Andrea (to Daniel): Did you hear that? That guy said, “There’s some stinking gypsies standing in our way”.

Daniel: I don’t give it much thought ……. and I am a gypsy - though I don’t stink!

Andrea: Yeah, but it’s not about whether you’re a gypsy or not, it’s about the fact that someone’s having a go at you, no?

Daniel: Yeah, but like, am I meant to go and square up to people all the time, or what? ……..My friends take the piss out of gypsies and all, and I couldn’t give a toss!

Andrea: Well, I’m sorry, but it still gets on my nerves that he has to say gypsies! He’s not got a problem with where you’re standing, he’s got a problem cos you’re a Roma! It’s stupid!

Jami: Sometimes I see people pointing at me and saying: “Bloody Arab, we’ve got terrorists here now, look where’s the world’s heading”. Everybody with a dark complexion is an Arab for them, and Arab means Muslim means terrorist. And yeah, it gets on my tits.

Jožo: Yeah, that’s probably true. I saw on the TV how they deported some Indian from the USA, just because of the way she looked. She was just too dark for them.

Suong: Everyone’s got their problems! Here we just get called slit eyes.

Jožo: That’s true, they call us “čoboli”. People are like that, they throw all their ideas about people into one bag and then invent insults for you.

Dan: Yeah …. but it’s not just Czechs who do it … Roma call white people “gadjo” - and it’s not a compliment! Don’t you have a word, Suong?

Suong: Uhh, we have the word “tay”. But it’s just nonsense. As if it was important to label someone.

Jami: But it is important when, just because of how you look, everyone immediately thinks you’re a terrorist and that they’ve got to be careful of you.

Suong: That’s true, I’m more insulted when someone says I’m Chinese. I mean it’s obvious at first glance that Chinese people look different to Vietnamese!

Andrea: But why does that bother you so much? It’s not an insult is it??

Suong: No, maybe it’s because I have the feeling that they’re lumping us together without knowing anything about us.