I’m from Ukraine and I was forced to move to Austria. I speak German at a B1 level, which I learned in about six months (I also had some basics from school).

What I keep noticing, quite often, is a kind of “white racism” toward Eastern Europeans, especially Ukrainians. Online and in the news there is a lot of sympathy for Ukrainians. In real life, however, we are often treated as if we were mentally backward natives. In one conversation, an Austrian seriously asked me whether we even have the internet in Ukraine. A friend of mine, who already has a child, told me that her child gets bullied at school because of their background, sometimes even indirectly by teachers. Situations like this are not rare.

I’m not here just to complain. I’m genuinely trying to understand why this happens. Why are we treated this way? Is it because Eastern Europe is seen as less economically developed? Yes, salaries are higher here, but not everyone here is a millionaire. I also see many homeless people on the streets who clearly look European, most likely Austrians.

Another friend once told me a story about an Austrian guy she dated. He seemed to come from a wealthy family, with parents working in a big bank. He openly talked about Ukrainian women as prostitutes and Ukrainians in general as homeless people, and his friends supported these views. I’ve also lived in Germany for some time and saw similar attitudes there.

For example, Ukrainians are very often pushed toward jobs like elderly care, as if that’s all we are fit for. Meanwhile, most Ukrainians I know who are now doing hard physical work here actually have higher education. Back in Ukraine they were lawyers, business owners, doctors.

I’m really interested in hearing thoughts on why this perception exists and where it comes from.