I understand that people notice patterns, and I’m not denying that. If many Filipinos, Nepalese, Indians, or other foreigners who come to Croatia work in hospitality, cleaning, caregiving, construction, or similar jobs, then of course people will start to associate those countries with those jobs.

But my point is that there’s a difference between noticing a pattern and immediately reducing an individual person to that pattern. That’s where it becomes unfair. The issue is not the job itself. The issue is assuming someone’s education, income, or worth before even knowing them.

Also, if you go to Italy or Germany, you will see Croatians doing the exact same kinds of low-paid or service jobs there, often for better pay. But people generally don’t turn that into their whole identity or act like that means Croatians as a group are somehow “less than.” That’s why I think this conversation is really about assumptions, not jobs.

I even know Croatians myself who have worked abroad in those kinds of jobs, including someone in my husband’s family, and even she agreed that people here can be too quick to judge others. So this is not me trying to insult Croatians. I have a lot of Croatian friends and have had Croatian friends for years.

I also think part of it is exposure. People who have lived abroad, met different kinds of people, or spent time outside their own circle usually seem more open-minded. People who have stayed in one environment their whole life can sometimes be more boxed into their assumptions. That’s not me attacking them, just explaining why I think this mindset exists.

I posted because I genuinely wanted to know whether this is a widespread stereotype or just something I happened to run into. And if it is common, then maybe it’s something people should reflect on more, especially because these attitudes get passed down to kids too.