🇩🇪 BEING BLACK IN GERMANY | American Couple Reacts 'German Culture Shocks As An African American'

🇩🇪 BEING BLACK IN GERMANY | American Couple Reacts "German Culture Shocks As An African American" | The Demouchets REACT GERMANY
#RoadTo200K

▹Mailing address: Request via email
**We are NOT interested in hiring anyone for ANY service at this time.**

SUBSCRIBE & TURN ON THE POST NOTIFICATION BELL!
▹Instagram: @LifeWithDem @_3D_Thoughts @IAmSierraJD
**Please don't send requests via Instagram**
▹TikTok: @LifeWithDem0
*some links are affiliate links*
................................................................................................
Reuse of our commentary/video for any purpose other than positive intentions are prohibited. DO NOT USE AUDIO/VIDEOS/IMAGES OF OUR CHILDREN AS THEY MAY BE IN THE BACKGROUND OF SOME VIDEOS.
................................................................................................
Germany culture and traditions,reacts to Germany,reaction to Germany,reactions to Germany,reacting to Germany,foreigner reacts to Germany,american reaction Germany,americans reacts to Germany,american couple reacts to Germany,black americans reacts to Germany,african americans reacts to Germany,american reacts to Germany,american reacts to life in Germany,Germany geography,Germany people,Germany food,Germany history,Germany vlog,Germany country,Germany travel,Germany lifestyle,Germany tourism,Germany languages,Germany facts

[ajm_star]

I've been in Germany for over a year now and I'm from Africa, and I'm always thankful for being here. Best place you'll ever be.

[olgahein]

In Germany we have a law that states: If you notice someone in need, you are OBLIGED to help them within your capability (and as long as you are not endangering yourself directly). So, if someone breaks down in front of you and you have medical knowledge and/or first aid certificate, then you HAVE to help them. If you don't, you can be sued for 'failure to provide assistence' or 'failure to help'. If you have no medical knowledge, you have to at least catch that person and scream for help, there's always someone nearby knowing what to do and you better whip your phone out to call an ambulance, not for filming. And in Germany you cannot be sued for trying to help someone.
Everyone has been raised with that to the point where ppl aren't even aware of that law but instead just cannot wrap their head around how you can NOT help someone (if you are able to). I help people in my daily life all the time, and be it just to keep the tram door open for an elder with rollator. It's just normal. And no matter what, everyone is glad when they get help and thank you. And of course there's always the knowledge that you could be (or most likely WILL be one day) in their place and how great it will be when someone helps you with something you struggle.

[trinaroach]

I'm American (East Coast), and came to Germany for the very 1st time as an exchange student back in 1972. My initial experience was the perfect trifecta: landed in one of the most beautiful areas of the country (Schwarzwald), had a wonderful guest family, and - with the close proximity to both Switzerland and France - got the first taste of a world the US suburbs simply couldn't provide. When I got back, I experienced severe reverse culture shock, and couldn't wait to leave the States again. I ended up graduating from high school at the end of 11th grade, and spending a year in France before ultimately settling in German.

Obviously, the Germany I found then was (very) different in many ways than the Germany this young man is experiencing now. At the time, too, Germany wasn't as diverse as it is now (and even now it's nowhere near as diverse as many areas of America are). Although I originally lived in a city with a strong US military presence, I later moved to places where my chances of meeting another Black person were worse than winning the Power Ball. There was a lot of unfamiliarity (on both sides) that sometimes had roots in racism (e.g. both of my in-laws were young adults during the 3rd Reich; one of my ex's grandfathers was an ardent, regionally prominent Nazi party member) and sometimes didn't.

It's funny, because - after 45+ years in Germany - I can both agree and disagree with this young man.

I think the 1st major difference for many Americans is the fact that race simply isn't seen through the lens we're used to.
Does it mean there's no racism? Heck no! It just means that - as Americans - we can often take a sigh of relief from some of the structural US racism we've been exposed to since we were in diapers. Being a Black American came/comes with privilege, too. Many times I was treated noticably differently than someone from Africa or the Caribbean could expect to be. Sometimes even than Afro-Germans.

A lot of Germans are genuinely curious about life in the States, know more about American history (including the Civil Rights Movement) than we usually do about German history, often like Black American music, and are familiar with a lot of Black American entertainers and athletes. Although that can lead to a lot of (positive) stereotyping, it often opens the door for deeper personal encounters that can be fruitful for both sides. They won't be shy about challenging you on the US government/US politics, though... ;-)

Germans are famous for downplaying large-scale inequality and injustice due to race. For historic reasons, many statistics, etc., make NO mention of a person's race/skin color. Many see that as a positive - "color-blind" - thing, but it also makes it damn near impossible to gather credible evidence to actually PROVE systemic discrimination... So, when the the World Report and other international research spotlights racism in Germany, they officially rebuked the findings.

While there have been prominent cases of blatant police violence against Black people and other People of Color (now, how are you going to take a lighter out of your pocket and set your own mattress on fire when you're handcuffed to the bed, Mr. Officer??), as well as a sometimes less than enthusiastic response to solving/prosecuting hate crimes, in general the German police are more laid back, polite and helpful. That has a lot to do with their better overall education (!!!), and the lack of "gun-happiness" that's so pervasive in America as a whole. But, just as in the US, the number of officers with far-right tendencies is (very!) alarming.

If you haven't noticed, I very much stand by my decision to create a life for myself in Germany. That doesn't make me blind to it's obvious flaws.

IMHO the easiest way to live well - and thrive - in Germany is to know how to walk the fine line between cultural adaptation and embracing (FLAUNTING!) your own uniqueness as a foreigner.

[dasmaurerle]

Article 1, German constitution:
Human dignity shall be inviolable. To respect and protect it shall be the duty of all state authority.

[maddypepunkt]

It's actually forbidden in germany to take pics or videos of people without consent. You'll never see someone take out the phone and start recording before first aid or when help is needed in any way. That's the reason why dash cams are not a thing here. We love our data protection and privacy. 😅

[naryia]

I'm from Germany and honestly, I already grew up with race not even being in the focus in any way. We just kind of didn't care. I didn't really become more sensitive until I was more active on the internet and started to interact with people from the US. There actually is a kids fairy tale called "Die Geschichte von den schwarzen Buben" or "The story of the inky boys" in the Struwwelpeter book. It basically tells the story of how there were kids making fun of a black man in various ways. Then a giant man named Nikolas caught them and put them in a pot and turned them even darker, quite literally black, from head to toe Now, if you would like to read it, feel free, just be warned that the language may seem rather....inappropriate however it was written in the 1800s. Anyway, that story just teaches children you shouldn't be mean to people based on their ethnicity cause it can always backfire. We're taught about the bad thing our country did in the past too. It helps, teaching us the repercussions of racism. Doesn't completely eradicate it but I guess it makes it a lot less prominent.

[douglassherrod]

I’ve often said since I permanently moved here that Germany has fulfilled the promises that the US never did. I didn’t know what freedom really was until I came here. In every aspect. I do not and have not missed the states since I left. It was like a weight lifted and I could breath when I got here. Nothing but fresh air and being able to relax, melinated folks know what I mean when I say that. I really don’t even like to go back stateside to visit. The minute I land I get a tightness in my chest back and after a week I’m ready to come back home, home being Germany.

[GdzieJestNemo]

I guess one thing that might help you get some context to americans' reactions is that over most of the world it is not the skin colour that is the main target of discrimination but things like ethnicity, religion or language. In Europe unlike US concept of black-white doesn't play a big role- most tensions come from nationalities or by extension languages&accents. That's one of the reasons why black americans in vlogs say that they feel like in home - they are not considered as black, but as american.

[RST]

Im from Germany, married to an kenyan women with to beautiful kids, 7 and 1, 5 years. Our friends from Croatia, Rumania, Afghanistan, Syria, Eritrea, Nigeria, Italy, Austria, Ukraine, Russia, Netherlands, France, Turkey, Poland and some other countrys 😂so much different food to taste 🤣I love it... WE ARE ONE WORLD, God bless you 😇

[itsmebatman]

Policemen in Europe usually don't have this power trip going on. In Germany we view the police as our friend and helper. Of course there are a few bad apples here and there, but in general they are like firemen. They see their duty in just trying to help as best as they can. Also we Germans are very keen on order so it is normal to us to be pulled over if something is not in order with our car or whatever.

[TheNicoliyah]

I regularly go to Germany as my sister lives there, I have never had any problems there. I always feel super relaxed when I’m there as a woman of colour. I’m from London btw

[danielamoeller]

As a matter of fact Germany has a law that can charge you if you fail to provide assistance to an emergency or obstruct the police/fire brigade/ambulance to provide help.

[GKitz]

Here in Europe everyone is used to be among many different languages, because it is Europe's thing to have many different cultures living on small terrain.

[thomasvieth]

I'm German and this is not the first of these types of videos and I feel honored and blessed. I now live in the USA but somehow African Americans can sense that I'm different even when I just casually meet people on the street. Fancy that

[uewofrey]

In Germany if you film someone in considerable peril instead of helping them you are (potentially) committing a felony (depending on the gravity of the situation). If you filmed someone dying e. g. and could have helped them without danger to yourself you'd be in BIIIG TROUBLE.
We do have people filming accidents and emergency personnel doing their duty. But if they hinder/impede the rescue operation in any way, they can be subjected to heavy fines.

[uncledrake]

I am a German, so I can speak to the question at 14:18 . If you see anything 'traumatic' as you put it, that usually means someone needs help. If someone needs help, you help them. It's just the right thing to do, as anyone in their right minds would tell you.
But around here even the law acknowledges that fact, and so if you see something like that and you could help without putting yourself in undue danger but you don't, the law calls it Unterlassene Hilfeleistung. That is a crime which depending on it's severity will net you a pretty high fine or even jail time, as you directly contributed to another citizen's misery by doing nothing. Just one of the lessons we learned the hard way during the nazi regime.

[fisheye]

You right. I’m not a black person from America. So it’s a subject which doesn’t affect me to the same extent as you or others. But i have an outsider perspective that i can share.

It seems to me that the US especially struggle with truth. They don’t want to know, they don’t want to face it. Native people genocide, nope! Didn’t happen. Slavery? Nope! Didn’t happen. Let’s bury all that and move on.

But you can’t move on when you haven’t processed what happened and why it happened. To avoid that in the future.

Germany and South Africa are a little different. They haven’t done everything right and they will always struggle with their history.

But it seems like they talk about it. They look at each other and talk freely to solve the problem. They try to process it.

America is the king of politically correctness and it hurts more to not talk about real issues. Even in a family.

[Zimtbiss]

I think in Germany you will be judged by what you do and how you behave, not by color of skin or country of origin. You should learn the language of course. Most Germans do speak English, but as long as you don't learn German you will be viewed as a visitor, not as an inhabitant.
Many people from other countries find that Germans are a rather quiet people. So Americans, who are rather loud, often stand out uncomfortably. I think self-awareness helps a lot. ;)
Many Germans are becoming very fed up by immigrants who invade the social systems right away and never even try to find a job and contribute something. At least carry your own weight and everything will be fine.

[ZombieATAT]

I'm from England and seeing people from the US living happy lives in the UK or Europe, is really heartwarming (whatever their ethnicity may be).
I think positive change is coming for US citizens, it seems almost inevitable considering how candid the Internet is.

[Dovndyr]

The problem in the US as far as I understand it is that race is so in focus

In some states before you vote you have to answer what race you belong to, In Europe (even in Russia) this would be unthinkable - mostly even illegal

In the US as far as I understand you still have black areas, white areas and other divides. In the country of Denmark poor areas with especially immigrants are torn down. So that everyone can live in mixed areas with poor and rich (no matter race) side by side

I guess this is the reason why most afro-american youtubers moving to Europe get a shock. They are human first and then a ethnicity in stead of vise versa