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Is there anything my girlfriend and I have to consider when traveling to America based on our skin differences?

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.

75 comments
  • I think this will be a complete non-issue. Interracial/interethnic marriage is quite common in the US. There might be a few isolated backwater areas where people would judge you but such people would be in the minority and would keep such thoughts to themselves.

    And regardless, anywhere international tourists would know of or visit will be cosmopolitan enough that such pairings will not be unusual to see.

  • 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

    Unfortunately it is true, but it's not everywhere. Generally speaking, the larger the population of an area, the less likely you'll experience hostility. Coastal cities with large populations are highly unlikely to give you trouble. Rural aeas with lower populations have a higher chance of giving you trouble.

    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.

    Yes, segregation was a dark chapter in America's history. Officially, segregation was outlawed, but unofficially it still happens in some areas. Some of the conservative regions are trying to go back to the days of segregation and slavery. They create laws that aren't specifically racist, but still have that effect.

    As to different cultures, we have a lot of them. Most of the country speaks English, but we have a lot of different accents that seem like a different language entirely.

    I dont know German, but I would draw a parallel to various English accents in the UK. Irish, Scottish, Cockney, Geordie, and so on.

    As to the way white and black people talk, I suspect it has more to do with wealth and social class rather than race. Poor white people and poor black people tend to socially isolate from one another, creating distinct accents. But it's not uncommon for intermingling.

    I have a coworker who grew up in a poor black neighborhood and he has a "black accent" (for lack of a better term). If your only interaction with him is on the phone, it would be easy to assume he's black.

  • I've lived all over the US. You won't have any such issues. Enjoy your trip and take some nice photos!

    If you get lost or need some help, say you are visiting from Germany and need some help. People will be glad to give it.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

75 comments