I am a black women from Southern California, work at a large Pharma here and I have been here for 4.5 years. I have been called a "Schwartz kua (cow)" and today in the coop, some guy thought I had bumped his car door (which I didn't) and he told me to "go back to Africa". This is more than NOT surprising to me that certain people here chose to say such hurtful things considering the climate here and the attitudes but still it is very sad. I have never in my 40 something years been called such names or talked to in such a way.

My husband and I are by chance happily moving back to CA this summer, I can't wait. I will try to remember all of the good things & experiences that I had here and not the bad.

Hopefully someday the attitudes against foreigners & brown skinned people will change. In the meantime, I am counting the days till we depart.

That was incredibly rude and I am so sorry this happened to you. Just keep in mind that they are idiots and not worth wasting a thought.

I'm also sorry to hear that I hope you realise such insults come from frustrated people to like to blame others for their own misery.

I know it's totally not the point but black cows are incredibly beautiful.

very sorry for your experience, just keep telling yourself that soon you will be enjoying the ocean and a considerably nicer climate.

That is terrible. Not all Swiss are like that however. The ones that are, I think are anti foreigners in general not just towards skin colour. There are some lovely Swiss where I live, there are also some who believe if you don't come from this specific valley then you shouldn't be here!

No need for ignorant remarks like that - You are quite right when you say that you will take all the positive memories you have had when you return to California and leave behind negative ones.

The older I get nothing surprises me any more - sorry that happened to you - so unnecessary.

Look...it's not cool what happened to you, for sure. I think what may have "startled" you is the bluntness of the remark. You've been here for a few years so you should have a hint that "the Swiss bark, but they don't bite." Don't forget, the grass isn't always greener over in the US either. Even though in the US people aren't as blunt because it is the "politically incorrect" thing to do, the prejudice is still prevalent. For example, you won't find a black man being dragged to his death on the back of a pick up truck just because he is black happening in Switzerland, but that did take place in America in the 21st century! Unarmed Black men being shot multiple times for just about nothing, and being continuously stopped. One of the most famous cases is Trayvon Martin. A young black unarmed teen shot and the shooter was basically getting away with it until it was brought to the media's attention.

Black kids on college campuses find dolls with nooses around their necks depicting days when US slaves were hung from trees, and OBAMA has been called every name in the book, including the "N" word. They have called his beautiful wife Michelle a gorilla! Black Americans still today are consistently suing about racism with jobs. Even now there is a lawsuit pending against Disney World. The plaintiff says that the character Donald Duck at Disney World did not hug her son for a photo because he is Black!

I write this not to excuse what was said to you in Switzerland, it was not right. But don't think that America is above it because its not. Some feel it's even worse because of the US president is black, well black enough. Nonetheless, I wish you the best in California...enjoy the sunshine!

The mouthy ones are just jealous! Be yourself and enjoy life, to hell with what the others think.
JC

ProsperityJoy, I don't know where your from but I a born & bred southern Californian and I have never been called out of my name in the 40 years that I was there. I have been several times in the 4.5 years that I have been here. Yes, there are racial issues In the US as we'll, there is a history going back 100 or so years, so it's understandable but even so, we have an African-American president of the United States! I just came from being a month there and there was no racist attitudes towards me at all, in fact people were super friendly and helpful- something I hugely missed.

I don't know whether your reading these things your saying in the news paper or wherever but from what you cite, these are things that happened in the 60's/70's. Even so, I have NEVER experienced such comments or racism until I moved here and I have been all over the US due to my husbands job.

Maybe you need to travel to the US and spend some quality time there.

I feel sorry for the children growing up here in such a narrow minded country. My husband says that is why he left and didn't return until 30 years later- to realize that things did not change much.

Have you checked out the PWG "Professional Women's Group" of Zürich? It can be another choice. My work takes me to the middle of Chreis 4 every day, with its multitude of nationalities and the ease of which most people respect each others presence, so this remark did also stun me, One's own deficiency does show up like these responses, either in aggession or fierceness, nonetheless primitive and hurting.

Yeah, ProsperityJoy, that was a pretty stupid post. And not very well written, to boot.

If you hadnt been black they would have called you huere chue. The schwarze is just something they throw in at the spur of the moment seeing the obvious and wanting the insult to take. I know its shocking when you come from a pc like America. In my experience, the Swiss are pretty egalitarian. They are equally rude regardless of your color or race.

Sorry...but I am a duel citizen. I have US and Swiss citizenship and yes I have lived in the US for many years, and yes what I wrote is true and happening right now, today, in America. Here is a link to the story about Disney World. I know you are looking for sympathy and I think many here have given that to you. But you must also "face the reality" of what's happening in the USA as well. In fact I will be in the US in the coming weeks to take care of a few things. Of course not every American is an outright racist, and every Swiss is not like that either!" However, I find it hard to believe you don't know about the Trayvon Martin case. Here is a link to the story here. I just wanted to give you a "wake-up" call. Racism in the USA was not left behind in the 60s and 70s! Switzerland does not have the history of slavery like the USA does, and I think that Swiss children will turn out just fine. Like I wrote before, good-luck in the USA, I am sure you will be fine. Just don't go with blinders on!

It wasn't stupid, it was truthful....

Some bedtime reading for you: http://www.afrikanet.info/menu/news/...e-slave-trade/

this has absolutely nothing to do with "pc", it has to do with recognizing the difference between calling someone a "huere chue" and a "schwarze chue". shame on you for even trying to justify the expression.

This business about Swiss racists being "equally rude" to people regardless of colour is bullshit.

I've been here nearly eight years and have never experienced abuse like that described by the OP. Not once.

I'm white and English.

Of course that would make no difference at all...

I'm not going to go back and forth with you, you seem to somehow be very bitter about the US, maybe you had some bad experience there?
I never said there was no racism in the US, Unfortunately it does exist and I can also cite some cases for you from the news. I am talking about MY experience and I said that "I" was never called such racial slurs while living there as I have been called here. Are you a brown skinned person? If not, Then you cannot talk to to me about what I have experienced either in my home country or here in CH.
I am not trashing CH but I know that I have not felt so out of place and unwelcome before, even traveling to different countries.

Have a nice evening.

first, if she is from cali i'm sure she knows her experiences and does so without blinders.

yes, incidents of course still happen there, the country is big and there are many places that haven't 'evolved' in 200 years. but the difference is that it is a matter of comments and racism on such a personal scale. it's not a matter of pc or not, pushing a shopping cart into another (or not) doesn't justify any mention of race- what's so pc about calling someone an a** without bringing an undeniably xenophobic and racist (and obviously stupid, assuming she is from africa) comment about going back to africa into it?

not to say that the u.s is the leader in race relations but you certainly, in many parts of it, wouldn't get such aggressively racist comments that can be caste aside as part of 'the way things work' around here. that wouldn't fly in the u.s.