kidmercury

So in the end of August I went to Prague for four days. It's a nice city; clean, seems safe, the economy seems to be doing well enough. Prague is in Czech Republic, which is not on the Euro, but rather on its own currency -- Czech Krown or something like that -- the result of which is a small purchasing power advantage for those earning in US dollars (for now, at least ). The city has lots of old architecture and castles and stuff. Seems like a good place to go with your significant other if you're into that sort of stuff.

And if you're White.

Let me tell you folks, I am not one to cry racism for every problem in the world. I dislike those people. The only thing worse than racism is people whining about racism (who are equally abhorrent as people who whine about sexual orientation and whine about gender...everybody just be yourself and stop whining).

So I want to make it clear that I am not whining, and wholeheartedly encourage all people to behave as they wish -- at the very least, I always get a good chuckle out of foolish behavior. But the racism in Prague is about as palpable as can be without being overt, and so it starts to get annoying. I was with eight other Indian American people (Indian by race, raised in the States), and Prague is a very homogenous city -- most everyone is Czech. There was some debate as to whether or not the cold/hostile treatment was a result of whether we were American or because we were Indian. I think the answer is both, with the primary reason being Indian. By the time the American empire collapses, though, the biggest stigma will be being American, unfortunately. So get your 9/11 truth shirt now to preserve your street cred!

So, honestly, I would not recommend going to Prague unless you're White, or close enough. That's not to say that folks from Prague are bad, of course they are not, even the pathologically racist ones are probably decent deep down, once they get over their bizarre fears and insecurities. But I personally would not really go back there again unless I knew the culture changed. It does make me appreciate America a bit more: I was shocked by the racism because I never experience stuff like that here in the States -- especially in the places I like -- Miami and New York City -- which are so culturally diverse it becomes economically unfeasible to be very racist.