About This Site
I chose to Study Abroad with a program that costs more than what my father makes a year, so this dream felt unrealistic because of the costs. However, I believed in my potential and soon became the first in my entire family to visit Southeast Asia thanks to the Gilman Scholarship and other resources. My experience was unique, and I want to share it with you all. This site consists of stories, poems, collages, articles, and blogs of my experiences abroad.
I hope to motivate students to believe in their potential and to continue to fight all adversities in life.
"We draw our strength from the very despair in which we have been forced to live. We shall endure."
- Cesar Chavez (Read quotes more here)
Being in a country where the lighter you are the more desirable you are, was one of the aspects of the Thai culture I was not prepared to face. As a proud brown Mexican womyn, my skin color and my curly hair are the only parts of me that have not been colonized and represent the Aztec and African blood running through my veins. I was ready to get my mind off many of the issues I face in the U.S, but little did I know I would continue to educate others about my culture and struggles thousands of miles away.
Being a Chicana in Southeast Asia was the most rewarding experience of my life. People reacted negatively to my presence but the majority accepted and loved me because I was different. However, every time I would say I am American people became skeptical. There were follow up questions like why my skin is "see dam (color black)", or where are my parents from? The few times I asked where they thought I am from, they always said Africa. I realized this experience came from the lack of representation of people of color in popular media and travel.
Thailand made me realize that as for POC traveling, many do not have the opportunity to travel due to social and economic constraints; so preventing people of color to travel gives people overseas the idea that America is white. By me physically being there disproves that idea. However, being one of the few people who were Brown or Black comes with a lot of pressure and responsibility. Despite it all, studying abroad was a very rewarding experience, and I consider it as a revolutionary act for students of color to participate.
This site consists of personal realizations I made based on my experiences, and they have motivated me to continue fighting for equity in the U.S because I have learned that the issues we face here not only affect us in America but also globally. Furthermore, these observations motivated me to create this website because our experiences abroad are very different, but our stories are rarely heard! Thank you to The Land of Smiles for becoming an integral part of my life.
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