First black elected to office in Russia

Manila Bulletin Publishing Corporation ^ | July 26, 2010 | KRISTINA NARIZHNAYA

[cunning_fish]

>Well, if you’re from Zaire, or The Congo, perhaps the US isn’t the most likely destination of choice. Russia may have a reputation as the new land of opportunity (in the third world) for all we know.

Entry requirements might be a lot easier in Russia than here, as well. Who knows?>

Yep, Russian average $16.000 annual income&social benefits are not impressive by Western standards but still a nice opportunity for many people in the third world.
They only have to prove authorities they are accepting local religion&lifestyles and join military to get greencard and citizenship later.

Pretty easier than for US or EU.

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

Back during the Soviet Union, there was a big push to “internationalize”, by importing Africans and some others. Any racial animosity was met with a serious KGB response, mostly because it looked bad.

But when the Soviet Union folded, the traditional Russian xenophobia came out in all its glory. Ironically, except for Muslims *from* the Soviet Union, there were still so few foreigners that this racism was mostly impotent.

And because most of the foreigners were in Moscow, the few that were in the other cities were so rare they were still curiosities. Hardly anything to get excited about.

[cunning_fish]

Russian xenophobia is overrated.
They were a multiethnic society for centuries.
Modern Russian neonazy ideology in imported from the West since 90s.
Russians in general are still race blind.
Their xenophobia is aimed to behavior mostly.
It is Ok if you are black or asian dressing like they do, visiting their church, drinking their vodka etc. As soon as you are wearing muslim clother and living alien lifestyle you are in trouble there.

[wideawake]

All the Communist countries imported students and advisors from other Communist countries and also provided safe havens for failed Communist revolutionaries.

There were a significant number of Maoist militants in Africa and it would not surprise me if a good number of them sought asylum in the PRC when their plans failed.

[Moonman62]

I once had the same experience in Amsterdam. I was window shopping, and came upon a gaggle of black teens. I assumed (as you did) that they must be part of some tour group from the US. As I got closer, I could hear them all speaking Dutch. It had never occurred to me that Holland might have native blacks.

Once I was walking down a street in London, and was in need of directions. I saw a black guy coming down the street and thought I'd ask him. This being England, I assumed he was a local. When he started talking, I was completely floored. The guy had the thickest East London, Cockney brogue I'd ever heard. I could barely understand a word of it.

I was on an airplane and saw a white woman speaking jive.

[Windflier]

Better than Paul Robeson.

Seems that a lot of US blacks have become enamored with Socialism/Communism over the years.

Oh well. We're not all that way. Some of us actually love America and the Constitution, and treasure the freedoms and liberties of this country.