Facing discrimintation and insulting attacks

[dervast]

Dear all,
I am Greek (and really proud to be) living and working outside Greece (actually in some other European country) and the number of insulting verbal attacks (against me and my country) has increased lately. Although I understand most of the time the others arguments against my county, I do not agree the way this is expressed + the generalization of everything (other believe to be) Greek on me.

Most of the times (well this is also cultural) the comments can be completely demeaning, insulting, discriminative and sometimes even racist.

I would like to have a formal way, keeping my respect to others at the same time, to make them understand that what they have said was interpreted as an insult by me.

What do you think a formal way to reply back kindly to such comments? If possible please give some alternatives from lighter ones to strongest replies, so to be able to use one depending on the situation.

I would like to thank you all.
B.R
Alex

[Tdol]

In the English-language media, I have read and heard stuff that has moved away from arguing issues and is at times abusive and ugly. If someone makes a sweeping generalisation about Greeks, simply asking 'All of them?' or something similar might make the person stop and think. You could suggest that their argument would be more effective if they kept it to criticism and left the abuse out. Ask them if they'd feel comfortable saying the same things with different peoples/ethnicities/religions.

[5jj]

I would like to have a formal way, keeping my respect to others at the same time, to make them understand that what they have said was interpreted as an insult by me.

What do you think a formal way to reply back kindly to such comments?

Your restraint is impressive.

If people made the sort of remarks you mentioned about any country, but especially my country of origin or present home, I should not have any respect to keep, and I certainly should not feel any desire to reply kindly.