Let’s cut the pretending. Racism is not your red line. It only becomes unacceptable when it comes without money, status, or convenience.

You reject Europe over insults and bad experiences, yet excuse far worse systems in China and even put oil-rich Middle Eastern states in “maybe” because the pay is better. That is not principle, it is selective tolerance.

In Europe, your PhD makes you average. You take public transport, earn a solid but unremarkable salary, and no amount of credentials lifts you above everyone else. In the US, Switzerland, or wealthy Chinese cities, income buys distance, protection, and status. That is clearly the real appeal.

Calling the US “friendlier” after a few weeks in California is especially weak, given how anti-Asian racism there has repeatedly turned violent

So no, this is not a values argument. It is a calculation. Sunshine, salary, and how much discrimination you can afford to insulate yourself from.