Russophobia

[awkward-yet-sweet]

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/backstories/1998/

https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2022/4/1/beware-of-the-resurgent-russophobia

 

The area where I live doesn't have many people of Russian ethnicity.  But I wonder how things are elsewhere in the USA?  Are we going to be seeing a rise in anti-Russian sentiment or even hate crimes? 

 

I think about this because my GF is of Russian heritage, as are her 5 kids (my stepkids).  Russian is one of the languages spoken in our home.  I don't think it is wise to get involved in foreign conflicts, and even less wise to bring those conflicts into the USA.  But immigrants and their descendants have strong feelings about it.  My husband and GF remember what it was like at their high school, where lots of their fellow students were affected by the Bosnian conflict a decade prior.  Students of Croatian, Serbian, and Bosnian heritage continued the war...in the halls of the school.  🙄

[Ivy]

I don't really get out and around all that much these days, but I don't think there are many Russian folks around here.  I've liked the few Russian people I've met in my life.  (I think Dr. Z is Russian, maybe)  

I realize it happens (Islamophobia after 911) but it's just not right to blame individuals for the actions of politicians in another country.  Unfortunately there are plenty of people ready to take out their frustrations on innocent people.  

[Carolyn Marie]

I've heard nothing in the news in Southern California, but we're not known either as having a big Russian ethnic population.  If Russia were to take some direct action against the U.S., other than economic, I suspect that would change.

 

Just a reminder that posts usually need to have some connection to trans issues, but I'll leave this one up.

 

Carolyn Marie

[Stacy S.]

I have some Russian heritage, I have relatives living in Russia, people call me Russian, I am a Russophile. Most of my relatives belong to minority ethnicities in Russia. When things got heated in Helsinki for me as for as hate speech and bullying, I fled to Russia, where I felt home. 
There has been Russophobia as long as I can remember, but now it is state level in Finland and it does not matter what party in the parliament, they are all more or less Russophobic. Then there are snitches in Finland, who snitch local Russophiles to Ukrainian kill-list Myrotvorets. I was on an earlier list, but it seems that the Ukrainians have fact-checked me and I have not been in Myrotvorets AFAIK. 

I am at a loss of words for this hate and sanctions. I just want peace no matter what, but I do not see that it is feasible. At the minimum the European Union should receive transgender and LGB refugees from Russia and Ukraine. 

I have followed some young Russians moving out of Russia for a reason or another. It is a hard decision. One of my ancestors, Matrona Loginova, crossed the border, for she was Old Believer and Old Believers were persecuted in Russia and many went as far as they could, and this is where we still are, displaced people. Just like the movie title: "Eternal Road". 

Now, Putin demonizes trans people with the Russian Orthodox church. Is there ever a going to be a time when the Russian Orthodox Church does not demonize my family. Putin does not even really believe. 

I have said to the Orthodox priests that my family roots are very much in orthodoxy, but the same can be said about drunkenness and crime. I do not have to become a criminal just because my family heritage has so many criminals, neither do I need to be Orthodox. 

Now I have to keep Russia as a hobby, I watch Russian news, I take language classes, I study Russian geography. I wish I could go there again. But if I go, what do I tell them about Russophobia.That it is real. Putin is right, Russians are hated in the west. 

 

[Ivy]

On 10/19/2022 at 9:13 AM, Ivy said:

I don't think there are many Russian folks around here.  I've liked the few Russian people I've met in my life.

Well, I met a Russian lady the other day at a local pride meeting.  And she was likable.  

 

1 hour ago, Stacy S. said:

Putin is right, Russians are hated in the west.

I don't think so.  Now, Putin might be another matter.  But many right-wing politicians even seem to like him well enough.  But I don't want to get into that one.

 

I think we have to be careful not to judge individual people by actions their government takes that they have no control over.  The same goes for us in the US.

 

Many of us - especially in the US - are a mix of "nationalities" anyway.  I'm blend of Swede, German, Swiss, and probably a bit of Polish thrown in.  My ex was a mix of British/Canadian, Portuguese, and who knows what.  Our grown children are frequently mistaken for Brazilians or other South Americans.  One of my daughters visited friends in Puerto Rico, and people thought she was native as long as she didn't open her mouth.

 

I'm just saying we need to stay away from stereotyping people.  I certainly don't hate Russians.

[Charlize]

    Russian ancestry is mixed into many in the north east.  My wife's step father escaped from Russia as a child.  As people who do not stand out as ethnically different from the "norm".  Acts of hate are more likely when people are visually different. Attacks are increasing depending how people are dressed,  their race or if they are "acting like queers".  

    I would imagine this is the case in the rural south as well.

 

Hugs,

 

Charlize

 

[tracy_j]

I find it interesting to see the variation. Here in the Uk there seems to be very mixed thoughts as although most people, although notably not all, see Putin as an evil dictator with perhaps a desire to emulate "Uncle Joe" (Stalin), there are many who see the Russian people as being opressed and in themselves just people like everyone else. Some people do feel that western governments have maniplated things to their advantage though, perhaps giving Putin poor choices for action.

 

Personally it is my view that trans issues are just used as a scapegoat to take the blame and divert people's thoughts from the real issues in their country. Similar, although obviously lesser to, the attitude toward the jews in WWII. It is perhaps a much wider subject emerging in the world as anti jewish sentiment was not isolated to Germany in those times but that is not the main thrust of this thread, as is not rising anti trans sentiment isolated to Russia.

 

Tracy

[Stacy S.]

Just a year ago, Russia had more liberal no-surgery-needed -policy than Finland. Transitioning and sex reassignment was totally accepted in the USSR. Now, things have taken a sharp turn to worse. Transitioning and gays and lesbians are suddenly western influence. It just so happened that one trans individual was found siding with certain Slava U* -nation, whether that actually happened or not. 

I don't know, I would think that most Russians are just fed up with television and propaganda. I look at a local Russian television channel news and they stay away from controversial topics.