CREATING SAFE SPACES FOR TRAVELERS OF COLOR

GUEST POST BY INGRID CRUZ

As a kid I never really thought I’d have the opportunity to live outside of the US and travel. But alas, my parents and I were able to gain legal status in the US. This allowed me to study abroad in college and travel. I’ve also had the opportunity to be an expat and digital nomad as well.

Traveling is shown to make people more creative, and it can truly enrich our lives. Yet it’s important to remember that not everyone gets the opportunity to visit another country. Economic circumstances can also get in the way of traveling. In 2015, it was reported that up to 734 million people live on less than $2 per day, and the COVID19 pandemic and its economic fallout will almost certainly cause an uptick in these numbers.

A person’s country of citizenship also influences where they can go. Having a “weak passport” may cause one to incur visa fees that people from privileged countries don’t have to worry about. As a US citizen, I know that I can travel to many countries visa-free, which also saves money.

But that doesn’t mean fellow travelers accept me or treat me as an equal. I’m still Salvadoran-American and a person of color.

I was a digital nomad in 2018-2019 for a year after having spent 4 and a half years living in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Much of what I’m sharing today is shaped by my experiences then. In light of the Black Lives Matter movement, it’s important to discuss racism and implicit bias in every aspect of our lives, and it’s time that globetrotters also reckon with the ways that travel culture is mostly shaped by white travelers.

I don’t represent every BIPOC (Black, indigenous, and people of color) and I encourage you to read as many narratives as you can. There are nuances between and within ethnic and racial groups, and other identities as well. We are not a monolith.

Why we travel

At the crux of my experience is that I was an immigrant first and then an expat. Traveling as a US citizen exposed me to many people who traveled for fun, and not out of economic necessity or persecution based on a factor they can’t control. These travelers tended to be white, and some even had access to things I didn’t: their parents’ credit card, thousands in savings, and of course, white privilege.

The longer I backpacked and moved from city to city, the more I noticed that although many travelers were forward-thinking and tried their best to be kind, their privilege still got in the way. Sometimes I felt like I didn’t exist at all.

Once I’d start talking to travelers, some were surprised I actually spoke English. In tour groups where I was sometimes the only person of color, some people would compliment my “tan,” and even put their arm next to mine by the end of the day and say that “we look the same.”

A budget traveler, I sometimes volunteered at hostels I stayed at to stretch my dollars. This exposed me to a lot of entitled behavior, such as:

People who left dirty dishes even in places that asked travelers to take these to designated locations
A traveler who broke a glass and refused to pay the $1 it cost to get a new one because “it was flimsy.” Later, the employee overseeing our station explained that this would come out of her paycheck and her earnings were about $9 per day.
Overhearing racist conversations about locals from the country we were visiting because some guests thought I couldn’t understand them.
Heard the all-too-common, “you’re so well-spoken,” and “you’re one of the good ones,” plenty of times.
I also experienced colorism at businesses and hostels, such as frequently being asked to give up my seat for white travelers, to accept lesser service, or to get less for the same amount of money because tourism staff was more concerned with providing white patrons with quality service, and not me.

There were many times when I felt I couldn’t be myself. I became nervous whenever I was in tour groups where I was the only person of color. Thankfully I also met some great people who were working on these issues and we were able to have productive conversations. It was evident that they were trying to be allies even though we were all traveling because we wanted to expand our horizons and take a rest from our usual routines.

So what can white travelers do to create safe spaces for BIPOC travelers?

What white travelers can do

Check your privilege. If you feel the urge to ask a BIPOC to do something for you, such as explain their identity, run an errand, give something up, or give up their rest in order to make you more comfortable, try to notice these implicit biases.
Believe BIPOC. It’s common for travelers to share where they’re from, but if you ask a BIPOC where they’re from, and you’re not happy with the first answer they give you, stop yourself before asking the dreaded, “But where are you really from?” For many reasons, some BIPOC identify best with the city they grew up in and not the country their parents are originally from.
Educate yourself. It has always been important to learn about the intersection of privilege and racism. There are plenty of books, films, podcasts, and TV shows that can help you learn how to be actively anti racist. It’s also important to know your own history. Ask yourself:

What do BIPOC from your country have to say?
How has your home country benefitted from slavery and white supremacy?

Non-Black POC also need to look at our own implicit biases as well. The work of anti-racism doesn’t stop just because we sometimes choose to visit a new country and go on vacation. Stay aware of any racist jokes, and remember that it’s important for white people and non-Black people to discuss racism, colorism, and anti-Blackness even and especially when people directly affected aren’t present.