My name is Vidi. I am from Indonesia. When I was little I lived in Germany for three years. We came here when I was eight, because my father got a scholarship to do his PhD in Germany. My parents sent me directly to a German school. I could not speak German and all I could follow was math, because math is much easier in Germany than in Indonesia.
I experienced a lot of racism over here. When I went out of the apartment, there was a building with a huge graffiti “Ausländer raus” (foreigners out – ed.). When I went to school, I was pushed around and called Nigger or Chinese. It was 30 years ago, but I remember everything. That bothers me a lot.
Later I did my master’s degree in England and there I met my German husband. I was unsure before I decided to come back to Germany. Now I have lived in Germany since 2005.
Has the situation changed regarding racism?
Definitely. I don’t know how it is in other cities, but I live in Bonn and I don’t have that problem.
What was the first thing you noticed when you moved back to Germany?
I come from Jakarta. There is no way you can go out without a car in Jakarta. We don’t even have sidewalks. Here you can actually go out to the next restaurant or bar by foot. It is a privilege.
Eve 
English