racism in rural ireland

Deco99

Title is very broad. But tonight someone I know made a comment to my girlfriend about "blowing up" and he had just met her. She has dark complexion cause her father is foreign but she is irish and not muslim. He then told me to "diffuse" the situation. How should I have dealt with that?

R.D. aka MR.D

Was he intentionally trying to be offensive?

osarusan

Pull him aside for a word, which will help him to see that this is something serious, and say something like, "I know you are just trying to make jokes, but I don't think they're funny or appropriate, and I'm asking you to stop it."

fermanagh_man

From my experience you get these types of comments from people who have never experienced city living, worked with mixed race nationalities and quite frankly never left the town/village they are originally from

I've seen even worse from guys like this when to go on holidays abroad

Deco99

Comments are bang on. Rural fella but I cant quite figure if it was intentional or he said it accidentally and then went with it cause it got a reaction. What I did do was say it to him in front of his wife and a few but as alcohol was involved and I didnt witness what was said I didnt get angry or possibly make it clear I didnt think it was a joke. Just annoyed but when drink is involved you cant do anything rash

Maura74

Just say to people like that you feel sorry for them having problems with other peoples skin tones. People pay a lot of money to get their skin tone change when they go on holidays they want to turn brown as it looks better and healthier.

Also, I do not know what 'blowing up' means, it must be an age thing with me....LOL

Deco99

I just find its a waste of time trying to correct these people as they are not remorseful and actually enjoy being controversial.

dellas1979

Maura74 wrote: »

Also, I do not know what 'blowing up' means, it must be an age thing with me....LOL

As in "blowing up" something, i.e., people of a certain ethnic origin are seen to explode themselves/things.

I would 100% shoot back at them, simply, "thats racist" and let them deal with that/push the responsibility back to them. Lets see how much they like being called racist.

Reesy

Next time you could explain that she's not a member of the Real IRA, so he's mistaken...

Or would humour like not have worked in that situation?

tomwaterford

this may have been a very very poor attempt at humour..

so long as it wasn't said as deliberately hurtful/heat of moment

id say best thing to do would be to say to him apoligize to your GF....he surly knows hes after make a dope of himself espially since he wants you to diffuse the situation

he made the mess-let him sort it!!!