Italy is one of the most popular countries in the world for tourism, and it’s not hard to see why. You can visit fascinating cities full of rich history, enjoy stunning, warm beaches and devour the most delicious bowl of pasta you’ve ever tasted. 

But no country is without its faults. And unfortunately, racism can be found all over the globe, including in the beloved nation of Italia. Below, you’ll find a video that content creator Xeviuniverse recently shared on TikTok, detailing the racism he experienced in Italy, as well as a conversation with Nourhene Mahmoudi, Policy and Advocacy Advisor at ENAR.

After encountering a blatantly racist woman in Italy, content creator Xevi decided to share his story online

Image credits: Michele Bitetto (not the actual photo)

“Y’all have experienced racism, but most of y’all haven’t experienced level 9 advanced racism”

“I’m in a club in Italy, walking inside an elevator. As soon as I stepped inside, this promoter, she was a woman, puts her full palm on my chest and stiff arms my black *** outside that elevator.”

Image credits: Donny Jiang (not the actual photo)

“And I’m a pretty big guy. You know how much force she had to put in that ***** to throw me out of the elevator? I’m looking inside the elevator and she has the biggest customer service *** smile I’ve ever seen in my life. Like she was doing my *** a favor.”

Image credits: Jason Dent (not the actual photo)

“I think that a lot of people don’t realize that Africans in most European countries are treated like ****”

“But the thing that she didn’t realize was, that although I am African, I’m also American. So I did what any American would do and I put my foot on the elevator, opened that ***** up, and walked right in front of her. Everyone then begins to look up at me like ‘this monkey’s bigger than I thought’. She immediately begins to look down, continuing her customer service smile.”

Image credits: xeviuniverse

“I began to cuss her out. And I’m talking really cuss her out. Like saying **** I don’t… I ain’t never said before”

“Like, do you know where I’m from? Did you put your hands on me? As soon as they heard that accent, that American accent, **** flips. Her coworker loses his ****. ‘Hey, what… what floor did you want to go to?’ I said, ‘Hey, shut up your mouth. I’m not speaking to you right now. Push 3.’ All of a sudden, this random man steps in from the crowd and says, ‘That is not us, that is not Italian.’ Everybody started talking about, ‘That’s not Italian. That’s not Italian. That’s not Italian.’ Oh, that… she had me hyped. I felt like Rosa Parks with that *****.”

You can hear Xevi tell the full story right here

@xeviuniverse Shout out my dogs in the elevator #fyp #tiktok #storytime ♬ original sound – Xevi

He also provided additional context about the situation after the video went viral

“Racism in Italy is a pervasive and deeply entrenched issue that has significant implications for the lives of many, particularly migrants”

Image credits: Markus Spiske (not the actual photo)

To gain more insight on this topic, we reached out to Nourhene Mahmoudi, Policy and Advocacy Advisor at the European Network Against Racism. “Racism in Italy is a pervasive and deeply entrenched issue that has significant implications for the lives of many, particularly migrants,” Mahmoudi says, noting that the extent of racism in the country is apparent in various aspects of society.

“One prominent aspect is political scapegoating, where migrants are frequently targeted in political propaganda, especially during electoral campaigns,” she explained. “Right-wing and far-right parties (Lega Nord and Fratelli D’Italia, for example) exploit anti-migrant sentiments to garner support and perpetuate negative stereotypes and misconceptions about migrants.”

“Furthermore, racism is not confined to a specific domain,” Mahmoudi continued. “It permeates multiple areas of life, including public spaces, employment, the higher education system, and even in the world of sports. It is enough to look at the experience of volleyball player Paola Egonu, footballer Mario Ballotelli or boxer Hassan Nourdine.”

“According to the latest Fundamental Rights Agency’s report ‘Being Black in the EU,’ Italy has one of the highest rates of racial discrimination in employment which doesn’t only impact racialized communities’ economic well-being, but also further contributes to social inequalities,” the expert noted.

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“Racism is still deeply ingrained in the institutions and systems, and these structures must be confronted”

Image credits: jurien huggins (not the actual photo)

Mahmoudi is positive about the future, noting that over the past two decades, there have been notable advancements in the legislative framework within the European Union, signaling a commitment to tackling racial discrimination. “However, it’s crucial to consider whether these advancements have been translated into a widespread recognition of racism at the European level and particularly at the Member States level,” she added.

“Despite the launch of the European Anti-Racism Action Plan and the different institutional efforts, ‘Being Black in the EU’ paints a concerning picture. The report indicates that there has been little to no discerning progress in the fight against discrimination,” Mahmoudi explained. “On the contrary, the respondents to the survey mention higher levels of racial discrimination in all areas of life.”

The expert says that addressing racism requires more than legislative changes. “It involves confronting the structures that continue to perpetuate it at various levels of society,” she told Bored Panda. “Racism is still deeply ingrained in the institutions and systems, and these structures must be confronted. Moreover, harmonized data collection remains to be a challenge in several EU member states, which leads to lack of well-informed policies to address the issue of racism in its different manifestations.”

Fighting racism is a “shared responsibility that calls for effective policies from the institutions as well as active engagement from every resident,” Mahmoudi says. “The times we live in demand that we no longer remain silent when we witness racism and discrimination.”

One essential step is speaking out against injustice and discrimination. “Whether it’s confronting discriminatory behavior, intervening when necessary, offering support to the victim or advocating for better equality policies, the voice of every resident matters,” the expert told Bored Panda. “Silence in the face of racism only perpetuates the problem, and taking a stand against it is a fundamental step in effecting change.”

“It is important to give racialized communities the platforms they deserve to reclaim their own narrative”

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Image credits: Jon Tyson (not the actual photo)

Mahmoudi also says that, “to effectively combat racism, understanding the historical context is crucial through education and the comprehension of the decolonial perspective. Europe’s colonial past has left a profound impact on contemporary dynamics and the lives of racialized communities. Learning about history is vital to recognise structural and systemic injustices.”

“Checking our own biases is another crucial aspect to support the fight against racism,” the expert added. “Implicit biases are ingrained prejudices and stereotypes that need to be challenged through self-awareness and introspection.”

When it comes to Italy specifically, Mahmoudi noted that addressing racism requires a holistic and intersectional approach to comprehend the hurdles racialized communities face. “The government must step up and adopt a National Anti-Racism Action Plan that recognizes the structural dimension of racism, supports coalitions of civil society organizations representing the lived experience of minorities as well as promoting harmonized data collection mechanisms,” she shared.

Mahmoudi also pointed out how much of an impact media and public discourse have on shaping attitudes and promoting misleading narratives that can further perpetuate harmful stereotypes. “Therefore, it is important to give racialized communities the platforms they deserve to reclaim their own narrative,” she says.

We would love to hear your thoughts on this video in the comments below, pandas. Then if you’re interested in reading another Bored Panda article discussing similar themes, look no further than right here.     

Viewers chimed in to applaud Xevi and echo his statement that racism is nothing new in Europe

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