In a groundbreaking survey encompassing over 21,000 participants across Germany, the shocking prevalence of racism has come to light. More than half of the black population residing in Germany have reported experiencing racism, with an alarming 20% detailing recurring threats and harassment, as revealed by a comprehensive study released this week by the German Centre for Integration and Migration Research (DeZIM).
The survey’s findings have also brought to the forefront the distressing experiences of Muslims and Asians, with approximately 13% of Muslims and 12% of Asians confessing to having endured threats or harassment on a regular basis throughout the year.
These disconcerting revelations point to a troubling pattern, primarily affecting population groups that are racially marked and are often subjected to public discourse about their belonging to Germany. Naika Foroutan, Director of the research center, emphasized the impact on black, Asian, and Muslim communities, stating, “This most often affects population groups that are racially marked and whose affiliation to Germany is repeatedly the subject of public debate: Black, Asian, and Muslim people.”
The incidents of racism transcend various public settings, occurring in contexts ranging from public transportation and sports clubs to financial institutions, as noted by Cihan Sinanoğlu, the head of the office conducting the survey, known as the National Discrimination and Racism Monitor.
Sinanoğlu underscored the significance of these findings, shedding light on the disparity between society’s self-perception and the ground realities. The prevailing notion in Germany that “racism was something that ended in 1945” or was “confined to the extreme fringes” or occurred only in countries like the US, UK, or France is challenged by these findings. Historically, Germany has hesitated to collect demographic data on ethnicity, which has contributed to these misconceptions.
In light of the growing awareness of racial discrimination and in response to international debates on systemic racism, the German government proposed a national monitor to track discrimination and racism in 2020. The results of this survey were surprising even to those who acknowledged the existence of racism in Germany. Sinanoğlu stressed the importance of the findings, emphasizing that it’s not just the statistics but the actual experiences faced by black communities that are profoundly shocking.
The study revealed that an alarming 54% of black individuals in Germany have encountered racism at least once. Disturbingly, 41% of black men and 39% of Muslim men reported instances of discrimination by law enforcement agencies. These statistics point to a serious issue, considering that these institutions are designed to protect citizens.
These findings resonate with a recently published EU survey that characterizes racism as “pervasive and relentless” and on the rise across Europe. In Germany, the plan is to conduct this survey annually, expanding its focus to different sectors such as housing and labor in subsequent iterations.
In this particular survey, healthcare experiences were scrutinized. The results revealed that over one-third of black and Muslim women, as well as 29% of Asian women, believed they had been treated unfairly or that their health concerns were not taken seriously on certain occasions. For white women, this figure was 26%, suggesting a nexus between racism and sexism in healthcare.
The in-depth interviews brought to light the specifics of discrimination. Black women felt they were hypersexualized, with healthcare providers frequently recommending HIV/STI testing. Muslim women, on the other hand, were often offered sexuality-related health services.
The consequences of such discrimination are significant, with 13% of Black, Asian, and Muslim women admitting that fears of discrimination have caused them to delay or avoid medical treatment. These experiences are intrinsically linked to anxiety disorders and depressive symptoms, as evidenced by the survey’s data.
The survey serves as a stark reminder of how racism and discrimination accumulate over time, manifesting in a series of small aggressions that compound into significant issues. Cihan Sinanoğlu elucidated this, emphasizing that it’s the cumulative impact of numerous small, subtle incidents that shapes the experience of racism, rather than one singular, major event.
