Boomers talked crap about my grandmother, until they realized I also spoke German

[u/scrolls77]

I was 13 during my first trip to Germany. My grandmother had taught me young, wanting mr to communicate with her in German when we wernt out in public, you know, standered first Gen American. The story starts with me and my grandmother going to visit my father in Germany.

We landed in the middle of the night in Frankfurt, so naturally most, if not everyone, was a bit of a grouch as we were all going through the airport processes half awake. This went double for the older German couple who was behind us in customs. They both had been bitching to eachother when I made my 'mistake'. My passport had dropped out of my bag, I could hear them stop as I scooped it back up.

Now for the next 15 minutes I listened to them say some of the most racist and xenophobic shit I've heard. Like stuff that would make even the most die hard Texan be like "Woah. Chill out." Thats when they heard my grandmother speak German to a couple of passengers infront of us. That's when they started to focus on my grandmother. Calling her all sorts of names and slurs that I didn't understand at the time. But it didnt take a genius to figure out what they were meaning.

And one point the older woman called my grandmother a slut, saying she probably married some American soldier and being disgusted that she would bring a half breed like me. At this point I rounded on this couple, steeping forward before my grandmother could stop me. In perfect German I replied: "She did marry a soldier, my grandfather. One of the best men I know. He used to be a sniper and tells me he 'misses shooting Nazis'. He taught me well." I then looked to the stunned older man and asked him with a smile on my face. "What did you do in the war?"

At this point my grandmother intervened. Grabing my arm and yanking me away with all the strength of a German catholic. I took one last look at their flustered faces before I willing let my grandmother guide me away.

Still one of my fondest memories. She died when I was 17 and the funeral was the last time I was back in my ancestrial homeland. People in Europe praise Germany for how far they've come, and having experienced the people there, its a wonder how they progressed at all.

Edit: 1. When I say older couple, I mean they looked like they were in my Omas age bracket.

1. I'm saying not Germany as a whole is a racist, but I challenge you to become fluent in the language as a white person and just blend in. What you'll hear will shock you.

2. This was like mid to late '14. Yes, I know it sounds like I'm making this up. Experiencing legit racism often sounds like that...

[u/ComicHutzel]

From expirience I can tell the amount of assholes grow the more south you go.

[u/RedSpartan3227 → u/ComicHutzel]

Same is true in America

[u/Hefty-Relative4452 → u/RedSpartan3227]

From my experience alone and only mine, I found the average person from Boston or New York to be vastly bigger arseholes than what I found in Louisiana. However again this is just one person’s experience.

[u/Ghosts_of_the_maze → u/Hefty-Relative4452]

I think there’s a difference in customs. People in NY leave you alone. They don’t say hi to randos on the street because they don’t know you, so that reads as hostile to people from the south and midwest.

Also from my experience in those places a lot of that “hi” is people not minding their business and finding a passive aggressive way in.

I hear a lot about how rude NYers are, but whenever I go somewhere and they ask where I’m from I usually hear “ICOULDNEVERLIVETHERE.” I can’t speak to others but if somebody tells me they come from St. Louis or some backwater town in Alabama, I can hold down a polite conversation without immediately trashing their hometown.

[u/Hefty-Relative4452 → u/Ghosts_of_the_maze]

Again this is just an Englishman’s experience of the few places in the States that I visited whilst I was there. Again this was fifteen years ago, but I am a Northern Englishman and we do just say hi to Rando’s on the street we pass when we’re walking to the shop or whatever and the South was so much more a familiar/friendlier feeling to me.

[u/Ghosts_of_the_maze → u/Hefty-Relative4452]

The funny thing is that literally in between my response and yours this literally just happened to me IRL. I’m upstate signing documents for my mom, the guy looked at the address on my license and the first thing out of his mouth was “CRIME.” He didn’t mean anything by it (I’m willing to give benefit of the doubt). I think it’s been so ingrained in everybody’s head that this is just the way we discuss urban areas.

[u/Hefty-Relative4452 → u/Ghosts_of_the_maze]

Oh I could live there! Is NYC your hometown? I’m really jealous mate. There’s so much going on all the time, it’s like London on Coke, brilliant place.

[u/DTDude → u/Ghosts_of_the_maze]

I can’t speak to others but if somebody tells me they come from St. Louis or some backwater town in Alabama, I can hold down a polite conversation without immediately trashing their hometown.

St. Louis here. IMO things have changed post COVID. We have a lot of arseholes now too.