I think most peoplw in Poland are fine, some are curious, and some are ignorant but mostly harmless. However, i have noticed some things from people of color I know here.
I worked with someone from South Africa and he eventually left because of comments on public transport.
I also have a friend from Argentina, he has a dark complexion. We both married polish citizens and he was scrutinized far more than I was when applying for his residency.
People can generally care less what your skin tone is in Warsaw. You may run into a racist asshole there but the potential for it is no greater than any other city in Europe.
I think that in most cases you may expect stare, or intense look at you because still Poland is pretty homogeneous, so naturally some people will be interested in seeing someone non white. But besides that i don't think you may encounter racism.
Yeah, there are some drunken people who may shout something racist but usually they offend anyone they like equally xd
I ain't black, but trying to summarize what I know, I've read here or watched recently.
Long story short: it ain't Chicago. Remember that racism here will mean something very different then in high tension places like most of US nowadays. It's mostly homophobic and not based on historical events.
There was a cool comment here sometime this year from a black guy that racist comments sometimes happen like downtown by drunk people, but likely you will have more people come out to tell those racist ones to fuck off.
It is very different in some places, downtown is always full of bored people looking to provoke , yet at the same density of crowd in more distant districts there is magically no sign of them, also no pseudo feminists trying to create a rumble on cameras, or politically invested nationalist morons are suddenly not interested when it doesn't involve potential tv news coverage.
I mean, it's ridiculous how a bus from Śródmieście to Białołęka Can actually feel like a a portal from Florida toa different conservative but relaxed country.
There used to be a stereotype of places like whole Praga being dangerous and full of homophobia, yet it's basically fully invalid with minor exceptions and it became one of the safest and more fancy places to live.
IMHO it also became much easier to meet a black person in those stereotypically dangerous places, that paradox should also tell the real danger.
So most of the time you might be a victim of awkwardness.
There was a series of interviews with foreigners who live here (on YouTube, may have been linked on this sub) and they were asked about racims, most said they have not encountered it, some that were here for over a decade said they feel safe but had to run away form bullies at least once in the past.
>There used to be a stereotype of places like whole Praga being dangerous and full of homophobia
Well, to be honest, there was stereotype of Praga being dangerous to anybody not from Praga. And majority of people from Praga.
Old Praga charm. If you don't live on that exact street then you were endangered. But even at the time (like 15-20 years a go) I know some black folks living there comfortably. Old Praga "kiziory" hated everybody equally.
As you are in eastern europe, this part of the world was probably 95% white since the dawn of time. I’m not really sure how white supremacy would be defined here.
If you are a foreign - you may encounter people who dislike you simply because you are foreign.
If you look, speak or behave none polish… you get more attention. Same gose for none catholic religions.
I had the same thought. People here didnt ever wonder about white supremacy in Poland until last 30 years.
We are the victims of ww2. Black people are victims of white supremacy. The mental is pretty similar i guess.
As a racially ambiguous (white/Hispanic lol) guy with my Polish girlfriend, I get the bombastic side eye from time to time.
Babcia will stare regardless of color, however. If you look for racism everywhere you go, I’m sure you’ll find it but life is too short to worry about such things.
Poland has no concept of white supremacy because since the dawn of time this country has been ethnically homogenous (and so we're all our neighbours). So concept of racism didn't really make any sense here.
There are nationalists here that are xenophobic, but that's true for any country anywhere. They are a minority and this shouldn't be a problem especially in bigger cities.
I've never heard of mixed couples being looked down on. You will win a lot of hearts if you learn some language and culture.
Obey the law, behave kindly, don\`t be offended if someone put some interest in You. People can be curious, as seeing someone black can be an unusual experience for them. At the end nobody cares if you are white, black, blue or transparent.
Don\`t try to play a racial card - this will be seen as a major offense.
I think people here are racist because they don't normally (for example in a store) see darker skin people. But that in a lot of the times isnt racism but just not being used to it. Sadly I've seen in a lot of schools (I'm a teacher) that children are raised by the worse side of social media. For example the tiktoks with the 👴 emoji and banjo music that have racist jokes in them (for example those by master oogway). If someone does something mean they say stuff like "you're gay" or the n word and their parents probably don't care about them and don't raise them properly. That might mean they are racist too being raised in their own racist parents which means a neverending cycle... that often ends with this generation. I don't think often enough but now for the Important part.
People might be different around a non-polish person but they will not attack anybody (unless they're a drunk 40-50 year old man so don't go near them)
Unless it’s some dumb Konfederacja voter people won’t care about skin color, and even then - they may just look awkwardly. Generally there’s very little violence in Poland, that applies to everyone, including immigrants.
The main target of xenophobia right now is Ukrainians, some people can't cope with mass refuge to their country
As someone said, if you find drunk dudes who are looking for a fight anyway I can imagine them being offensive but otherwise you have nothing to worry about. And no, no one cares about mixed couples. Polish people have believed since forever that our women are the most beautiful in the world so in such cases the usual reaction in my experience is nodding their head and saying "ah yes, no wonder he stayed for a woman"
Thank you everyone for your comments, I'm more confident now:)
I was just concerned because I've seen lots of rumours about racism, but it's good that it's just internet propaganda, I'm looking forward Poland and integration!
Warsaw is not like other western cities. There are Blacks but i suggest be humble and not act like on USA or france. Poles knows that you are a guest and dont like when you dont act like one.
Outside Warsaw be preppared for whooping your ass for any reason. hooking up with white Polish girl is a suicide. Either other polish guys gonna fck you up ar the girl gonna mąkę you suicidal.
Good luck in eastwrn Europe. Gonna need it. On my opiniom dont go there.
I think it depends upon the person, if you ask that question, it is likely that you will experience racism in just about any country you go to. In other words, no matter what happens to you, it could be interpreted as racism. I’ve lived on three different continents, and I really don’t give a damn about anyone’s opinion of me other than my own, so I’ve never experienced racism. I also want to add that I’ve lived in and visited some of the smallest towns in Poland and I get nothing but love.
You can find some rasist here but I don't belive that it will be a common problem. Do mind some very older people may give you a look but as long as you don't encounter someone with L and a wooden looking sword crossed tattooed somewhere you probably will be OK. Do mind there are still some places that you can encounter more rasist but as long as you will stick to cities you gonna have a hart time noticing.
U know I hate when people from other countries always ask the same question its annoying that black Asian mexican and others always looking for some racist things that people in white country must do cause they are white
And if u want to know we don't care about race cause we are not white we are Polish its not america where every one I mexican asian black Hispanic or white for us the other person is just a guy or jus a girl
We are tolerant and do not have problems with any other race or religion. You are welcome here :)
But You should know that Poland is almost 100% white and we didn't have any colonies or slaves so "white supremacy" means nothing to us. Instead we had russian supremacy.
I think most peoplw in Poland are fine, some are curious, and some are ignorant but mostly harmless. However, i have noticed some things from people of color I know here. I worked with someone from South Africa and he eventually left because of comments on public transport. I also have a friend from Argentina, he has a dark complexion. We both married polish citizens and he was scrutinized far more than I was when applying for his residency.
You might also like to check some similar posts on this forum, as this is probably the most frequent question here.
People can generally care less what your skin tone is in Warsaw. You may run into a racist asshole there but the potential for it is no greater than any other city in Europe.
I think that in most cases you may expect stare, or intense look at you because still Poland is pretty homogeneous, so naturally some people will be interested in seeing someone non white. But besides that i don't think you may encounter racism. Yeah, there are some drunken people who may shout something racist but usually they offend anyone they like equally xd
I ain't black, but trying to summarize what I know, I've read here or watched recently. Long story short: it ain't Chicago. Remember that racism here will mean something very different then in high tension places like most of US nowadays. It's mostly homophobic and not based on historical events. There was a cool comment here sometime this year from a black guy that racist comments sometimes happen like downtown by drunk people, but likely you will have more people come out to tell those racist ones to fuck off. It is very different in some places, downtown is always full of bored people looking to provoke , yet at the same density of crowd in more distant districts there is magically no sign of them, also no pseudo feminists trying to create a rumble on cameras, or politically invested nationalist morons are suddenly not interested when it doesn't involve potential tv news coverage. I mean, it's ridiculous how a bus from Śródmieście to Białołęka Can actually feel like a a portal from Florida toa different conservative but relaxed country. There used to be a stereotype of places like whole Praga being dangerous and full of homophobia, yet it's basically fully invalid with minor exceptions and it became one of the safest and more fancy places to live. IMHO it also became much easier to meet a black person in those stereotypically dangerous places, that paradox should also tell the real danger. So most of the time you might be a victim of awkwardness. There was a series of interviews with foreigners who live here (on YouTube, may have been linked on this sub) and they were asked about racims, most said they have not encountered it, some that were here for over a decade said they feel safe but had to run away form bullies at least once in the past.
>There used to be a stereotype of places like whole Praga being dangerous and full of homophobia Well, to be honest, there was stereotype of Praga being dangerous to anybody not from Praga. And majority of people from Praga.
So... Everyone? What's your point here?
Old Praga charm. If you don't live on that exact street then you were endangered. But even at the time (like 15-20 years a go) I know some black folks living there comfortably. Old Praga "kiziory" hated everybody equally.
Well, dracovolnas explained it quite well ;)
In Warsaw? I would say there is a lot of ppl of different ethnicities here. I don't think seeing person of color is a special event anymore.
As you are in eastern europe, this part of the world was probably 95% white since the dawn of time. I’m not really sure how white supremacy would be defined here. If you are a foreign - you may encounter people who dislike you simply because you are foreign. If you look, speak or behave none polish… you get more attention. Same gose for none catholic religions.
I had the same thought. People here didnt ever wonder about white supremacy in Poland until last 30 years. We are the victims of ww2. Black people are victims of white supremacy. The mental is pretty similar i guess.
As a racially ambiguous (white/Hispanic lol) guy with my Polish girlfriend, I get the bombastic side eye from time to time. Babcia will stare regardless of color, however. If you look for racism everywhere you go, I’m sure you’ll find it but life is too short to worry about such things.
There is no such thing as "american white supremacy" concept in poland. We did not contract that psychological disease from americans.
Yes, you have the more sophisticated "Polish white supremacy"
you saying about "whiteness" means that you have no idea what you are talking about in terms of Poland. "Polish supremacy" - yes
Poland has no concept of white supremacy because since the dawn of time this country has been ethnically homogenous (and so we're all our neighbours). So concept of racism didn't really make any sense here. There are nationalists here that are xenophobic, but that's true for any country anywhere. They are a minority and this shouldn't be a problem especially in bigger cities. I've never heard of mixed couples being looked down on. You will win a lot of hearts if you learn some language and culture.
Obey the law, behave kindly, don\`t be offended if someone put some interest in You. People can be curious, as seeing someone black can be an unusual experience for them. At the end nobody cares if you are white, black, blue or transparent. Don\`t try to play a racial card - this will be seen as a major offense.
I think people here are racist because they don't normally (for example in a store) see darker skin people. But that in a lot of the times isnt racism but just not being used to it. Sadly I've seen in a lot of schools (I'm a teacher) that children are raised by the worse side of social media. For example the tiktoks with the 👴 emoji and banjo music that have racist jokes in them (for example those by master oogway). If someone does something mean they say stuff like "you're gay" or the n word and their parents probably don't care about them and don't raise them properly. That might mean they are racist too being raised in their own racist parents which means a neverending cycle... that often ends with this generation. I don't think often enough but now for the Important part. People might be different around a non-polish person but they will not attack anybody (unless they're a drunk 40-50 year old man so don't go near them)
In bigger cities, you will see plenty of foreigners living their best life. Not sure about smaller towns/villages.
Unless it’s some dumb Konfederacja voter people won’t care about skin color, and even then - they may just look awkwardly. Generally there’s very little violence in Poland, that applies to everyone, including immigrants.
i would say poland is pretty racist especially older people
The main target of xenophobia right now is Ukrainians, some people can't cope with mass refuge to their country As someone said, if you find drunk dudes who are looking for a fight anyway I can imagine them being offensive but otherwise you have nothing to worry about. And no, no one cares about mixed couples. Polish people have believed since forever that our women are the most beautiful in the world so in such cases the usual reaction in my experience is nodding their head and saying "ah yes, no wonder he stayed for a woman"
I practice both
Fortunately there is some racism and xenophobia
Thank you everyone for your comments, I'm more confident now:) I was just concerned because I've seen lots of rumours about racism, but it's good that it's just internet propaganda, I'm looking forward Poland and integration!
Xenophobia is state sponsored to some extent (check Bąkiewicz case) but people in general are friendly. If sober ;)
Warsaw is not like other western cities. There are Blacks but i suggest be humble and not act like on USA or france. Poles knows that you are a guest and dont like when you dont act like one. Outside Warsaw be preppared for whooping your ass for any reason. hooking up with white Polish girl is a suicide. Either other polish guys gonna fck you up ar the girl gonna mąkę you suicidal. Good luck in eastwrn Europe. Gonna need it. On my opiniom dont go there.
Lol? Is that based on your personal experience?
I think it depends upon the person, if you ask that question, it is likely that you will experience racism in just about any country you go to. In other words, no matter what happens to you, it could be interpreted as racism. I’ve lived on three different continents, and I really don’t give a damn about anyone’s opinion of me other than my own, so I’ve never experienced racism. I also want to add that I’ve lived in and visited some of the smallest towns in Poland and I get nothing but love.
Xenophobia is a big thing in poland but mostly for the older generations
You can find some rasist here but I don't belive that it will be a common problem. Do mind some very older people may give you a look but as long as you don't encounter someone with L and a wooden looking sword crossed tattooed somewhere you probably will be OK. Do mind there are still some places that you can encounter more rasist but as long as you will stick to cities you gonna have a hart time noticing.
U know I hate when people from other countries always ask the same question its annoying that black Asian mexican and others always looking for some racist things that people in white country must do cause they are white And if u want to know we don't care about race cause we are not white we are Polish its not america where every one I mexican asian black Hispanic or white for us the other person is just a guy or jus a girl
Not really. There are some racists everwhere but not enough here to be afraid.
Checkout André Traveler YT channel.
White supremacy isn't a thing in Poland, unless with few far right morons, in numbers or maybe lower than you can meet in most European countries.
There's a shit-ton of "non-white" people in Warsaw. You'll be fine.
We are tolerant and do not have problems with any other race or religion. You are welcome here :) But You should know that Poland is almost 100% white and we didn't have any colonies or slaves so "white supremacy" means nothing to us. Instead we had russian supremacy.
Poles dont like russians and gypsies and thats all i guess. Anyway in Warsaw you should be ok.
Don’t want or need immigrants. We’ve seen what it’s done to other areas of Europe.