Identity Abroad

"I had learned in my classes about mestizaje and machismo culture in Latin America. I thought I had a decent understanding of it, but my ideas of these concepts quickly changed as I witnessed how these two things are very prevalent in Colombian culture. And also, as it was the program's focus, I feel I have a great understanding of what it means to be Black in Colombia. Through our trips to San Cipriano, Palenque and also the amazing professors, like Dr. Balanta and Lugo-Vivas, I feel as though I had such a unique and in-depth learning experience that I would have never been able to receive in the US, nor as a regular study abroad student or traveler in Colombia."

"In terms of identity, gender has never previously been an aspect of my individuality that particularly resonated with me. Since moving to Amman, however, I have felt a new level of solidarity with women as a whole. We have this shared experience of misogyny that allows us to bond on a deeper level regardless of our other identities."

"Being raised bilingual, I have experienced lots of travel. I also have a global perspective and open-minded outlook, which made it easier to adjust to a new culture. In addition, the skills in and outside of the classroom that I brought to the table were different from my peers. Being from different majors, we all had many different views to share in class, keeping the discussions interesting. Studying abroad is unique in the sense that you don't get to choose who you are friends with, but rather you learn to mesh with those around you. You learn to appreciate everyone as a unique individual."

"As someone who identifies with the LGBTQ community, I had some truly interesting looks at the way Chinese people's way of looking at these societal issues. Though at first, I felt as though this sort of identity might hinder my ability to make friends based on people's preconceptions and biases, I later realized that the people I interacted with in China often take parts of people's identity as a small fraction of the whole person, and did not let this small part represent the whole. To me, this is a powerful and exemplary way of interacting with people and something I will take with me back to the US."

"While abroad, I thought about my identity as an American all the time, much more than I expected. Expect people to be curious about what America is like and if general stereotypes about the US are accurate. This can be off-putting at first, but remember that people are just curious! It is an opportunity to consider your identity as an American and to think about why you may see the world in a different way than others."