janettee:
@OP, how's the foreign office in Berlin and how easy is it to renew your residence permit there?. Cause from my experience those people who work at the foreign office can frustrate your life if they want to .

Danielhouston:


Oh don’t be scared. I’m living here and I’m very happy. I wouldn’t live anywhere else. I love Germany. It’s not like racism is flying in the air, waiting to eat you up. No. We’re just trying to make people aware that racism abroad in general is a real issue and it’s something to be prepared for.

Germany is no where near USA. USA is very racist and black people still live there and go there every day. I had lived in Germany for 4 years before anyone called me the N-word and that has happened twice in my 7 years of being in Germany. In some countries you hear it every day.

Germany just does not have a strong black anti-racist movement like the USA or UK. But that is changing as more Black Americans are coming in. So by all means, come to Germany if you can, enjoy it, live your life, be happy, but still be aware and know that no matter where you go, being black is an everyday job.

Danielhouston:


Oh they’re are worse and very rude. It also depends on who you meet. It is the way Berlin is in general. Poor customer service everywhere. It’s not easy. Just pray you meet a good person

Danielhouston:
People pls understand that racism is not something you overcome by speaking the language and pretending it doesn’t exist. Ignoring racism does not make it go away. And no, you can not live above it. That thought is dangerous.

GreatSage:

Is there anyway around this block fund of a thing? What if after securing the admission and someone officially invites you to the country, does it cancels the block fund issue?

Salarys:


Op I commend what you're doing with your thread, kudos.

But I want to understand something. I haven't stepped out of the country and all but with what I see on the internet, football plus racist stories heard, I was of the opinion that these things @bolded are same thing playing out with different Terminologies as fitting to the case point scenerio. Racism for race. Tribalism for tribe etc PREJUDICE hiding behind different curtains.

But what do I know? With the way you've been hitting on this issue, I'm guessing you must have had pretty bad experiences that formed your stance. Can you please state specific times where racism is being played out and totally differed from Tribalism? Like what is seen happening between different tribes like we see in Nigeria? Let's leave their terms and look at what is been played out back scene.

I'd really love to be enlightened. Thanks in advance.

Danielhouston:


Oh they’re are worse and very rude. It also depends on who you meet. It is the way Berlin is in general. Poor customer service everywhere. It’s not easy. Just pray you meet a good person

Danielhouston:


Tribalism and racism can both have the same effect. The only difference is that racism is worse and here’s why....

A Yoruba person may not like igbos and deny them opportunities, while giving it to his own person. But igbos also have the power to fight back and create their own. One group is not superior to the other. They will keep fighting and there’ll be no winner.

A white person or white people have the economic, institutional, financial power to control other races. The white race is also more in number than any other race. That is why they were the slave owners. They control the world. Their passport holds more power, so does their currency. A white person can live in Nigeria and not have papers, yet own companies. But a Nigerian has to pay €10,000 into a blocked account just to get a visa to study. Can a Yoruba do that to the Igbos?

If I go to a Yoruba shop to buy food and they don’t sell to me, I go to another shop. If I go to Germany and they deny me because of I’m black, I go to Spain, the same, France, UK, Canada, where will I go? And those are the profitable places that have the power to make my life better.

You also may not know which part of Nigeria someone is from until they speak or tell you. Hence they can easily escape tribalism. But being black is obvious. They can see color. You don’t have to say anything. Seeing you alone already disqualifies you. Which means your existence is a problem to some people. You can be bilingual and escape tribalism. Even if you’re mixed race, you still face racism.

However they can both have similar psychological and physical effects on someone. Tribalism and racism can both get you killed. Except that racism is on a broader spectrum that affects you based on your skin color.

fieryy:


To be honest, I was kind of sceptic about this thread because I get irritated by threads that are not entirely honest about life as a black person in Germany. But honestly, this thread is amazing and in my opinion the mlat realistic one I've stumbled upon, so thanks janettee.

You can either choose to live in your bubble world and ignore the things said so far or be very realistic. I grew up in Germany and speak the language fluently, better than English and far better than Yoruba. There's nothing about the German culture that I do not understand or is entirely foreign to me, yet I still do experience racism. My youngest brother knows nothing other than Germany and still does experience racism. Black people born here do experience racism. 'Turkish people' who have been here for generations still experience racism.

It's not just integration, in fact assimilate and you will experience racism. You can try to ignore the minor ones, the micro aggressions etc, but what a lot of us experience is structural racism as well, racism in schools, universities, work places, when trying to get an apartment etc.

Therefore you can be that super nice black dude that is so much more different than other blacks, so responsible, never aggressive, doesn't think racism exist, and like Germans will say: 'He's so well integrated, these are the kind of foreigners we want! '. You can be that kind of foreigner, but duuuude, be rest assured you're not wanted here and let the Bundestagswahlen speak for itself, not that one white German, who's assuring you you're 'good enough '

Elektra008:
Thank you for the thread op, if you can, please post pictures too. Following...

Dutch2:


Danielhouston and other contributors please, are there opportunities for an international student in countries like Ukraine, Northern Cyprus to work in tech related fields or take up any work that has to do with programing in Germany during the summer. Would really appreciate any insights, info or advice

janettee:


School them .

I also stay away from such people, I can't pretend it doesn't exist I can't just!.

And I hate when people think speaking the language will automatically redeem you from racism, like there are foreigners who speak perfct german but still experience racism, myself included.Look at the footballers, after playing their best just to make you happy. Small thing those white racist will start calling them names and and always remind them that they were slaves.

jesmond3945:
how do you cope in the face of racism, what keeps you going?

Hadampson:


NO

If you have someone living legally in Germany, he/she can get you a sponsorship letter. You don't need block fund once you have the sponsorship letter.

sassysure:
Germany, here we come
Nice thread @op.

Very well balanced.

I have an unique qweshion though.

What do Germans eat?

Danielhouston:


No, you cannot travel with him. You’re a student on student visa. You can only invite him over after you arrive and you’d have to prove that you have enough money and accommodation space to take care of him. Hence why he cannot work. You inviting him means you’ll take care of him.

Also, Berlin is one of the cheapest cities in Germany. You’d be surprised how cheap it is for a major capital city. The Germans decided to keep it that way. That’s why they always say Berlin is poor but sexy. Only thing that’s getting expensive is housing but now there’s ban on rent increase to prevent it from getting expensive.

GreatSage:

Thanks so much bro, I do appreciate ur sincerity.
Can a student who has zero knowledge of German, get a student job within a month of arrival?

Concerning the sponsorship letter can it gotten from anyone who isn't related to the immigrant in as much as the sponsor is a legal resident?

GreatSage:

Thanks so much bro, I do appreciate ur sincerity.
Can a student who has zero knowledge of German, get a student job within a month of arrival?
Concerning the sponsorship letter can it gotten from anyone who isn't related to the immigrant in as much as the sponsor is a legal resident?

Danielhouston:


Oh they’re are worse and very rude. It also depends on who you meet. It is the way Berlin is in general. Poor customer service everywhere. It’s not easy. Just pray you meet a good person

lion501:



Keep up the good work bro!!!


But when someone who got a job and he is okay invited you to Germany is it 100% guarantee you get the visa?

evergreen9:


what's the healthcare like in Germany? I remember seeing a video on the general German thread here on Nairaland, the video was about racism in the German healthcare. I would like to know if the Germans discriminate when it comes to administering health care to Africans or non-Caucasians residing in Germany.

Danielhouston:


I’ve never experienced racism in healthcare or from any doctor. I’ve always been treated the same way as the Caucasians. German doctors are generally grumpy and have a bad attitude. They are that way towards everyone. They actually had to introduce a platform for patients to report bad doctors. The doctors also speak German even if they understand English, but some are nice and would speak English to you if your German is bad.

It also depends on the city. If you live in a city where they don’t get many foreigners, they’re likely to be nasty towards immigrants. That is in every sector. It’s the same in other countries.

There would probably be racism, I won’t put it past them. But I never experienced it in healthcare in Germany and I’ve been in hospitals a lot.

Danielhouston:


I live my life and do what I do. I avoid making friends with people who are racist and I stay away from any environment I’m not wanted. For example: if I’m looking for a flat and the landlord is racist, I look somewhere else. Why would I want to live with a racist anyway?

The thing is, the racists are mostly scared. If you challenge them, they run away. When I sit in the train and a white person is looking at me angrily, I look back angrily or I ask them what their problem is. Immediately you confront them, they become scared and look away or they change seats. Also avoid popular racist areas. Leave them to their madness. In Berlin they’re in the east side “Marzahn, Hellersdorf” those are skin head racist areas. Avoid living there.

Also for every white person who hates you, there are other white people who love you. Focus on the ones who love you. You’ll mostly hear things like “you’re so aggressive, you’re rude, you’re threatening, you’re violent” ....blah blah blah white tears. All of that is what they say when they cannot control you. Don’t mind them, stand your ground.

Also know that not every incident is racist. Some could just be misunderstanding or a bad joke. Germans don’t really know how to communicate with black people and what not to say. That is because some of them never had close contact with a black person. They may not be racist, but ignorant. In that case, you teach them.

Also don’t walk around thinking about racism or looking for racism in everything. It can leave you depressed and feeling unwanted. Live your life, make friends, party, have fun, any day you face a racist incident, just look at it as having a bad day. You can react or ignore it, it’s up to you. But be aware. That’s how I live my life.

Danielhouston:


Tribalism and racism can both have the same effect. The only difference is that racism is worse and here’s why....

A Yoruba person may not like igbos and deny them opportunities, while giving it to his own person. But igbos also have the power to fight back and create their own. One group is not superior to the other. They will keep fighting and there’ll be no winner.

A white person or white people have the economic, institutional, financial power to control other races. The white race is also more in number than any other race. That is why they were the slave owners. They control the world. Their passport holds more power, so does their currency. A white person can live in Nigeria and not have papers, yet own companies. But a Nigerian has to pay €10,000 into a blocked account just to get a visa to study. Can a Yoruba do that to the Igbos?

If I go to a Yoruba shop to buy food and they don’t sell to me, I go to another shop. If I go to Germany and they deny me because of I’m black, I go to Spain, the same, France, UK, Canada, where will I go? And those are the profitable places that have the power to make my life better.

You also may not know which part of Nigeria someone is from until they speak or tell you. Hence they can easily escape tribalism. But being black is obvious. They can see color. You don’t have to say anything. Seeing you alone already disqualifies you. Which means your existence is a problem to some people. You can be bilingual and escape tribalism. Even if you’re mixed race, you still face racism.

However they can both have similar psychological and physical effects on someone. Tribalism and racism can both get you killed. Except that racism is on a broader spectrum that affects you based on your skin color.

Kenn55:




Bros, if you want to see how rugged tribalism is, just peep into nairaland politics section. I no say make you stay there for long ooo otherwise you won't know when you will join them and become one tribalists, Lol. The hate oozing out from our fellow country men fit boil beans. Racism dey learn work.

Danielhouston:


I’ve never experienced racism in healthcare or from any doctor. I’ve always been treated the same way as the Caucasians. German doctors are generally grumpy and have a bad attitude. They are that way towards everyone. They actually had to introduce a platform for patients to report bad doctors. The doctors also speak German even if they understand English, but some are nice and would speak English to you if your German is bad.

It also depends on the city. If you live in a city where they don’t get many foreigners, they’re likely to be nasty towards immigrants. That is in every sector. It’s the same in other countries.

There would probably be racism, I won’t put it past them. But I never experienced it in healthcare in Germany and I’ve been in hospitals a lot.

Danielhouston:


I’ve never experienced racism in healthcare or from any doctor. I’ve always been treated the same way as the Caucasians. German doctors are generally grumpy and have a bad attitude. They are that way towards everyone. They actually had to introduce a platform for patients to report bad doctors. The doctors also speak German even if they understand English, but some are nice and would speak English to you if your German is bad.

It also depends on the city. If you live in a city where they don’t get many foreigners, they’re likely to be nasty towards immigrants. That is in every sector. It’s the same in other countries.

There would probably be racism, I won’t put it past them. But I never experienced it in healthcare in Germany and I’ve been in hospitals a lot.

Savagethe21st:
bro what about politics. Do you know if blacks get successful in occupying positions there?

fieryy:


Lol, I only know 3 black German politicians