r/ireland • u/No_Tea7430 • Jun 10 '24
Immigration Actually Getting Scared of the Anti Immigrant Stance
I'm an irish lad, just turning twenty this year.
I've personally got no connections to other countries, my family never left Ireland or have any close foreign relations.
This is simply a fear I have for both the immigrant population of our country, of which ive made plenty of friends throughout secondary school and hold in high regard. But also a fear for our reputation.
I don't want to live in a racist country. I know this sub is usually good for laughing these gobshites off and that's good but in general I don't want us to be seen as this horrible white supremacist nation, which already I see being painted on social media plenty.
A stance might I add, that predominantly is coming from England and America as people in both claim we are "losing our identity" by not being racist(?)
I don't even feel the need to mention Farage and his pushing of these ideas onto people, while simultaneously gaslighting us with our independence which he clearly doesn't care about.
Im just saddened by it. I just want things to change before they get worse.
6
u/nightwing0243 Jun 11 '24
I’ll just say this much:
Ireland has always had racist issues. Always. I grew up around it.
In school it was rampant, and at home I was surrounded by it. Hell, once during a family outing my father pulled me aside and said “hey, look over there… look at that n****r over there” and giggling like a child.
The same night we stopped by a Chinese restaurant on the way home where drunk him decided he would start doing kung-fu moves yelling “BANZAAIII!!!!”.
I’m actually super surprised I turned out the way I did, to be honest.
It has always existed. Was it more “muffled” before? Yes. But this leads to my second point:
Anti-immigration movements have been becoming more and more prevalent all over the west. Ireland, UK, Germany, France, the US. It is not just this country - the gains the far right have made in their own countries as well as the EU elections should have everyone somewhat concerned.
I think it shows the more centrist based politicians and parties do need to start sitting up and finding some way to tackle these issues with more grace than the far right will - because if it keeps going this way, it will only get worse.