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Ottawa: An NRI woman living in Canada sought the help of Redditors after she had to deal with multiple instances of ‘subtle racism’. The post ignited a discussion on social media. And many argued that it wasn’t racism but ignorance.

The woman stated that she lived in a town near Toronto. Describing various instances, the woman stated that she was often made to feel that she did not belong there. “My ID always gets double-checked at concerts. At nail salons, they immediately say “It’s expensive” before I even ask the price. We get looks when we go to nice restaurants, like we don’t belong there,” said the woman.

NRI woman complains of subtle racism in Canada

How do you deal with subtle racism?
byu/WillowPrevious5141 innri

Speaking of her most recent experience, the woman said she was asked by a white lady if she had learned English after moving to Canada. “Then she said, “Did you learn English after coming here? Your English is exactly like mine. I told her I’ve spoken English all my life, and she just stared at me until her pedicure was done, and she left. I didn’t even know how to react. It wasn’t aggressive, but it was so ignorant. Stuff like this happens too often, and it’s exhausting,” said the woman.

“How do you all deal with it? Do you speak up? Let it go? Educate them? I’d really like to hear how others handle these situations,” said the woman.

Netizens swiftly helped the woman with their opinions. Many opined it might be a location issue, as such problems are less common in places that are diverse. They suggested that she respond kindly to such comments. Others stated that if she gets too uncomfortable, she could ask them to elaborate on their comments.

“Most people I’ve come across are just ignorant, due to no fault of their own, just due to the fact of where they were brought up and the society they’ve been around. Educating those people is the best way; they’ll appreciate it,” said one netizen.