I still believe my identity impacts how I see and experience the world but in different ways than before I studied abroad. I think before I studied abroad I felt that I could only see the world through the filter of my identity and biases. But I realized while it is extremely hard to see the world as unbiased, I could see the world and even my own experiences through the eyes of other people. I was able to step out of my own world view to see everything differently. This allowed me to learn more than I ever thought possible in four months and helped me develop more empathy and compassion than I ever thought possible. By stepping outside of my own biases but experiencing the world through my identity I was able to see aspects of Japanese culture as well as stereotypes and the work of institutions I had never noticed before due to my own privilege. My identity does afford me certain advantages such as having the resources to study abroad in the first place. I have the advantage of knowing English as my first language, while I watched my Japanese friends try with all they have to learn English as a second language. I have the advantage of Rollins giving me a stipend while I was abroad so that I could travel and see as much of Japan as I wanted. The identity I encounter that was most interesting to me was my friend Sara. She is an Islamic Croatian born American who lives in Idaho but goes to Sara Lawrence in New York City. She experiences the world differently than me because she encounters Islamophobia as well as discrimination due to her immigration status. She is therefore more passionate about immigration rights and more sensitive to ignorance surrounding Muslims. She experiences the world differently in that she is more aware of these specific inequalities. She is afforded advantages as someone who lives in America and has the opportunity to go to college. She also faces many disadvantages as an immigrant in America. Rather than focusing on her disadvantages she uses her privilege to become a civil rights lawyer and fight for other immigrant or people disadvantaged because of the systematic discrimination in American society.
