Its officially the day, I am traveling back to the US. The time has been great and as I am sitting at the airport, I constantly confronted with privilege of nationality. While I was eating breakfast, I struck up a conversation with a Polish woman working in the airport. During our conversation, I suggested she visit the United States, to which she replied, "I would like to but its very hard to get a visa to come."
This isn't the first time I have heard in the US and the UK. I rarely think about how important nationality is. People in the US rarely do. But it allows me certain privileges people in most countries don't have. It is easy for US citizens to enter other countries, not all but most. That means I have access to experiences and knowledges most don't. This is humbling and saddening. I have to understand the US got to this point by basically terrorizing the world. How many lives lost and families fractured, all for this global status? I reminded of why I study sociology. My journey has been about equality and equal access to all. I started my journey as a way to understand sexual assaults on college campuses. Traveling has provided growth but there is always looming question. Students often ask (in their student way lol) how do you negotiate having unearned privileges. It is something to ponder. Anyway, I had a wonderful experience and I am thankful for the individuals and institutions, (particular the Department of Psychosocial Studies, Birkbeck College) for guidance, knowledge, conversation and overall friendship. It is a lot to process, but I reached my goal of getting a better understanding of race and gender relations in not only the UK but also in Europe as well. Learning is an ongoing conversation though, and the experiences I had in UK is merely the beginning of one I hope to continue next year. Thanks to all the people that read and supported me on this journey. I hope that enjoyed reading as much as I have sharing. Until, next time. Hopefully, I will be back at it again in January when I take a group of students to Cuba. Cheers
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5/21/2023 09:42:48 pm
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Myron Strong
professor. learner. traveler. emerging artist Archives
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