Transcriber: Robyn Graber Reviewer: David DeRuwe
Today, I’m going to talk about
the African-American experience studying abroad.
What is study abroad?
If you ask many students today what study abroad is,
they would say it’s an opportunity to learn, explore, and exchange cultures.
Throughout my four years in college,
I was given the opportunity
to go on three different study abroad opportunities, long and short.
When most people think about study abroad, they think about Italy, France, Jamaica.
That was me. I thought about that.
But I realized I wanted to go to a place
where most people that look like me don’t go.
So I decided to go to China.
This
I was scared. I was nervous. I didn’t know how to feel.
But I get to China and I realize I wanted to learn, I wanted to explore.
So I got to do some really cool things, such as walk the Great Wall of China.
I had a great time.
How many people of color can say they got to do something like this?
But while in China, I had some difficulties. People didn’t understand me.
They were curious about my hair. I would get pulled.
There was often times that people would take photos of me while I’m walking.
There was this one incident where this man asked to take a photo and I said, “No.”
Instead of taking no as an answer, he followed me.
It wasn’t until the chaperone told him in Chinese
that I did not want to take a photo that he stopped.
And at that moment, I felt frustrated, out of control.
I felt like my voice disappeared.
Now, these photos behind me
show some of those moments of people asking to take photos of me.
Instead of getting upset at each situation,
I decided to take control of the situation.
Now, I came back home, and I reflect on my China trip,
and I realize people acted that way because they were curious.
They weren’t used to seeing someone like me in their country.
So I decided that I was going to make it my duty and job
to continue studying abroad.
So then this other opportunity came about, and I went to Germany.
While in Germany, I had the best experience ever.
I got to live with a host family who loved me, who wanted to learn about me.
There were curious about being from Brooklyn.
They're curious about me being from Trinidad,
and they wanted to learn about that.
My host family actually asked me to create a meal from my country,
so I made curry chicken.
While at the table,
we shared this meal and the whole family was there, and we exchanged culture.
We talked about the different spices,
and we saw that we were more alike than different.
But though I had such an amazing experience like that,
I still felt like I did not belong.
I still felt like I did not have the right to be there.
So I came back home after that trip and I said,
“I’m not going to let these experiences,
bad experiences, stop me from going and traveling.”
So this last opportunity came about, and I went to South Korea.
And I remember calling my mom. I told her, “I’m going to South Korea.”
And she was like, “We don’t belong there.”
Hearing those words from my mom made me realize I had to go there.
So I went to South Korea and I was able to explore the South Korean culture.
I was able to be a part of it and embrace it.
I had meals.
I had kimchi, tteokbokki, jajangmyeon,
and I was able to embrace their culture and love it.
But I still had some difficulties there as well.
There was times when little kids would run up to me and ask me about my skin,
ask me how I got this Black.
They did not understand that I was born this way.
But throughout those experiences,
I realized I’m not going to let these bad experiences
stop me from exploring and learning.
These are the reasons why students of color need to study abroad.
They need to go out there and educate others and show them that we exist.
So if I can give any advice
to students of color that are thinking about studying abroad, I have one advice:
Be yourself. Keep going. Don’t lose yourself in the sauce.
Now, while you’re studying abroad and thinking about doing these things,
I want students of color to think about some of these things.
You’re not alone in this process; there’s others that feel like you.
Go there with an open heart. Be ready to learn. Embrace new things.
You’re going to stumble a little, but keep going.
And to institutions, I just want to say: educate students of color
of some of the difficulties that they’re going to have.
Prepare them for these difficulties.
There were simple things that I couldn't do because of the color of my skin.
For example, I couldn’t wash my hair for a good month
because there was a lack of ethnic products in some countries I visited.
Educating students on some of the challenges
that they’re going to face is going to make their experience better.
Now, these three countries taught me different things:
China taught me to be patient, understanding.
South Korea taught me to be aware, aware of myself,
aware of the opportunities that I’ve been given.
In South Korea, I learned to be confident,
confident within myself, within my Blackness,
and realizing that I shouldn’t change for anyone.
So my final thing that I would tell students is: your presence speaks volumes.
And I’m going to repeat that again: your presence speaks volumes.
Thank you.
(Applause)