Too many Indians (in Berlin)
A few weeks back, with election fever running high I found myself in a busy kneipe in Lichtenberg district with friends. We ended up partially sharing a table with some locals, I’d say in their 50s. We were speaking in German and I guess the beer had them in a jovial mood. Within a few mins they asked if my heritage was Indian - the usual assumption. I tried to explain my family’s heritage- that I grew up in the UK. Shortly thereafter one blurted out that’s there’s ’too many Indians here now’. Apparently a lot of Indian IT workers and students live in buildings around the area. He was laughing whilst saying it yet doubled down listing the things he disliked ranging from Indians always being on their bikes (delivering food) and talking v loud (I’ve never seen it). I tried to make the point that Indians are now the highest earning diaspora in germany - article below and contribute a lot tax-wise as such. At the VHS most of my classmates were Indian and were at B1 within a year. The fact they’re on bikes delivering food means they’re working - usually to assist with funds whilst studying STEM subjects here. Seemed to fall on deaf ears and ended with him saying Indians don’t integrate which is a huge generalisation.
Tbh I decided to end the convo as I was getting upset and didn’t want to ruin the evening.
But now I wish I had said something.
It feels as if people like this always move the goal post. A high earning, tax paying, language learning diaspora contributing to the German economy. Of course not 100% but it’s hard for them to be here if not working (blue card) or studying.
I’m curious what Germans in other cities think? Is this a symptom of some people just refusing to accept a particular kind of foreigner to baked in negative associations?
The reason I’m asking is I’m trying to come to terms with how some Germans might perceive me based on looks alone. In the last 12 months I’ve had more unpleasant incidents than the prior 4. So feels like there’s a paradigm shift. I’m not one to play victim, rather I’d like to empower myself though understanding. The incident in the kneipe just fuelled my thoughts.