US talk show host Oprah Winfrey says she was the victim of racism during a recent visit to Switzerland.

She said an assistant refused to serve her in an upmarket handbag shop in Zurich.

Winfrey, one of the world's richest women, was apparently told the bags on display were "too expensive" for her.

Her claims, made to a US television programme, come amid a political row over plans by some Swiss towns to ban asylum-seekers from some public places.

The BBC's Imogen Foulkes in Berne says human rights groups have likened the plans - which include banning asylum-seekers from swimming pools, playing fields and libraries - to apartheid.


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Winfrey, who stars in Lee Daniels' new film The Butler, visited Zurich last month to attend singer Tina Turner's wedding. The Oprah Winfrey Show is not shown in Switzerland.

Winfrey said she left the shop calmly without arguing, but that the experience was proof that racism continues to be a problem.

"There's two different ways to handle it," she said. "I could've had the whole blow-up thing... but it still exists, of course it does."

Her claims are a public relations disaster for Switzerland, our correspondent says.

About 48,000 people are currently seeking asylum in Switzerland. It has twice as many asylum seekers as the European average.

Officials say the curbs, which will also see asylum-seekers housed in special centres, are aimed at preventing tensions with residents.

The country's asylum laws were tightened in June.




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I'm kinda lost though... Does Seun or Nairaland give prizes to the first commenters?

Lol

Nigerians even suffers racism/tribalism in Nigeria..so what else?..

I love Nigerians die. never heard any Nigerian complain of racism. who get that time? na u sabi... na money dey my mind now!! do make I comot 4 here jor

Oprah was so cool, she left quietly
She should ve emptied the whole shop in the woman's presence
Ignorance is bliss......they just lost a potential customer
And why is the name of the shop not mentioned?
Name and shame them people

That is why I always say, don't judge a book by its cover.

Oya, Nairaland prayer warriors, I hand it over to you.

i think she handled it in a very nice way

Really appalling! That racist piece of sh1t should go and bury his/her face in shame. I hope he/she now knows that the black woman she treated with disdain and disrespect can buy the whole shop, including the stoopid attendant and most probably that filthy town. I love you Oprah, you are the best.

Racism!!! When would it end

Oprah should have bought 10 of those bags and have the lady carry them to her car. That way her perception will change. she need's a paridigm shift.


see as oprah matter come overshadow tina turner wedding.
abi nah dat shop she for buy the wedding gifts if not for that silly shop assistant mumuism.

Good for Oprah=====>Bad for the shop owner

was it not this woman that said all Nigerians are potential fraudsters?

Habatically speaking that attendant should have been arrested

What a fantastic attitude she put up there!

It s mindboggling tht sm dummies here tht havnt evn seen the four walls of a classroom bfr are amongst the peeps ranting racism ,wht do u guys knw is racism?For pete's sake the salesgirl ws nvr in any way tryin to intimidate or feel superior to Winfrey because of her skin color!!!. The price of the bag Winfrey wntd to purchase was too exorbitant (equivalent to the price of a car). so the salesgirl ws only tryin to advise her as a client to go for a cheap affordable commodity because she nvr knew that Winfrey is a moneybag. so it is foolhardy for anyone to translate wht happened in zurich as racism.

dplomaticVal: It s mindboggling tht sm dummies here tht havnt evn seen the four walls of a classroom bfr are amongst the peeps ranting racism ,wht do u guys knw is racism?For pete's sake the salesgirl ws nvr in any way tryin to intimidate or feel superior to Winfrey because of her skin color!!!. The price of the bag Winfrey wntd to purchase was too exorbitant (equivalent to the price of a car). so the salesgirl ws only tryin to advise her as a client to go for a cheap affordable commodity because she nvr knew that Winfrey is a moneybag. so it is foolhardy for anyone to translate wht happened in zurich as racism.

U're very wrong. Does the same salesgirl advise every client to go for cheap affordable commodity?? If she did that then she would not have a Job. The point it what made her come to the conclusion that Winfrey could not afford the bag. It's obvious it was Winfrey skin color. Do you think if Winfrey was white she would have done the same thing? Does she tell the white customers to go searching for cheaper alternative . Wake up , that was some racist shit

no comment

Awwww...I love d part "I left the shop calmly without arguing" if twere to be a naija celeb(I ddnt mention no names o); ul hear *do u know who I am? Ehn?* especially some dirty celebs! And yet, shez one of the richest woman in d world. Oh yeah, she can even buy the whole store.

ASUU ooooooo common call off strike joor

A powerful and wealthy woman like that still has to go through racism.

This is how many people in the world view black people and we still fight among ourselves. We should be uniting, we are always trying to divide ourselves.

Racism... LOL... Happens all the time, Oprah, in all the most 'advanced' countries.

They see a black person and suddenly feel the person is too 'small' and 'inferior' or, as in most cases, a preconceived feeling that the black person is a thief- no thanks to Hollywood.

If only she knew Oprah could buy the whole store 10 times over and give the items to charity and not feel anything.

The same thing happened to me in Amsterdam central in 2010.
I had entered into a Diamond shop and was looking at a particular stone through the Glass.
The manager walked past me and said
''You can't pay for that young man''..

I checked the price and it was €42.000.. ( Fourty two thousand Euros)

He was right.

Danhumprey: Racism!!! When would it end

It would NEVER end so stop dreaming

dplomaticVal: It s mindboggling tht sm dummies here tht havnt evn seen the four walls of a classroom bfr are amongst the peeps ranting racism ,wht do u guys knw is racism?For pete's sake the salesgirl ws nvr in any way tryin to intimidate or feel superior to Winfrey because of her skin color!!!. The price of the bag Winfrey wntd to purchase was too exorbitant (equivalent to the price of a car). so the salesgirl ws only tryin to advise her as a client to go for a cheap affordable commodity because she nvr knew that Winfrey is a moneybag. so it is foolhardy for anyone to translate wht happened in zurich as racism.

The way u pictured everything was as if u r dia wen it happened. I knw u r a PhD holder

operah omo see gobe

dplomaticVal: It s mindboggling tht sm dummies here tht havnt evn seen the four walls of a classroom bfr are amongst the peeps ranting racism ,wht do u guys knw is racism?For pete's sake the salesgirl ws nvr in any way tryin to intimidate or feel superior to Winfrey because of her skin color!!!. The price of the bag Winfrey wntd to purchase was too exorbitant (equivalent to the price of a car). so the salesgirl ws only tryin to advise her as a client to go for a cheap affordable commodity because she nvr knew that Winfrey is a moneybag. so it is foolhardy for anyone to translate wht happened in zurich as racism.

Really? If a customer decides to buy the all the bags in the shop, what's her business. her business is to sell and not to advise a customer what she should buy. Me think it's racism. period!

Oops sttupid ugly black woman! I thought she was white.

Interesting

Wetin she dey fijnd for another pesin country if she know say she no like am?

Because it's Oprah una dey troway congrats, if say na Naija pesin una for dey ask why she no siddon for where she dey

When you don't remain in your fatherland and go to another country then you're open to anything, richest woman, she be God?

Oprah ni Okra co, abeg ASUU call off strike o jare

Btw, Tina Turner still dey marry? She never old finish?