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Being Nigerian in Bern

Published by:  NaomiT

Hey there! My name is Naomi and I come from Nigeria. I decided to take an internship in Bern as part of my Master’s degree but I have some concerns about being African in a country that is predominantly white. With all of the issues with racism going on in the world I am a little bit concerned how I will be accepted by the people there. So I guess my question is are Swiss very conservative? Will I be able to integrate easily into the society or will my skin tone fail me into doing so? I am interested in hearing your thoughts.

15.12.2020 4 Answers

LateefahF commented on 15.12.2020

Hey there, Naomi! I am black as well and I have been living in Geneva for almost two years now. From my persona experience I can tell you that people here are very very nice, polite and willing to accept you regardless of your skin colour. It is a mixed of different cultures here anyway so you should be fine

NikkieT commented on 15.12.2020

I agree with Lateefah, however I think it might also depend in which canton of Switzerland you are in. Not every place in Switzerland is as diverse as the bigger cities so there might be some people there who would have a different perceptions towards not only race but also religion, sexual orientation, etc. Bern is a big city so I don’t think you will face any discrimination there.

NaomiT commented on 15.12.2020

Yeah, this is why I choose a bigger city before a smaller one because I thought it would be easier for me to integrate, yet I still have some concerns.

JoelleZ commented on 15.12.2020

I don’t think that skin color is that much of an issue tbh… like you can get judged by people for many things your clothing, appearance, body language, overall behavior. For me the idea of people treating you differently is more about how much you give of yourself to them. With that being said I think it is up to you how easily you will adapt to the new community as opposed to the way the people there will perceive you.