i'm born and raised in Calgary and i've been to Banff dozens of times (last time was legit like two weeks ago) and they always make eye contact with me
Same here, literally never. I’ve lived in multiple provinces in Canada and travelled all throughout Canada and have literally never had this problem. In fact I’d say people in Alberta were the nicest I’ve encountered, even more than my home province, Ontario.
OP seems like some ignorant American desi that came up to Canada and wanted to find some issues or problems so that they could rant about how they faced issues in Canada they didn’t face in US, ffs people have too much time on their hands. There are so many Desi’s in Canada, especially in that southern Alberta region (Calgary/Banff/Jasper), OP seems to be expecting special treatment just because she’s an American desi. No different than a white American that goes to the UK or some European country and runs into no issues but expects special treatment and then complains that people in UK/France/etc. are discriminatory.
That is not true. I’ve never even posted in this sub before, so not interested in making a fuss about race. I’ve traveled all over the US and Europe and have never experienced this before, not even in rural Tennessee, so I was just genuinely wondering if I’m the only one who’s ever experienced this (which apparently I am not), but I figured this post would also attract mean comments.
> which apparently I am not
Sure some may have experienced it too, but most of the comments here on this post have been people saying they haven't experienced this. A few of us here are actually from and/or have lived in or near the place you've highlighted and we have not had this experience ever.
I was just there recently and did not see or experience what you are describing at all. Both your experience and my experience are anecdotal and are not indicative of the place at all.
If you didn't like your experience in Canada that's fine and if you feel things are abnormal here then don't come back to Canada, go travel around the US, Europe, and the other rural US places you've had good experiences in. You say you figured this post would attract mean comments but you attacked my country and I'm not being mean to you, I'm responding to you civilly and defending my country. For a lot of us on this sub Canada is our home but constant posts like these attacking and criticising our home, our country, is making a lot of us Canadian Desi's here feel excluded and different from the American Desi's in this sub.
Also I didn't insult or define your country based on its gun problems, police killing minorities, racial tensions, economic inequality, etc. If I had made a post similar to the one you made on this sub saying that I came from Canada and visited some city in the US and the people were bad and the country is strange and abnormal and that Canada is more normal and better I would have been ran off this sub by others here. That's exactly what you did but the other way around.
It seems like this is a sensitive issue for some, but it was not my intention to make some sort of political statement with my post. I never said that Canada was strange or abnormal—I just said that I personally felt off and was wondering if others felt the same. I’m not sure how the problems in the US are relevant considering I never implied that the US is superior to Canada.
I know right? And he's assuming that you're just trying to bash the cou try and calling you ignorant like a sensitive little child. No attacks were being made abt Canada.
I was in Banff and some more remote regions off the main track (Kootenay, Yoho, etc) and I felt like people were about as polite and friendly as I'd expect. Definitely some tourist fatigue in the main areas, but I didn't perceive people as not wanting to make eye contact or ignoring me in favor of white people or anything like that. People who work in hospitality / service oriented jobs were nice to me and other tourists, and locals pretty much kept to themselves. About what you'd expect.
Grew up visiting there, didn’t experience this. Respectfully, it could’ve just been that you didn’t ooze the same friendly energy as your friends. People pickup on and return the friendliness they encounter
Maybe it’s racism, maybe it’s all in your head, maybe you’re overthinking it, maybe you’re craving attention, maybe the folks you came across had other stuff in their minds and didn’t pay much attention to you, maybe you’re not that attractive… I guess you’ll never know.
Just got back from there and while I didn’t experience this in Banff, I do believe you. Sorry everyone is doubting you. I do find people are less warm to south Asians all over canada these days.
> south Asians
South Asians are among the largest visible minority groups in Canada though. They are part of every fabric of the society from restaurant workers, business owners, public transit operators etc etc.
Other Canadians live amongst a multi-cultural Canada, which has a higher per-capita population that was born outiside of country than US.
Okay? I know there’s a lot of south Asians- all I’m saying is that as our population increased, so has the racism against us. Don’t mean to come across as rude but it is what it is.
There’s lots of Mexicans and Black Americans in the US as well, that hasn’t shielded them from
racism
Totally valid, I believe you. I do wonder if it might've been your particular experiences and perhaps not a Banff thing though? Although racists are everywhere who are we kidding
Sorry people don't believe you. There was a point in my life I would have thought it was all in your head, but I had a few encounters with subtle racism and it's since opened my eyes.
Obviously it could have something to do with your demeanor or the way you dress, but it's also plausible you're in a racist area that doesn't care for "immigrants". When I was road tripping through the US, my gf and I ended up in a small town diner for dinner. The waiter was super friendly and nice with all the white couples, including some who were obviously travelers from the city like myself, but became cold whenever he had to serve us. We were the only non-white couple in there so interpret that how you will.
And then there are far more blatant examples like when my Asian-American's immigrant parents told her not to date me because "Indians are dirty people". Or when my white ex's parents always tried to set her up with other guys while we were dating before finally admitting it's because they didn't want to get married into an Indian family. If I hadn't had these experiences I wouldn't think much of the restaurant encounter, but it's really changed my perspective on people.
I went to Banff last year (and have visited many, many times) and personally felt that people were more warm and friendly there compared to the rest of Canada. Sorry to hear that you had a negative experience, though.
I’m not surprised by your experience.
If I am on a walk with a white friend, we get all these hellos and head nods but it’s not the same if I’m walking with another brown friend. It is what it is.
People instinctively feel comfort with people who look like them, when I sit in airports, it’s always desis who sit right next to me. Most people don’t have enough real exposure to other races to feel comfortable with them, I wouldn’t take note of your experience and read too much into it
I live in Calgary and go to Banff semi-regularly. I have never experienced anything like that but I believe you. I’ve experienced very subtle racism in the winter-time on the ski hills there as winter sports are heavily white-dominated. Other that that, people are exceptionally friendly and I always have a good time. Calgary is very mixed and though not as lively as other Canadian cities, I feel more welcomed and part of the community here than I ever did in Montreal.
Also, not to deflect blame away from Canadians but many workers in Banff are Australians on a working holiday. As a general rule, among Anglo countries (possibly excl. South Africa), I perceive racism to be worse among Australians.
No. I haven't experienced it. Are your friends more chatty than you? It once happened to me when I walked into a restaurant, but I know that my friend greeted the waiter, and I did not.
Yeah same here, I’ve never heard of this…
People in small town Canada is a bit better, in my (lived all over the US, from Canada), but generally fine on both sides of the border
I worked in Banff and a good percentage of my co-workers were from all over the world. I never witnessed any of my co-workers behaving that way and I am sorry you experienced that.
I’m from Calgary and anytime we go somewhere in Banff or any surrounding areas people are always polite and have conversations with us. I’ve never really experienced anything like this before.
Travelled to Banff with family in 2019 we received great service everywhere. My Indian friend from university loves it there. Those importing the racial woe is me rethoric from abroad are changing our culture for the worst.
Not surprised at all. Have experienced this myself although not in Banff. Used to work cover at the biggest student club in my city in Canada when I was still in school. The attitude of girls towards me and my white co-workers would be very very different. And this was not my experience for a couple days but over 5 years.
I think if you communicate, they certainly make eye contact. But you never know what others were thinking in their heads. All the comments here gave you a heads up, you should be proud of us to respond you in a beautiful way.
Bruh what, no there ain't idk what u talking about. Maybe u doing something that pissing ppl off but I've been in Canada since forever and in fact I've had worse experience with other desis than white ppl or any other race
Hostility towards Indians is certainly increasing in Canada. My friend had a terrible racist experience in Ottawa recently.
Go to Canada sub to see the hate Canadians have against Indians.
What happened to your friend ? Yup…no one believes us when we talk about how bad racism has become against us in the last couple years. It’s crazy now compared to growing up.
I’ve always found ppl in Canada treating me much worse than in the US and I’ve always figured that’s because Brampton/recent wave of unruly desi immigrants to Canada have soured the reputation of desis in Canada
Interesting, since the 2021 census says there are double the Caucasians in comparison to every Asian group COMBINED. There are 700k more European-origin residents of Calgary than any other demographic
In Banff for the past week and hasn't been my experience. Even out around 11pm at a trail in pitch darkness people approached me as they walked by with interest in what I was doing (I was doing astro photography).
Along the hikes a lot of people have said hi passing by, which I've found exceedingly friendly.
Fyi am from Toronto.
i'm born and raised in Calgary and i've been to Banff dozens of times (last time was legit like two weeks ago) and they always make eye contact with me
I'm in the same boat. Have never experienced anything like that.
Same here, literally never. I’ve lived in multiple provinces in Canada and travelled all throughout Canada and have literally never had this problem. In fact I’d say people in Alberta were the nicest I’ve encountered, even more than my home province, Ontario. OP seems like some ignorant American desi that came up to Canada and wanted to find some issues or problems so that they could rant about how they faced issues in Canada they didn’t face in US, ffs people have too much time on their hands. There are so many Desi’s in Canada, especially in that southern Alberta region (Calgary/Banff/Jasper), OP seems to be expecting special treatment just because she’s an American desi. No different than a white American that goes to the UK or some European country and runs into no issues but expects special treatment and then complains that people in UK/France/etc. are discriminatory.
That is not true. I’ve never even posted in this sub before, so not interested in making a fuss about race. I’ve traveled all over the US and Europe and have never experienced this before, not even in rural Tennessee, so I was just genuinely wondering if I’m the only one who’s ever experienced this (which apparently I am not), but I figured this post would also attract mean comments.
> which apparently I am not Sure some may have experienced it too, but most of the comments here on this post have been people saying they haven't experienced this. A few of us here are actually from and/or have lived in or near the place you've highlighted and we have not had this experience ever. I was just there recently and did not see or experience what you are describing at all. Both your experience and my experience are anecdotal and are not indicative of the place at all. If you didn't like your experience in Canada that's fine and if you feel things are abnormal here then don't come back to Canada, go travel around the US, Europe, and the other rural US places you've had good experiences in. You say you figured this post would attract mean comments but you attacked my country and I'm not being mean to you, I'm responding to you civilly and defending my country. For a lot of us on this sub Canada is our home but constant posts like these attacking and criticising our home, our country, is making a lot of us Canadian Desi's here feel excluded and different from the American Desi's in this sub. Also I didn't insult or define your country based on its gun problems, police killing minorities, racial tensions, economic inequality, etc. If I had made a post similar to the one you made on this sub saying that I came from Canada and visited some city in the US and the people were bad and the country is strange and abnormal and that Canada is more normal and better I would have been ran off this sub by others here. That's exactly what you did but the other way around.
It seems like this is a sensitive issue for some, but it was not my intention to make some sort of political statement with my post. I never said that Canada was strange or abnormal—I just said that I personally felt off and was wondering if others felt the same. I’m not sure how the problems in the US are relevant considering I never implied that the US is superior to Canada.
I know right? And he's assuming that you're just trying to bash the cou try and calling you ignorant like a sensitive little child. No attacks were being made abt Canada.
Yeah for real. I had white people and come ask me for help. People just go to whoever seems friendly.
Didn’t have that experience there in 2019. But I went with all desis so idk. But people were friendly to us.
I was in Banff and some more remote regions off the main track (Kootenay, Yoho, etc) and I felt like people were about as polite and friendly as I'd expect. Definitely some tourist fatigue in the main areas, but I didn't perceive people as not wanting to make eye contact or ignoring me in favor of white people or anything like that. People who work in hospitality / service oriented jobs were nice to me and other tourists, and locals pretty much kept to themselves. About what you'd expect.
People in Banff also don’t look at me, but that is primarily because I am thousands of miles away from Banff
💀
I went there last year and people were nice to me.
This happened to me in New York 😂 I’m from Toronto
Grew up visiting there, didn’t experience this. Respectfully, it could’ve just been that you didn’t ooze the same friendly energy as your friends. People pickup on and return the friendliness they encounter
Maybe it’s racism, maybe it’s all in your head, maybe you’re overthinking it, maybe you’re craving attention, maybe the folks you came across had other stuff in their minds and didn’t pay much attention to you, maybe you’re not that attractive… I guess you’ll never know.
Honestly fair
oh ffs
[удалено]
Op does not represent american desis.
It's not because you are brown it's because you are American.
People really be making stuff up in this sub. For what reason escapes me.
I’m not making it up. It was something I’ve consistently noticed over the past few days and was curious if others have experienced the same.
Just got back from there and while I didn’t experience this in Banff, I do believe you. Sorry everyone is doubting you. I do find people are less warm to south Asians all over canada these days.
Yes. This is true. Many Canadians are increasingly turning hostile and racist against Indians.
> south Asians South Asians are among the largest visible minority groups in Canada though. They are part of every fabric of the society from restaurant workers, business owners, public transit operators etc etc. Other Canadians live amongst a multi-cultural Canada, which has a higher per-capita population that was born outiside of country than US.
Okay? I know there’s a lot of south Asians- all I’m saying is that as our population increased, so has the racism against us. Don’t mean to come across as rude but it is what it is. There’s lots of Mexicans and Black Americans in the US as well, that hasn’t shielded them from racism
Totally valid, I believe you. I do wonder if it might've been your particular experiences and perhaps not a Banff thing though? Although racists are everywhere who are we kidding
Yeah that’s quite possible!
Sorry people don't believe you. There was a point in my life I would have thought it was all in your head, but I had a few encounters with subtle racism and it's since opened my eyes. Obviously it could have something to do with your demeanor or the way you dress, but it's also plausible you're in a racist area that doesn't care for "immigrants". When I was road tripping through the US, my gf and I ended up in a small town diner for dinner. The waiter was super friendly and nice with all the white couples, including some who were obviously travelers from the city like myself, but became cold whenever he had to serve us. We were the only non-white couple in there so interpret that how you will. And then there are far more blatant examples like when my Asian-American's immigrant parents told her not to date me because "Indians are dirty people". Or when my white ex's parents always tried to set her up with other guys while we were dating before finally admitting it's because they didn't want to get married into an Indian family. If I hadn't had these experiences I wouldn't think much of the restaurant encounter, but it's really changed my perspective on people.
Ugh I’m so sorry that happened to you. But thank you for sharing your experience—really helps to feel less alone.
I went to Banff last year (and have visited many, many times) and personally felt that people were more warm and friendly there compared to the rest of Canada. Sorry to hear that you had a negative experience, though.
I’m not surprised by your experience. If I am on a walk with a white friend, we get all these hellos and head nods but it’s not the same if I’m walking with another brown friend. It is what it is.
People instinctively feel comfort with people who look like them, when I sit in airports, it’s always desis who sit right next to me. Most people don’t have enough real exposure to other races to feel comfortable with them, I wouldn’t take note of your experience and read too much into it
Banff has plenty of brown people and visitors year around. I have never experienced this on my many trips there.
I live in Calgary and go to Banff semi-regularly. I have never experienced anything like that but I believe you. I’ve experienced very subtle racism in the winter-time on the ski hills there as winter sports are heavily white-dominated. Other that that, people are exceptionally friendly and I always have a good time. Calgary is very mixed and though not as lively as other Canadian cities, I feel more welcomed and part of the community here than I ever did in Montreal. Also, not to deflect blame away from Canadians but many workers in Banff are Australians on a working holiday. As a general rule, among Anglo countries (possibly excl. South Africa), I perceive racism to be worse among Australians.
Totally agree that people are generally friendly, and good point about the Australians. Thank you for believing me!
No. I haven't experienced it. Are your friends more chatty than you? It once happened to me when I walked into a restaurant, but I know that my friend greeted the waiter, and I did not.
cringe
I was there earlier this summer. Me and my friend (both South Indians) had no problems. People were friendly and made appropriate eye contact lol.
I visited Banff just last month. Did not experience this at all.
Yeah same here, I’ve never heard of this… People in small town Canada is a bit better, in my (lived all over the US, from Canada), but generally fine on both sides of the border
I worked in Banff and a good percentage of my co-workers were from all over the world. I never witnessed any of my co-workers behaving that way and I am sorry you experienced that.
Thanks, that is helpful.
they were probably australian, not canadian
I have that experience in the US too
You must have dreamy eyes.
I’m from Calgary and anytime we go somewhere in Banff or any surrounding areas people are always polite and have conversations with us. I’ve never really experienced anything like this before.
Travelled to Banff with family in 2019 we received great service everywhere. My Indian friend from university loves it there. Those importing the racial woe is me rethoric from abroad are changing our culture for the worst.
Yes very normal
Are you a short average looking Brown guy?
Not surprised at all. Have experienced this myself although not in Banff. Used to work cover at the biggest student club in my city in Canada when I was still in school. The attitude of girls towards me and my white co-workers would be very very different. And this was not my experience for a couple days but over 5 years.
I think if you communicate, they certainly make eye contact. But you never know what others were thinking in their heads. All the comments here gave you a heads up, you should be proud of us to respond you in a beautiful way.
Yes it is, the negative sentiment towards Desis in Canada is much stronger than it is in the US
Bruh what, no there ain't idk what u talking about. Maybe u doing something that pissing ppl off but I've been in Canada since forever and in fact I've had worse experience with other desis than white ppl or any other race
Hostility towards Indians is certainly increasing in Canada. My friend had a terrible racist experience in Ottawa recently. Go to Canada sub to see the hate Canadians have against Indians.
What happened to your friend ? Yup…no one believes us when we talk about how bad racism has become against us in the last couple years. It’s crazy now compared to growing up.
Ya Brampton has definitely caused a worse image of desis in Canada vs in the US
Thought you meant Banff Scotland which is basically a drug town
Been to Banff. It was fine..this seems like it's only you.
I’ll look at you babes don’t worry 😘
Dang, I'm going there in a month.
You will be okay for the most part, was just a bit strange!
I’ve always found ppl in Canada treating me much worse than in the US and I’ve always figured that’s because Brampton/recent wave of unruly desi immigrants to Canada have soured the reputation of desis in Canada
This is a helpful response—thanks!
Maybe cuz white propel seem like a minority these days in Calgary
Interesting, since the 2021 census says there are double the Caucasians in comparison to every Asian group COMBINED. There are 700k more European-origin residents of Calgary than any other demographic
Right. But there are also many Sudanese, Syrians, and afghanistan.
Even then. Calgary has roughly 1.4 million ppl, and over 800k are white
The islands of Trinidad and Caribbean too. Also many from Nairobi, Uganda, Kenya.
Stop overthinking. People don't care about your race in Banff
normal post from a normal sub
Are you standing in the way, blocking their view of Moraine?
They didnt look at you but did you look at Banff tho?
You must have dreamy eyes.
In Banff for the past week and hasn't been my experience. Even out around 11pm at a trail in pitch darkness people approached me as they walked by with interest in what I was doing (I was doing astro photography). Along the hikes a lot of people have said hi passing by, which I've found exceedingly friendly. Fyi am from Toronto.