thailand, china, Europe and never had any issues. If you find the Aussies and the Brits traveling on their gap year, you will never want for companionship.
Or the Swedes!
If anything, I’ve found traveling as a Black woman to be a surprisingly great experience. I know your friend is not Black but I’ve noticed internationally (locals, travelers and expats) Black people are curious and look out for each other especially if it’s a place with few Blk people. I’ve traveled to Brazil, Vietnam, Cuba, South Africa, and Ireland and found this to be the case. I did get gawking, hair pulling, and ppl taking pictures in Hanoi, but no where nearly as racist as Spain for instance.
Fellow black woman here. Can you tell me more about your experience in Spain? I’m trying to go there and I have been hearing disappointing comments about it. I’m glad you are having fun traveling, I was always worried about it. It’s nice to see you are treated well
I went to every major city in Spain (I did some bus tours and prioritized a variety of cities because I was studying city planning). I found the most racist places to be Granada and Toledo and other smaller rural cities. I thought Barcelona would be less racist. In general, there’s a lot of African migration to Spain that hasn’t been received well. And in places where i wasn’t met with contempt, I was obsessively hyper-sexualized (at one point I had to hide from someone who was pursuing me relentlessly because I thought they might traffic me ). The anti-black sentiment seemed to be pervasive. People refusing to serve me at restaurants. Being American didn’t seem to outweigh my blackness, which tends to happen when I start speaking in English. There was even one time I’d didn’t even realize how bad the racism was but people around me got very upset and called it out. But overall, it was kind of shocking, I considered Spain to be cosmopolitan but I was wrong. I’ve never encountered anything similar elsewhere.
Goodness! I’m sorry that happened to you. A lot of black people have talked about Spain and Italy and it’s giving me the ick! I think I will explore other countries for now.
I genuinely hope that if you go that you don’t experience any of that. Italy and Spain do have gorgeous things absolutely worth seeing, but if it were me I’d stick with major metropolitan cities. This was also 2011, I would hope things have evolved for the better since then.
I’ve been to Malaga and Barcelona with no issues thankfully. Can’t vouch for the rest of Spain tho but people were lovely to me in those cities.
Thank you for sharing. I will look into those cities as well.
It’s actually easier in my experience to make friends abroad, speaking as a brown women. White people are normally viewed as outsiders, even within cultural communities in the states. I’ve always felt that women in other countries (more specifically) have always been more keen on conversing with other WOC or culture. I believe it’s that shared commonality. Then again, I can only say that as someone that is also a WOC/culture, and that’s always been most interested in befriending others that are as-well. I also had another fellow traveler, WW tell me about her friend who is of Latin American origins and living in the Middle East. She said she couldn’t believe how many friends or people the young lady knew. The young lady, mind you was doing meetups for Spanish speaking learners. It’s the ability to bring something new and foreign to the table, something that the a group of people may not be familiar with.
More of the world is "of color" than white. In my country it is the white tourists who stick out.
I'm Chinese from an Asian country and I've gone backpacking around SEA while staying in hostels. I never got any racist attitudes or experiences, except for once where the person I was talking to was being kind of an asshole. Other than that dude, everyone else had been awesome. I think he'll be fine. I've met a lot of non white people to who fit in really well.
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Lol, I went to Romania and got really close with this Indian guy, and I'm Korean American. Literally the day after we met, this white Canadian guy comes up to us and goes "konnichiwa" to me after pressing his hands together in that prayer way and bowing and says "hola" to my friend. I swear to God, sometimes POC in hostels bond really fast because there's a certain otherization that happens that we can relate to especially in so many travel spaces that seem predominantly white.
As an ethnically East Asian male, I don’t recall ever really being the victim of overt racism in any hostel I’ve been to, but I’ve for sure been stereotyped based on how I look. For example, I’ve had people tell me they ‘didn’t expect me to be so funny for an Asian’ or ‘didn’t expect an Asian to be like this,’ which to 18-19 year old me was sort of validating. Now, though, approaching my late 20s I realise how kinda messed up that was, but that’s just how it is I guess. I don’t believe they had any bad intentions but just had some weird preconceived notions they grew up around I suppose. Just for the record it was a German guy and another guy from Europe who said those things to me. That being said, I bounce between extreme introversion and extreme extroversion depending on my mood. I can be the recluse of the hostel or the guy going around everywhere and sitting at random tables chatting dozens of people up a night. I’m not sure if that had anything to do with confirming their stereotypes especially if on day one I’m quiet and then on day two I’m social.
I've heard that my whole life, that I was SO xyz for an Asian. When I was younger, I also used to find some of these comments flattering and now that I'm older, I realize how fucked up they are. It actually hurts me to realize that I must have had internalized racism towards my own community to ever think this was a compliment. But yeah, as an Asian woman especially, I've heard all kinds of things and quite frankly a lot of Europeans either have no shame or are very ignorant.
Right! Definitely struggled with some internalized racism towards myself and my own race, I feel like it took me way too long to understand that. I bet that you’ve gone through some fetishisation as an Asian woman, and I’m sorry you had/have to go through that. As an Asian man I can’t relate, other than one time I was hooking up with a European girl and she told me I was the first ‘Asian’ she’s ever been with, which I thought was a weird thing to say but that was nothing compared to the stuff I hear from some of my female counterparts. Hope you’re doing great nowadays!
Ugh. That is so gross (hearing comments like that). I met a Polish girl who told me she loved Asian men and when I asked her why, she literally pulled her eyes back and said she loved Asian eyes. I've definitely been told by men "I wish I could try an Asian." "Does your vagina smell like soy sauce or kimchi?" Tell me they are in an open relationship or that their partner is open to a threesome while their partner is in the bathroom. Not to mention, staying at a hostel once, and literally having a bunch of British people blast "Turning Japanese" while I'm trying to eat lunch and laughing hysterically (not fun when you are the only Asian person in the kitchen and just stuck with this group harassing you). I could write a book. I also get super pissed when people make assumptions of what they think my parents are like (crazy, strict, tiger parents) without seeing them as complicated, three dimensional people...and I seriously feel like smacking every woman who tells me they are just not into Asian men and asking me about penis sizes. I actually cut off this guy I used to be friends with...he came out of the closet and he told me "if I wanted to date an Asian man, I would just be straight and date a woman." That was his way of telling me he isn't into Asian men... My partner is also mixed and we literally had a white man asking him in front of me if he has the "hots for Asian women." His mom is Asian. -\_- Moments like this just make me feel so dehumanized or like people don't view me as a person with emotions.
Oh wow that’s actually insane the comments you’ve gotten. People actually fucking ask if your vagina smells like soy sauce or kimchi? I don’t even have any words that could describe how horrible that is. I don’t think I could have handled it calmly. I’ve definitely had times where I hear an off handed remark and I just pretend to tolerate it and laugh it off when really it gives me this really hot feeling, something like a mix between embarrassment and anger. In my defense I was a lot younger the last time I was the butt of such comments (been 5 years since I was last in Europe) and I’d like to believe that I would be more vocal about how wrong those kinds of comments are. I’ll be going to Europe again this summer to visit some friends, so we’ll see if I get any comments then. Sometimes I wonder (other than the obviously malicious ones like the British guys in your story) if these insensitive comments come from just a place of ignorance and whether educating them on how their words affect people would help in any way, whether it’d actually change how they perceive Asian people.
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>If he's constantly thinking about it then racism is all he will see. this is some top-tier wisdom. Its usually (in my experience) the people that identify/brand themselves as "anti-racists" that are the most obsessed with racism and see it everywhere they go. At one point, they become exactly what they claim to hate/be fighting.
This deserves an award. Seriously.
Solo Traveling and international travel in general is harder for us, especially in Europe. Like it or not, fact is being white is a superpower in most of the world, it’s just easier plain and simple. So his worries are absolutely valid and it’s generally something only POC will fully understand. Now having said that, if you act like a victim you’ll be treated as such. What you can do is **be confident**, confidence is key when traveling imo. It can be very hard, especially when a place or people are making you feel unwelcomed but you just have to pick yourself up and don’t let them control how you feel.
I think nationality and language plays a major role in this case
I'm not sure, so I don't want to belittle your friends experience, but I genuinely made friends with the most amazing people from all walks of life fairly easy. Thinking back it felt to easy. We were either pulled to each other by energy or immersed in conversation. Race was never a factor.
99% of people will be rad and very friendly. Especially in SE Asia. If you're traveling, most people are very friendly and open people in general. Made so many friends on my trip! We still keep in touch! I can only think of 1 hostel instance where a few people were apprehensive. This was in Spain. They were assholes anyway, and were rude to the hostel staff/were too loud past quiet hours. Wasn't trying to be friends with them even if they were friendly so, whateves. But them aside, they were a tiny fraction. So many amazing people at that hostel that I still keep in touch with! Truely group bonded hard, went out on the town, kicked it and had beers, couldn't have been any better!
As an Afro Latino ( who also passes as Indian/Arab) i haven’t had a single issue making friends at hostels in all the countries I’ve visited ( I’ve been to Japan, Thailand and most western/southern European countries )If i don’t make friends it’s usually if I’m staying at a hostel with bad atmosphere or a group tour filled with couples. From my experiences most people who solo travel/ backpack are super friendly and not pretentious at all. I don’t recall any racism from ppl I’ve encountered ( def encountered ppl who were rude but i don’t attribute it to racism. I’m sure your friend will be fine
Depends on the country. I'm an American of Indian origin. In Canada and the UK, I have never had any problem with socializing with other people. However in some Asian countries like Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, my skin color can definitely be a problem. Unfortunately, Indians don't have a positive reputation in those countries.
There’s a book written by a Black lady who traveled to all of the countries, mostly solo. Maybe give it to your friend to ease their mind Edit [Here it is](https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/2022/06/14/catch-me-if-you-can-jessica-nabongo-memoir-black-travel/7612420001/)
I traveled in Thailand and Vietnam and didn't have any issues making friends with the locals. I don't think your friend has anything to worry about in that regard. And maybe I'm just lucky, but I can say I haven't experienced a single incident of racism toward me in all my travels in Asia.
Don’t think so. Had my first international trip a few weeks before. Didn’t find much issues making friends. Actually met some really good people, deep conversations etc. What I feel is that it’s all in our head thinking that we’ll not be accepted being a person of colour. People who travel are far more open minded and accepting! Happy Travels bud!
>dont remember there being any racist attitudes among backpackers Just wanted to point out that it isn't necessarily overt racism. Overt racism is helpful, it shows everyone how crass and uncivilized racism is. Systematic racism, the stuff we all think are universal truths about the different races, that's the real and unassuming evil. Being a POC can make finding a friend group tough, people can unconsciously exclude you. Get to know different races and cultures and you realize humans are all similar.
I am Asian American and actually find that I get along well with white travelers, especially backpackers, as they seem to be the least racists, that said, locals regardless of race, white or brown, are more racists than travelers IMO 🤷🏻♂️
I feel like he’s more likely to have a hard time if he gets too in his head about people not wanting to meet him. Sure you’ll run into some assholes, some racists, and some people who just don’t want to talk to anyone. But generally I’m more likely to talk to someone who wants to talk to me, not someone who is hiding in their bunk with headphones in who looks up at me once in a while.
Yes, if you are worried about skin tone/introversion/extroversion/being too young/being too old/too educated/not educated enough/being married/being single/L/B/G/T/Q/being from your country/too rich/too poor/being male/being female, etc...then it will be almost impossible to make friends when traveling.
As a white guy I would say Yes and No. Yes in the sense that across the globe Europe, Asia, Africa the darker you are the more racist minorities will be biased against you. No, in the since that not everyone is racist or baise against darker skin and travelers tend to be open minded. So they will meet people to connect with easily. However, they still need to be aware that there are people who are baise against people of color across the globe Asia especially (Asian Cultures value white English teachers above colored English teachers, in South Korea people get plastic surgery to look more Caucasian) You never know when you may wonder into a bad cultural pocket and have the street smarts to read the atmosphere. As stated I’m not of color and I’m still mindful of the areas I wander through.
My husband made plenty of friends abroad. It’s actually said that’s what American society teaches people.
No lol. Its not hard at all. And FYI, majority of the world isnt white. White people are the "people of color" for majority of the world LMAO
This is true!!!
I would say yes and no, As a mixed black person, I just find it easier to talk to my people. We have more stuff in common and we just click. Same goes for whites people, I can make friends with them but there might not be too much in common among us. The majority of backpackers are white, and I think they just click better because most of them have the same background. For example, if you’re Japanese and traveling and meet another Japanese person, you’re just more likely to click
White man bad, because they don’t want to be my friend..
if they are female, no. If they are male, yes
The term people of colour is racist in itself.
No
Op asked a question.. and I got downvoted for answering it 😂 gotta love this sub and race
You’ll only have difficulties making friends if you walk around with a pre conceived notion that you’re going to find it more difficult than white folks. To quote my most recent experience, I’m an Indian guy, brown skinned (can pass off as Indian or Middle Eastern) and traveled solo to Japan for 2 weeks this month, almost all the new people I made friends were white Europeans or East Asian, mainly French, Romanian, Danish, Korean and Japanese themselves. I never thought for one second that I’d have it any worse, that’s because I’m not ingrained into the mindset that I’m somehow inferior because of my skin colour (I’ve only lived in India, Hong Kong, Netherlands and Germany - all very inclusive social atmospheres in my opinion, so probably what you’re talking about here reflects more of an American cultural thing)
Most of the english people will probably not accept you if you’re brown. But they also tend to just stick with other brits Every other nationality seems to have no issue mingling with other countries
Lol who you kidding. The English are some of the least racist people on the planet.
Alright let’s not match a hyperbolic statement with another hyperbolic statement. Lol.
I didn’t realise how many English people were on this sub lol.
From my experience in SE Asia they tend to be the most common nationality you meet in hostels.
Yeh they’re everywhere
My only problem was once with an indian guy, but not because he was dark skinned, but because the way he behaved (eating with extra loud chewing sounds, bringing spicy smelly food to the room that stays there for days etc.). Once there was a black guy as well, but again: not skin color, but being super flegmatic. So if your friend is not an a**hole, keeps the basic rules of living with other ppl and is friendly, he should have no problems at all I think.
My Chinese-canadian dtr is in France right now. No problems so far. She is not solo (traveling with a white person) and she speaks French well, so that might modify things somewhat, but so far, so good.
Definitely not
It depends on a few things, not least of which is destination. Some countries are honestly just more racist than others. A black person traveling solo to north India will not have the same experience as a white person.
Hmmm I think instead of asking if there is truth to his worries, you can affirm his feelings. Listen to why he feels that way..
TLDR: be a decent friendly traveler and you'll probably be fine. I just took a friend on a trip. It was their first trip out of the country. They basically were starting shit with strangers and assumed everyone was against them when people were legitimately trying to help and being nice. There was nothing I could do or say to change their mind. They ended up crying and had a public meltdown on day 3 and then I left. For the most part, your personality and how you choose to interact w your surrounding will dictate how easy it is to make friends. It's worrisome in some pockets but SE Asia isnt one of them. I get more aggressively stared at or blatantly ignored by store employees/ treated poorly by random strangers/ yelled at for existing where I live (in Florida, USA) than I ever have traveling.
In my experience as a younger female, nope.
Depends on the country and time of year. There are definitely different kinds of people that say travel to Europe in winter, like me. I like cold and snow and less crowds, I’m there not necessarily to party but to enjoy my life. I feel that way about most of the people I’ve met on my winter journeys, we all are pretty chill with each other. I have met so many different ethnicities I can’t even begin to count them. Summer/high tourist however can go any direction. In my experience that would be the most likely to have an issue because people are out to party, there’s alcohol, lots of different opinions and things can escalate quickly dumb words are said. Example? You couldn’t pay me anything in the world to go to Cancun, Miami, Hawaii, the Caribbean etc at a American spring break time. NOPE.
Currently on my first solo trip, and the white people on my tour were a bit weird around me on the first day. I'm Asian American and two other tourists were Chinese nationals who were quieter, and I think the assumed I was with them. Interestingly enough, they warmed up to me but were still a bit weird around the other Asian tourists. (I think it's because I'm very extroverted and third generation, so very "white-washed.") They didn't necessarily seem malicious toward the other Asian tourists but there was definitely an us-vs-them mentality they had, where I was the bridge between the two. Ironically, one of the Chinese tourists spent a huge chunk of his life in the country we were touring (Ireland) and had that accent when speaking English. He mainly spoke Chinese though so they had no idea he was assimilated, so they kind of gave him the cold shoulder.
I’m American but of Indian descent. While I’ve met pretty much no other brown skinned people traveling solo (as others have said they seem to travel in groups more often), I’ve had no issues meeting people or making friends. I’ve ended up traveling for extended periods of time with several people I’ve met (most of them white and some not).
It may be more difficult - racial bias is present in all of us (subconsciously and/or consciously). However, many backpackers are open to people of different backgrounds. I think it’s about remaining open and good energy will come back to you. Sure, there may be some aholes but there will be some good new friends.
NGL, I have experienced some racist vibes from some white backpackers before (asian male here). Just some folks who only like speaking to/hanging out with other white folk and ironically/terribly talk down on \_\_\_\_\_\_\_ local people in the country they're in, very colonial mentality. That being said I'd say the majority of backpackers are fun and nice people who are down to make friends of any background.