My unwelcomed experience from an asian-american

[gingivitis]

My girlfriend and I decided to go to ibiza after hearing so much about it. Racism was the last thing on our minds, thinking this is a place filled with vacationers with the mind to have a good time.

We arrived on a Friday and stayed in Platya den bossa in the Garbi hotel. The beds were terrible so we couldn't sleep. First day, we chilled out at Bora Bora. It's a bit smaller and not as loud as I had expected but nice.

During the day we layed out on the beach and walked about, we had quite a few strange glances and looks from people but we didn't what to make of it. We saw a total of 5 other asians on the islands during our stay and thought maybe we just looked weird to them.

Then on Sunday we bought tickets tickets for Space and were excited to finally get the club experience. Unfortunately that day, while lying on the beach, we heard spanish people talking about us. They were saying to the effect of "Do these people think they not negros". My girlfriend understands spanish enough to know what they said. She heard some other comments made by passer-bys too.

A little bummed out by the experience but maybe Space would make up for it. That night we came to We love Space. It was good music but the people were generally not friendly. The only people that were friendly were the British. The spanish people didn't seem to want to give us the time of day. So the atmosphere there was terrible, we were inside. The terrace seemed more friendly but too crowded.

Two things that night that prompted us to take an early flight back. One, while in the club, a spanish guy yelled negros behind us. Two, we saw three fairly attractive asian girls just sitting in a corner looking like they are having a terrible time.

The next morning we called to get the earliest flight back to the States.

Needless to say, I don't have a high opinion of spanish people. Maybe San Antonio would have been better since the Brits were friendly.

My review:

Good music, good clubs but not a place for an asian couple. Maybe if we went in a group it would have been more enjoyable. For us, we're never coming back. Spain for that matter is off our list of countries to visit.

 

[Jam Man]

I am shocked

I have always considered Ibiza to be one of the most open minded places.

 

[berry]

Wow! I'm so sorry that you had that experience. That's horrible. The last time I was in Ibiza I was with my boyfriend who is African American. We didn't experience anything like what you've described. Maybe our downfall was not understanding Spanish as well as your girlfriend but still... We didn't get that type of vibe there.

 

[russ]

shocked. surprised. amazed

 

[gingivitis]

Yeah if we didn't understand spanish we would've stayed the full two weeks. Maybe it's from the Madrid bombing or something, I don't know. We had high expectations. We were expecting a rave atmosphere where people are cool and friendly

 

[stuie]

shocked. surprised. amazed

ditto.

 

[MrSt0NeD]

un-f*^*in-believable srrrrry about ur bad times in ibiza .. but $h!t happens sometimes .. who knows, mabe its not a "hevean" to all of us .. !!

.
.

i know it is to me

 

[Barbie]

OMG I am totally shocked

Last year we met the most completely lovely couple from America and the bloke was Asian and he never encountered anything like that.

I can't believe the narrow-mindedness of some people esp when you have travelled half way cross the world, I just hope you don't associate everyone in Ibiza like those few morons

Really sorry to hear that, hope you and your g/friend are ok and it's not affected you too much

 

[x-amount]

2 things:

1.

That night we came to We love Space. It was good music but the people were generally not friendly

You're not wrong. But thats Space.

I suppose I'm a little normalised to it, but I expect to see rude people in Space. In some ways, I suppose it's part of its charm, in a funny way

Plus it alays makes your fellow (well, for us anyway) English people stick out like sore thumbs as they can be seen to be really chatty and friendly. Especially imprtant when on other parts of the island we let our country down somewhat.

It goes woth the territory I'm afraid, the like the comedown from an e.

In fairnes, I probably felt the same on my first visit there. I don't care now.

2. I assume you're unaware of the hypocrisy of saying

Racism was the last thing on our minds

and

Needless to say, I don't have a high opinion of spanish people

I think you need to think about what you write a little more.

 

[Stevemac402003]

Im White and my girlfriends Asian. Never had any problems, although have predominantly stayed around the San An area.

I'm shocked at what you experienced, I would have gone balistic had my girlfriend received the same comments.

However, I am surprised that it prompted you to fly home early and not venture to other parts of the Island.

 

[obscura101]

Agreed, you shouldn't let cr*p like that ruin your vacation.

 

[gingivitis]

I actually had no problems. I get that crap every once in a while here. My gf however never experienced it before. It really bothered her. She wanted to leave the next morning no matter the cost. I don't want to paint a bad picture though. The hotel people and vendors were very nice to us. Just a couple of mainland spanish people. They didn't do anything, they just comments thinking we didn't understand. But hey to each their own.

 

[stephen]

unfortunately discrimination rears its ugly head, be it against religion, age, nationality, sex, colour, size, etc etc, in every country of the world and the spanish are no better or worse than anyone else.

it even happens on this forum. take a look at all the posts which treat anybody who doesn't dress the same, go to the same few places as, like the same music as, our clubbing majority here, some kind of untermensch who don't deserve to be on this island.

i'm sorry if experiencing some type of discrimination spoiled your holiday so much that you had to go home and i hope you'll give us a second chance some day.

 

[N8]

Thats sad

But i learnt a new word from you "vacationers" which is nice

 

[moudire]

SAD

I always believed that Ibiza is racism free. I was wrong!

 

[Drew]

Thats sad

But i learnt a new word from you "vacationers" which is nice

I learned a new word too 'untermensch'




English was never my best subject

* but i'm a whizz a maths *

 

[GazDaBomb]

2 things:
I assume you're unaware of the hypocrisy of saying

Racism was the last thing on our minds

and

Needless to say, I don't have a high opinion of spanish people

I think you need to think about what you write a little more.

Why should he be carefull??? He was subject to racial abuse buy Spanish people there for from his experiance he does not have a high opinion of spanish people?? nothing wrong with saying that.

 

[kosmos]

Not that I am justifying it at all, but racism is everywhere. Its just more visible in some places than others, even in the U S of A and the UK, it must be said.

The only thing one can do is to nip it in its bud whenever it raises its ugly head, never accept it in any form whatsoever.

I toured Spain a bit, did find it mono-cultural. I don't speak any Spanish but under the impression that they still have to come to terms with the whole Moors thing. I saw an exhibition in Barcelona of racist caricatures of Moors from not so long ago. Why, it reminded me of home.

Having said that, I think the Spanish are great and generally tolerant.

 

[Buckley]

2 things:
I assume you're unaware of the hypocrisy of saying

Racism was the last thing on our minds

and

Needless to say, I don't have a high opinion of spanish people

I think you need to think about what you write a little more.

Why should he be carefull??? He was subject to racial abuse buy Spanish people there for from his experiance he does not have a high opinion of spanish people?? nothing wrong with saying that.

Yes there is, although it's easy to say something thoughtless when you've been badly treated. He encountered a few idiots who were Spanish. They are not necessarily indicative of the Spanish people has a whole.

 

[FallenangelGparsons]

Next time !don't spoil ur holidays because of a few wankers! coz it's nice to b in ibiza!
spend 3 holiday summers in ibiza...have trouble with rather fookin rude italians guys (in space too)
it's ok...i fook them all! (i'm kidding)..
italians girls on the opposite r the most welcoming girls in ibiza..but the men (not all but on the whole met some nice italians guys bth...)
ps:i have asian roots & u know there always will be people thinking asian people r f***in "moron" "geek" coz they r so "nice" "",they r weak/stupid/square ect...