‘Go back to where you came from’: Indian man faces racism in New Zealand, shares ordeal | Trending

An Indian man shared a post online detailing the racism he encountered in New Zealand after he moved to the country two years ago. The 29-year-old man said that he was looking for a fresh start and had an “ideal image” of New Zealand. “I had this ideal image of NZ being welcoming and multicultural, but my experience has been far from that, unfortunately. I wanted to share my story and hear from others who might be in the same boat,” he wrote In a lengthly post on Reddit, the man revealed that he felt unwelcome in New Zealand.(Pixabay) In a lengthly post on Reddit, the man said that he felt unwelcome in the country and even though he found some good people, his overall experience in New Zealand has been marred with rac comments. “I’ve faced more racism than I expected. From random strangers yelling stuff at me on the street to getting weird looks or rude comments at work because of my accent or appearance,” he shared. Take a look at his post here:He said that if he went out to socialise with the locals, he felt like people “avoided” him or treated him differently. “Sometimes it’s subtle, like people talking over me or excluding me from conversations. Other times, it’s blatant—like being told to “go back to where I came from,” he added. To help integrate himself with the local culture, he said he tried to learn Kiwi slang and be open-minded to understand how things work in New Zealand. “But there are moments when it gets exhausting. I never felt like an outsider growing up in India, but here, even after two years, I feel like I don’t fully belong,” he said. (Also read: Indian-origin man says ‘I’m Canadian’ to woman’s rac rant: ‘Rise in hate’) “It’s tough because I really want to make New Zealand my home, but there are days I wonder if I made the right choice. How do you handle the mental toll of this, and does it get any better over time?” he added. ‘People don’t trust immigrants’Upset over the situation, he reached out to other Indians who have moved abroad and sought advice and solidarity. “Have any of you faced similar issues after moving abroad? How do you cope with the feeling of being an outsider or dealing with racism, especially when it hits so unexpectedly?,” he wrote. His post received a flurry of positive comments asking him to ignore the racism but users also shared their own ordeals in foreign countries. “Faced the same overt and covert racism in Berlin. Left the place and came back home after a year. Couldn’t be bothered to deal with racism,” wrote one user. (Also read: ‘We have brown skin…’ : Indian YouTuber claims racism in South Korea. Watch) “Speaking from experience, you’ll face racism anywhere you go. I’m in Canada and run a business. People don’t trust immigrants at all especially when they pay for your experience and advice,” said another user.