To those stating #racism is not a thing in Germany, let me tell you a bit about my weekend and my family THREAD #racism

I am Spanish, my grandmother Guadalupe was a Latina. I am light haired and skinned in comparison with many others in my family. For the last 8 years I’ve been living half of the week in Berlin and the other half in a small town in Brandenburg called Niederfinow. 2/

I have a small child and my kid can speak both German and Spanish. Yesterday we were at the water channel learning to ride a bike. We were speaking in Spanish. Another family came with their little girl to also practice with their bike. I was cheering my kid in Spanish. 3/

The family came closer. The father wore a t-shirt with runic characters, a shirt in the style I’ve seen many times at celebrations here, worn by people buying enameled pictures of Himmler and Hitler at the flea market and tattoos with svaticas. 4/

When he heard me speaking not German he stopped and started listening. I immediately changed into German. . I was alone with my little one and I have been yelled before by a group of people for speaking Spanish (“in Germany we speak German”). 5/

I also have been hit before by a similar looking guy who packed my on my neck and threw me against the pram of my then sleeping child two years ago, in front of a whole restaurant (no one came to help). So, remembering these and many other events, I changed to German. 6/

I got scared and didn’t want to endanger my little one. I cannot speak in my mother tongue to my child because I am afraid. My child very much registered the change. And the little one is gradually refusing to speak Spanish. 7/

Even though she goes to a German-Spanish kindergarden in Berlin and her reality in Berlin is both Spanish and German speaking. But also in the kindergarden we have a #racism problem too, with some children mocking and mobbing “the darker skinned” ones or their babysitters. 8/

My child asked me whether the darker skin of my grandmother would later in time show. My child was afraid of becoming darker. I cannot find words to explain how this feels. 9/

Racism in Germany never went away. This also applies to the country I was born, Spain. And many other countries in Europe. In fact, Europe has been the cradle of many racist ideas and deeds. /END