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I live in "the Americas." The discrimination isn't based on an abstract ethnicity. If you say you're Ukrainian, Russian, or Belarussian, no one will care. The d

by blagie 5y ago

I live in "the Americas." The discrimination isn't based on an abstract ethnicity. If you say you're Ukrainian, Russian, or Belarussian, no one will care. The discrimination is based on culture, communication style, accents, and a slew of other things. Next time you're watching your favorite TV show, have a look at the person with the Slavic accent, and see what stereotype they play. Are they the evil villain? The awkward nerdy pervert? The village crazy? Pay attention for a few months. In my experience, 100% of the portrayals are based on stereotypes. Those stereotypes show up in schools, workplaces, and courts.

refurb 5y ago
Maybe, just maybe the Russian accent, but Yakov Smirnoff was universally loved, so it’s not like Eastern European = evil. I would agree that in general “foreign accent” had certain connotations, but I would challenge any average North American to identify a Russian vs Polish vs Yugoslavian accent. And maybe my take is because I’m from a part of North American that was pretty much settled by Eastern Europeans? I mean they were most of the farmers back in the early 1900’s.
- blagie 5y ago
  No, it's not Eastern European == evil. The most common connotation is creepy and socially awkward. Evil comes up too, but it's a runner-up. It's never /normal/, though. When was the last time you saw a normal person on TV, who just happened to be Eastern European? The SNL episode this weekend, talking about Ukraine, went with the Eastern European prostitute stereotype. It's worth thinking about what Yakov Smirnoff was loved for. The black actors in minstrel show were often beloved too. So was Aunt Jemima. CBS just called us "relatively civilized" and "relatively European." Everyone picked up on the anti-Muslim racism, but few noticed that Eastern Europeans took a middle rung. More human than the Middle East, but less human than Europe. https://twitter.com/imraansiddiqi/status/1497607326487826435 https://twitter.com/imraansiddiqi/status/1497607326487826435

by blagie 5y ago

refurb 5y ago

Maybe, just maybe the Russian accent, but Yakov Smirnoff was universally loved, so it’s not like Eastern European = evil. I would agree that in general “foreign accent” had certain connotations, but I would challenge any average North American to identify a Russian vs Polish vs Yugoslavian accent. And maybe my take is because I’m from a part of North American that was pretty much settled by Eastern Europeans? I mean they were most of the farmers back in the early 1900’s.

blagie 5y ago
No, it's not Eastern European == evil. The most common connotation is creepy and socially awkward. Evil comes up too, but it's a runner-up. It's never /normal/, though. When was the last time you saw a normal person on TV, who just happened to be Eastern European? The SNL episode this weekend, talking about Ukraine, went with the Eastern European prostitute stereotype. It's worth thinking about what Yakov Smirnoff was loved for. The black actors in minstrel show were often beloved too. So was Aunt Jemima. CBS just called us "relatively civilized" and "relatively European." Everyone picked up on the anti-Muslim racism, but few noticed that Eastern Europeans took a middle rung. More human than the Middle East, but less human than Europe. https://twitter.com/imraansiddiqi/status/1497607326487826435 https://twitter.com/imraansiddiqi/status/1497607326487826435