Experience With Xenophobia ...

[Stumpedmom]

Doing my previous job, I determined it is just pure ignorance that I was dealing with.  When I was out trying to promote immigration via the investor, skilled worker and entrepreneur classes, people here would respond with "we don't deal with those types of people" or would tell me that we don't need those people here to sit on welfare and take our jobs.

The classes as listed above can do nothing more than help our community that is pretty much going to be non existent in 10 to 15 years if we do not bring in immigrants to help our economy, bring jobs, and invest in our community.

I was so dumbfounded when I ran into this.  We have had a large increase in our Muslim community, they have brought so many jobs, money and people to our community but people just see them as "terrorists" and not for the positives they have brought and contribute.  We have actually ended up with 2 doctors choosing to come here based on the fact that the Muslim community is here, and have made a school.

I am just amazed at how closed minded people in my community are about bringing people from outside in to help our community, and they do not want to listen or hear the positives that can come from accepting new immigrants....

[canadianwoman]

I keep getting asked if I'm Nigerian or from Africa, it just blows my mind since I was born and raised in the US, have a Southern US accent, and use the word "ya'll" alot. At first it really bothered me but now I hate to say it, but I've boiled it all down to the fact that it just must be the ignorance that permeates the area we live in. Like the other day at work this lady was talking to me and she asked me where I was from and I said the US. She then asked me "no, where are you originally from" and it took all of my self control to stop myself from calling her out on being an ignorant dumba** because she couldn't believe that someone who was black could actually be an American and not African. I was also tempted to ask her where she was originally from since she was very obviously born and raised in Canada, just to let her see how ignorant she sounded.

I apologize for Canadians being rude, but would just like to point out two things:
Most black people in Canada are recent immigrants from Africa or the Caribbean (or their descendants), not like in the USA. (I agree that once you said you were from the USA, she should know enough about US history to not continue with her questioning, however.)
And the woman who asked you where you are really from may not have been asking that because of your race. Canadians often ask people that question, in some form - even to white people. It's because Canada is quite a new country, even newer than the USA, so almost all people here are immigrants or descendants of recent immigrants. So we self-identify as Ukrainian or Scottish or Hungarian, or whatever. I've been asked the same question many times, and I just say my grandparents came from England.

[scarycemetery]

I'm guessing the average Canadian knows nothing about Slovenia, so I would hope in most cases any questions are just curiosity. Not meant to be insulting, even if they are! I've lived abroad for years, and get similar questions about Canada. Just tell them what Slovenia is like, and maybe mention where it is.

Yes I get questions about Canada all the time when I'm abroad...in Lebanon they've asked me if we have shampoo there and cheese! Lol I know they're just curious but it's still funny