Racism in Ukraine

[johanYYZ]

Hey Everyone!

I am going to the Ukraine for a program called Canada World Youth. This is a program where students and young people connect with another group of young people from another country and do developmental work. Part of the time is spent here in Canada and part of it in the other country. In this case it is Ukraine.

Though I had some concerns I am Canadian but ethnically I am Korean. I hope you can understand what I am talking about. Would I expect a lot of racism? But anyway I was wondering what people would think in Ukraine. And what are some stereotypes and ideas people would have about me being a Korean etc. I hope that someone could give some advice! Thanks!

Johan

[V-G]

Johan,
Ukrainian youth is not racist, just because there are not many foreigners there (in comparison with Canada - there is no multiculturalism). It depends on which city you are planning to live in. The smaller the city, the poorer the population there, and evern thought they might not be 'racist' per se, they might just think you are rich and this may lead some trouble. I don't want to discourage you, yet Ukraine is not exactly the safest place for foreigners, especially small places... Kiev is a little different, its a lot better than most of Ukraine, if I were you I would either go to Kiev or no where at all.

This is my opinion, I hope others will post something too and you will be able to form yours.

Take care,

[johanYYZ]

Hey thanks for replying!

Hope you are enjoying SFU! But anyway the likelyhood of me being in a small town/village/mole hill is quite large. I am not sure what kind of work that I will be involved with but I do know that I will at least have some working knowledge of Russian -- which in some cases is good and some cases not good in the Ukraine.

I didn't mean to say that Ukrainians are not open to other minorities, its just that in the past for instance in Estonia there was a lot of rivalries between ethnic groups there, and I mean I am basically throwing myself into the mixture. So yeah....

[V-G]

Johan,
you are totally right about your assumptions... I just wanted to make sure you understand that poor people are more likely to be violent, thats all. I used to live in a small town called Ivano-Frankivsk and I always felt that 'yongsters' are making everybody feel rather unsafe. If you are walking home late, someone may cross you and ask for a smoke... if you don't smoke they may ask for money etc. its just very annoting. And being foreigner (Korean or any other!) in some way implies that you have cash.
I have not been in Ukraine for 2 years already, I doubt that much has changed, yet I hope I am wrong.
Anyways, are you coming there totally by yourself or there is a bunch of you? Are you going to have supervisors in Ukraine? What is the set up? I am sure that this program would not run well (or at all) if the safety issue was not resolved in one way or another, thats why I am asking.

[johanYYZ]

Hey again!

Well it will be a group of people from here going together with the likelyhood that I will be the only person who is different visibly. There will be about 10 youths from Ukraine from upper classes and same goes with 10 youths from Canada. So hopefully it will all be a good circumstance . We are going to have supervisors and all of that because I mean this program has been run for the past few years so I don't expect there to be a lot of problems but I mean I just want to make a good impression and not scare them off because I am Asian right? Or feel as though they have gotten the weird one. Ya know?

Johan

[V-G]

no worries we like asian people

[johanYYZ]

Geeze, you are way too kind!

So how you liking SFU so far? You're there now aren't you?

Oh and in your whole history have you seen an Asian in Ukraine? I know there are several in Russia... well in some areas... but I dunno about Ukraine.

Johan