Not sure how to title this

[anathema_me]

So a few weeks ago I got the German flag tattooed on my arm not only to show my love of the country, but because it's also pretty much all of my heritage. I showed it off because I loved it and got a lot of mixed responses. Surprisingly most of the positive ones were from military men who had been stationed in Germany. They would chat me up about

Comments

[dgirl1300]

When I was friends with a German exchange student in high school, my Dad made jokes about calling her a Nazi or a 'kraut'.

[paperwitch]

Being called a "Nazi" is a rude thing, if i was that exchange student , I'd be offended! Even if it was a joke, one doesn't jokes about someone being a Nazi. I thought a grown-up would be aware of that.

How did your friend reacted to that?

[alex_andras]

I've definitely had to deal with it. I live in Canada, and I wear my German football jersey quite often, and it seems like each time I do someone asks me if I'm a Nazi or accuses me of being a white supremacist or something. I haven't got any good witty responses - I usually respond with sarcasm, as I do with most other things in my life (I'm gay, so it's usually a sarcastic "yes, clearly, I'm a gay Nazi") - but you're definitely not alone in having to deal with it.

[cc5]

oh wow. I plan on moving to Canada. Le sigh!

[diehappy12]

It makes me sick, angry and so sad to read that so many people obviously think of us as nazis. I really have no idea how to express my feelings reading this. It hurts.

Do people in the US think of it as funny to refer to someone german as nazi? is this meant to be a joke? Or is it meant seriously?

[vesleskjor]

Some people do it as a joke, but I know some people that are totally serious when they say things like that. It makes me sad, too, and I'm not even German. Just the ignorance is saddening.

[djphae]

Unfortunately, I think they're serious. Mostly a stereotyping issue. I've never really understood it, personally. There's a lot of ignorance in the world.

[arthenadent]

Some Americans, the ones who don't know any better, think it's funny. In general, the American way of thinking is not good with history and recognizing that other countries are real places. (That explains the US' foreign policy pretty well, too.) Other countries are often presented as a collection of stereotypes. So the Dutch all wear aprons and wooden shoes and frolic in fields of tulips near windmills while waiting for the next flood. The French all wear black-and-white striped shirts, black berets and red scarves, smoke cigarettes while eating frog legs, and surrender to anyone who enters the country. And the Germans are all blonde with rosy cheeks, wear lederhosen or dirndls, drink beer constantly and march around being Nazis in their spare time. It's ridiculous and hurtful, but consider that the majority of Americans have never left the country and have no interest in finding out the truth. To the Americans who think it's funny, the Nazi past is one of the only (possibly the only) thing they know about Germany at all. So

[vesleskjor]

I have a bag with an eagle design on it...I was at my grandparents' house and mentioned jokingly to my grandpa that was was "German eagle-esque". And he goes "Oh, a Nazi design."

My response was just to stare and go "Um....no...Just German."

[bullwinky]

Perhaps "Not all Germans are Nazis. Why don't you try living with us in the 21st century where we've already discovered that?" Keepin' it simple is the best way to go, so.

If you can talk to your grandpa and tell him you don't appreciate those comments, maybe he will stop. The best way to get what you want is to ask for it: ask for his respect for your heritage. My grandfather is sort of racist as well, and I've yet to stand up to him, but I'm getting to the point where I can't take it anymore. People need to be called on that behavior though, because it is very wrong.