After a semester abroad, it’s a weird feeling being back home. For much of five months, I developed a routine and got accustomed to my surrounding. Now that I am back at Rollins, I no longer take a 15 minute walk to the best breakfast restaurant, which is run by women, in Ifrane. My favorite order was a tasty msemen (a fluffy flat bread) filled with butter, honey, and a hot mint tea to drink. That is what has changed.
In regards to my first post on identity, this post will be on how my identity has changed due to my experience abroad. My identity, being a Christian and black, has not changed at all. I think my confidence and my comfort within my identities has strengthened because of my experience abroad. I still believe that my identity has an influence on how I experience the world. I also believe others who identify differently have a different experience.
While abroad, my identity as a black man definitely influenced my interaction with locals. Since Morocco borders the Spanish territories of Ceuta and Melilla, and Spain is in the EU, many migrants travel through morocco to try to enter Europe by way of Ceuta and Melilla. A large portion of the migrants are Sub-Saharan migrants. So interactions between locals and Sub-Saharan migrants varies depending on locals perception of migrants. Because I cam across as a Sub-Saharan migrant, when walking in public space I noticed the attention I was getting- the stares, the whispers, and the laughs. This occurred on and outside of campus. So from the onset, for me to start and create relationships, I would need to show myself as more than just a migrant.
For other exchange or international students that identify differently, their experiences were different. The women experienced catcalling, whistling, and male assertiveness in public and private space. While men exchange or international students were more or less comfortable, depending on their identities. Any member of the LGBTQ+ community was cautious of publicizing their identity.
My identity as a Christian didn’t have much effect as my other identity. Morocco allows Christians to gather and hold services and events. I was able to be a part of interfaith alliance at AUI and have valuable discussions with others of different faiths.
My experiences in Morocco because of my identities didn’t change my perspective of the host country. I still believe that Morocco is a beautiful country with great people. But they are like most countries, they struggle to deal with social justice issues pertaining to different identity groups.