I hope this is not too stupid of a question, if it is I already apologize in advance.

Basically my girlfriend and I who are from Germany are planning to travel to the USA. We were hearing stuff that some Americans socially divide people by their ethnicity. I just wanted to ask online whether this is true and if there could be any concerns because my skin is very bright and my girlfriends skin is very dark.

Normally we never really cared or talked about this since at least in our community (where we are from) no one makes a thing out of it and we both just identify as German. But I heard that in some procedures in America you have to say what your ethnicity is? We even heard things like that in some places they divide people by “skin color” and base different cultures on that (we noticed that people from America even speak and behave differently based on whether they identify as “black” or “white”) and even have schools for primarily people with dark skin or so. And this concept is very new to us since our skin was never any topic for us and we are somewhat insecure that someone could say something since we look so different and are a couple and we don’t know if this could be “weird” for some Americans?

I assume that’s probably not the case and I’m somewhat misinformed, which is why we just want to make sure there isn’t anything that we have to know or potentially have to be concerned about.

  • SomeAmateur@sh.itjust.works
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    2 months ago

    Just go for it, so long as you aren’t overtly rude you’ll have minimal issues (hard to do, in my experience Germans are quite polite). Few people will care at all and those that do probably won’t tell you to your face which is for the best for everyone anyway.

    Assuming you’re going to visit as a tourist most places you will be at will be fine for both of you.

    Also check out Atlas Obscura and Wikivoyage if you haven’t they are both cool resources for getting around and finding things to do

  • Onomatopoeia@lemmy.cafe
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    2 months ago

    Don’t listen to the people saying there’s an issue anywhere.

    All this racist nonsense is just that - nonsense.

    I’ve lived or worked for extended periods in numerous states, from Maine to Alabama, North Dakota, Washington, Texas, California, and all over the midwest, especially in rural areas (worked with trucking companies), and you really don’t see all the racism people claim on the internet, even in the trucker world.

    Yea, you’ll find an ass here and there, but that’s very much the exception today. Far more so than even the 70’s, when being openly racist in a small town was tolerated a lot more (“the older generation don’t know no better” kind of stuff).

    So come to the US. You’ll be fine anywhere except specific areas in certain inner cities (and that’s a general crime issue, not a race issue).

    • baines@lemmy.cafe
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      2 months ago

      I personally know a lady that had to leave alabama after two run in with racists at gas stations in a couple months because her mixed race kid

      this was in 2020

      • skulblaka@sh.itjust.works
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        2 months ago

        2016 in the mountains of North Carolina a girl was taken out of my high school because some of the kids were bullying her so bad for being a “n****r-lover” cause she dated one of the few black guys in the area

        They had to learn that from somewhere and enough of the school was doing it that she and her mom felt she was unsafe there

        Overt racism is still alive and real in more places in America than people want to admit

  • Kaboom@reddthat.com
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    2 months ago

    No you don’t. Just don’t act like the death valley Germans and you’ll be fine.

  • daggermoon@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    Depends where in the US you are going i guess but in general people aren’t openly racist to strangers. I can’t imagine you would have any issues. 2 years from now who knows, things are going to shit quicker than I could have ever imagined. People are going to be asking about your accent likely, we don’t meat Germans very often. I don’t think I have ever met one in person. I live in the middle of nowhere though. I’d guess most if any attention you get would be positive.

  • themeatbridge@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    But I heard that in some procedures in America you have to say what your ethnicity is?

    Not sure what you mean by “procedures,” but no. It’s explicitly forbidden for anyone to discriminate against you based on your race or ethnicity. You won’t be asked if you are black or white or anything else. People might be curious where you are from, especially if you have a strong accent, but you’re free to tell them to fuck off (especially if they are being racist.)

    We even heard things like that in some places they divide people by “skin color” and base different cultures on that (we noticed that people from America even speak and behave differently based on whether they identify as “black” or “white”) and even have schools for primarily people with dark skin or so.

    We have laws preventing creating neighborhoods or schools that exclude specific races, but there are regional schools in communities that are primarily one race or another. Generations of racial segregation, redlining, blockbusting, and gerrymandering have created persisitent segregation that survives decades after those practices were outlawed.

    So no, you’re not misinformed. Historical segregation was real and still affects communities today, but there are no laws enforcing racial segregation. We do have a lot of bigots, as evidenced by the literal Nazi salute at the Trump inauguration today, so you should be careful in places like rural Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Texas, Utah, and South Carolina. But if you’re visiting a major city, or any famous tourist attractions, you’ll probably not experience any overt racism beyond a Trump bumper sticker.

    • AnAmericanPotato@programming.dev
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      2 months ago

      It’s explicitly forbidden for anyone to discriminate against you based on your race or ethnicity

      Ironically, it’s very common to be asked for this information specifically because of anti-discrimination laws, so they can demonstrate statistically fair practices. I always see a box for this on medical forms, new-hire paperwork, etc. I believe the law requires it to be optional and only used for regulatory reports. So that’s probably what OP heard about.

  • FuglyDuck@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    So others have already addressed most of your concerns, so, I’ll just leave it at that.

    but, eh, I do want to point out that it’s surprising to me that EU people frequently seem to assume we’re all just one big sameness. Like you would look at me weird if I suggested French and Spanish cultures were the same, right? In terms of population size and landmass both, the US is more comparable to the EU as a whole, and we have a lot of diverse sub cultures here.

    Some of that is divided along racial lines- do remember that roughly half of the 340 million people in the US aren’t white, and even if we were, most of our states have their own cultural quirks (and that includes variations in accents and dialects.) Which really shouldn’t be that surprising, considering at 85 million, Germany has subtle variations of culture too. y’all don’t all speak Standard German (which is funny because we tend to think of the stereotypical German as being Bavarian. complete with the lederhosen. I blame Oktoberfest.)

    hell, some of your dialects may in fact be different languages than Standard German (Low Saxon, for example.)

    Suffice it to say, we’ve got a lot of variation here, and the culture that you experience will largely depend on where you go. and since you’ve mentioned Nashville… definitely need to try the BBQ there. it’s delicious.

  • Jimmycakes@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    You’ll be fine everywhere you go. No one will even notice you. What you see online and how it is in real life are wildly different. Enjoy your trip

  • Pacattack57@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    Your description sounds to me like someone was trying to explain how the US is a melting pot of cultures and they did an extremely poor job 😂

    Essentially because we are a country of immigrants people with similar cultures tend to group together. For example there are parts of cities that are predominantly Italian or Chinese. Not because we are racist but because that just happens naturally. People want to share an experience a culture similar to their home country.

    Obviously there is always a chance that someone will say something but just ignore them or tell them to mind their own business. You have our blessing to treat those people with absolute disrespect.

  • Sunsofold@lemmings.world
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    1 month ago

    Been to various parts of the US. Met open racists on a few occasions. How likely you are to encounter them will vary by location, but your experience will most likely be great. There are many racists in America but most of them are not the kind who will choose some black tourist in the middle of the city to harass. You’d have to get pretty unlucky to get more than a snide look. Most of the people you will interact with as a tourist will be customer service reps, who, generally speaking, will be extremely cordial, even if they were to be the kind of American who has some issues with race. The one color Americans respect more than black or white is green. If you have money to spend, they’ll be only too happy to help you spend it. Cops will treat you better if you have money too, and not even in the sense of bribes. Dress like you have money and they’ll treat you like you do.

    That said, non-racial crime is still very much a thing, especially against tourists, so keep to the safety of well lit, populated areas as much as you can unless you have a local to tell you where it’s safe.

    Oh, and try some authentic Mexican food if you can. It’s delicious.

  • FartsWithAnAccent@fedia.io
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    2 months ago

    You’ll probably be mostly fine, but expect people to find your accent to be a novelty.

    Racists usually keep their mouths shut in public, just pay attention to your surroundings and be careful (good advice anywhere you go).

    • MudMan@fedia.io
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      2 months ago

      I’ve definitely gotten lots of looks in the US due to my accent not matching the way I look as Americans understand it.

      It ranges from “huh, that was weird” to actually annoying after a while, but it was never an outright issue for me.

      Also, holy crap, stay away from cops. That is an actual piece of advice for the OP. You’re gonna think cops are there for you because you’re all European and stuff and I’m telling you now, US cops serve an entirely different social function and do not expect to interact with you unless it’s through violence. I am very serious about this.

      • Catoblepas@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        2 months ago

        Oh shit yeah, I assumed that was a given because I forgot other countries have cops that actually help people sometimes. ESPECIALLY stay away from any cop with visible tats because there’s a non zero chance they’re in a literal gang.

  • jacksilver@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    As many people said there is racism in the US, but that’s cause everywhere has its flavor of racism.

    If you’re visiting the US as tourists it’s highly unlikely you’ll encounter anyone being outwardly racist, especially if you keep to major tourist destinations.

    In any major US city you’ll run into people of all different colors and people from all over the world working and living together, just like most big/international cities.