[Adam Michaels]

(09-23-2012 08:25 PM)Sargon of Akkad Wrote:  

(09-23-2012 04:53 PM)Wayout Wrote:  

How do they treat Russians there? I've heard from a guy living in Kazakhstan they don't like them to the point where it may become dangerous for you to be there. If you are white/European heritage you can be mistaken for a Russian.

I've met lots of German-Russians from Kazakhstan. They're European looking, and from what they've said the cities are largely Russian and Ukrainian, as mentioned above. The native Kazakhs are said not to like Russians, though. Supposedly they're found more outside the urban areas. Can't confirm this though.

I can speak for almaty, and this was Definitely not the case. There wasnt much racism at all. I'd say it was more Classism if anything. There is the rich people. There is the poor people. There is no middle class. In the clubs/restaurants/malls I was at, it was mostly rich people. They could be russian or Kazakh, didnt matter.

I didnt see much dating at all between Russian and Kazakh, or even much hanging out, but we would all be in the same place at the same time and there was never any problem. It was pretty cool actually.

Atleast in the USA, I've never seen this kind of mixing. While there wasnt much interracial dating between the Russian and Kazakh people, they would congregate everywhere together. Many times in the Clubs it would be damn near 50/50, between Russian/Europeans and Kazakh people. Never saw one problem. Everyone danced and drank together and had a great time. It was shocking to me. I've never been to a club in the USA that was a 50/50 split between white and black people. If it does ever happen in the USA, it would be shaky because people wouldnt know which way to act.

The russians that are from Kazakhstan, like born in Kazakhstan, call themselves Russian, but culturally, they are Kazakh. Its like Asians that are born in America. Someone might say they are Chinese, but if they were born and raised in America, culturally they will act much more American than Chinese.

Thats actually a good way to describe it. The Kazakh and Russians in Almaty get along like the White and Asians get along in America. Yes they have their subtle differences and may live and hang out within their own race, but when Asians and Whites in America eat/shop/club in the same places, theres no friction like you can find between White and blacks in America.