i am…

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A person of color.

A person with a disability.

A student studying abroad in a country where I am part
of the majority culture unlike when I am in the U.S.

A student studying abroad in a country where I am not part
of the majority culture as I am in the U.S.

Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgendered.

Major in the Sciences/Engineering.

Male.

The first member of my family to go to college.

The first member of my family to have a passport.

Proud to be part of the growing diversity in study abroad.

What's your story?

We want to hear it.

Abroad View welcomes submissions to I am …

This section welcomes first-person articles, journalistic features, commentaries, creative writing, poetry, opinion pieces, e-mail excerpts, blogs, photos and artwork that speak to the broad and comprehensive nature of "diversity" and "underrepresented students" in study abroad. Submission length requirements follow Abroad View’s general submission guidelines. 

—This section is coordinated by Abroad View Editorial Board member Janet Alperstein,
Director of the Office of Academic Affairs at Rothberg International School, Hebrew University
of Jerusalem

For More Information

The following information has been provided by Janet Alperstein. This list is by no means complete and we welcome additions. Please send suggestions to Janet.

Excerpts from Barnard College's Guide to Living Abroad:

Some students of color studying abroad report experiencing a great deal of freedom and attendant pleasure living outside the context of American race relations. Others, visiting countries where few people of color live, or where racial issues resemble those in the United States, sometimes describe reactions to their presence ranging from genuine and benign curiosity, to prying and noxious scrutiny, to clear discrimination. If you are experiencing distress and discomfort and feel that the difficulties arise from racial issues, or if you encounter discrimination that makes it difficult for you to pursue your studies or activities of leisure while abroad, discuss it with your program director to determine how best to handle the situation. Sometimes a discussion with your fellow students will help, or in other cases, different measures may be required. Legal remedies for people who are victims of racial discrimination vary according to country, and the administrators and officials in your program can assist you.

Resource List:

"Exploring Cultural Differences," by Bill Hoffa in http://www.studyabroad.com/handbook/cultdiff.html

No two students studying abroad ever have quite the same experience, even in the same program and country. This same variety is true for students of color and those from U.S. minority ethnic or racial backgrounds. Reports from past participants vary from those who felt exhilarated by being free of the American context of race relations, to those who experienced different degrees of 'innocent' curiosity about their ethnicity, to those who felt they met both familiar and new types of ostracism and prejudice and had to learn new coping strategies. Very few minority students conclude that racial or ethnic problems which can be encountered in other countries represent sufficient reasons for not going. On the other hand, they advise knowing what you are getting into and preparing yourself for it. Try to find others on your campus who have studied abroad and who can provide you with some counsel.

"Broadening the Base of Participation: Black Students and Overseas Study," essays from CIEE's 1990 conference in Charleston SC. Of particular interest is the article "The Spelman Experience: Encouraging and Supporting Minority Students Abroad," by Dr. Margery Ganz.

"Toward Reconciliation in the Motherland: Race, Class, Nationality, Gender and the Complexities of American Student Presence at the University of Ghana, Legon," Jennifer Landau and Cavid Chioni Moore, in the Fall 2001 issue of Frontiers.

"Go Girl! The Black woman's book of travel and adventure" edited by E. Lee (1997)

"Voicing Concern about Discrimination Abroad: The History and Experiences of Voices of Change in Working with US Students in Spain," Christa E. Sanders, in the SAFETI online newsletter. www.usc.edu/dept/education/globaled/safeti/v1n2_sanders.html

"The Overseas Option: Life, Lessons and Adventure," Marcel A. Green, in The Black Collegian. http://www.black-collegian.com/african/overseas2001-2nd.shtml

"Student Guide: Encountering Intolerance Abroad," University of California Education Abroad Program. http://www.usc.edu/dept/education/globaled/irl/forms/UCEAPEncounteringIntoleranceAbraod.htm

"Integrating Perspectives in International Development," Tina L. Singleton, in "A World Awaits You: A Journal of Success in International Exchange for People with Disabilities;" MIUSA/National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange.

Videos:

STRUGGLE AND SUCCESS: THE AFRICAN AMERICAN EXPERIENCE IN JAPAN and A GOOD RETURN (about the re-entry process, featuring an African-American couple), both available from TransitMedia (1-800-343-5540 or tmcndy@aol.com)

Addressing Specific Topics:

Religious Observance

http://servercc.oakton.edu/~wittman/find/religion.htm

www.ou.org

http://www.kosherfinder.com/

http://www.shamash.org/

http://islamicity.com/education/culture

www.jannah.org

www.islamicfinder.com

Sexual Orientation

http://www.indiana.edu/~overseas/lesbigay

http://www.indiana.edu/%7Eoverseas/lesbigay/student.htm