Racism in Prague

I have heard mixed opinions concerning racism in Prague. I would like to hear your opinions.

Thanks

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most czechs hate foreigners. Doesn%26#39;t have anything to do with what colour you are. But that doesn%26#39;t mean you will be attacked or anything like that or that it is unsafe. You just get service with a grudging surly look in some places. One of the reasons for the attitude is the awful behaviour of hoards of english people coming over here every weekend getting totally drunk. If that happened in your city, you probably wouldn%26#39;t be too keen on foreigners either.

Don%26#39;t let this stop you from coming - you won%26#39;t experience anything near what my wife has to experience from the UK immigration people every time she goes to the UK (that really is racism).

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Peb,

I%26#39;m quite surprised by your emphatic statement that Czechs %26quot;hate%26quot; foreigners. I%26#39;ve been working there for more than a year now and cannot say that I%26#39;ve experienced anything like hate. I, too, get annoyed at the loutish behavior of some and at the sheer numbers of tourists there, but I wouldn%26#39;t characterize it as hate.

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I have spoken to a number of people of color who have lived in Prague to study or work. The general consensus was that they did feel negative attitudes because of their race -- suspicion, unfriendliness, etc. Not everyone. Not every day. Not usually aggressive. But enough to leave a sour taste.

One could say they are like that with everyone regardless of race -- but I would not question the views of those who felt it was due to racism.

It is fairly common for quite rational, educated people in the Czech Republic to have openly racist views regarding the Romany (gypsies).

That being said, I%26#39;ve seen responses from many non-white tourists have a great time here and probably never experience any problems.

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Thanks for all of your information.

I am still very concerned. You mentioned hate for the Roma people. I am not of Roma heritage, however I have similar characteristics e.g dark skin/eyes because I%26#39;m 1/4 aboriginal. I fear that people%26#39;s assumptions may lead to dangerous consequences.

I can handle strange looks etc, I have spent time in Japan, where anybody non-Japanese is alien, but I cannot and will not tolerate violence.

Do you think this will be a problem?

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nayhem. You will not encounter any violence here. Prague is a safe place. People may stare at you (mostly out of curiousity), but nothing more

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Yes, you shouldn%26#39;t worry. Violence is not really an issue.

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If this is the case and that the people hate tourists then all of us whether black, white or yellow should avoid holiday destinations like this. Racism is the thing that most annoys me in the world Why cant we live side by side. I am a white, middle class, straight women, happpily married, no children and suffer from a medical condition.I get on with life -live it to the full and hope others do the same. I am travelling to Prague 30th Oct and was really looking forward to it but some of the questions/answers and reviews are really putting me off. i am taking my 16 year old nephew with me and am wondering what example i may be setting.

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Tottie,

Prague is no different than most places in the world: Some people are friendly, others are not; some people are happy, others are not; some people are tolerant, others are not; some people (I%26#39;d say most) will have great experiences while visiting, others will not.

The city is wonderful and as it%26#39;s been said before, it%26#39;s magical. Not everybody you%26#39;ll come across will be your favorite person, but that%26#39;s ok, it%26#39;s what being human and exploring other cultures is all about.

Don%26#39;t let any negative comments keep you from enjoying Prague. Personally, I had the most wonderful time visiting the city.

I live in a tourist destination, and when Summer is over, we all say %26quot;thank goodness, the tourists are gone%26quot;. That doesn%26#39;t mean we hate them, or mistreat them, or not welcome them every time. It%26#39;s like having your family visit for a long period of time: you miss them when they%26#39;re gone, but it%26#39;s sure nice to get your life back.

Have a wonderful trip!

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nayhem,

I wouldn%26#39;t worry about racism in Prague. My husband is black and I%26#39;m white, and we recently returned from one glorious week in Prague. While there were a couple curious glances (and I must say there were very few of those that I saw), I%26#39;d just give them a smile and always got a smile back in return. I%26#39;d actually have to say that people were much nicer in Prague (and Berlin too) than in some places we%26#39;ve been to here in the U.S.

Tottie,

We only ran into one grumpy person during our visit...a cashier in Tesco...and we didn%26#39;t find that unusual as we have many grumpy cashiers over here, too. The only time we saw anyone being hostile to anybody in Prague was when two guys ran out of a restaurant without paying their bar tab. The waitress and bartender chased them down, brought them back, and the owner of the restaurant punched one of them in the mouth as he was apologizing and making excuses for why they took off. A bit drastic maybe, but he deserved it and I bet he never does it again. Go to Prague and enjoy your trip. It%26#39;s an absolutely lovely city. And take the time talk to the locals...they%26#39;re really quite nice and they have a great sense of humor.

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Understandably, people are getting the wrong message from this thread. I believe most tourists have a great time in Prague -- including tourists of color. I don%26#39;t think it is fair to say most Czechs hate foreigners. There are tons of comments about tourists meeting great people and being treated well here.

My observations are those of a long-term resident and don%26#39;t have much so much to do with what a tourist might experience. I only meant to give an indication that you might experience what another poster mentioned -- once or twice you might get a funny look or a stare. That%26#39;s about it. If that puts you off from traveling anywhere, then I agree you should stay home.