Study Abroad: Multicultural Students
For some this may be conflicting but for others this may be a relief! When going abroad you might find yourself confronted with multiple identities unsure how to balance yourself. These intersecting identities are a part of you and you're not alone! Other students who have gone abroad have found their own ways to incorporate their multiple identities into an experience that is unlike everyone else’s. This page contains resources that can help you begin navigating this experience.
The Student Experience
Blogs can also provide you a more in depth experience with personal annotations. Students who have gone abroad have taken their time to write or video about their journey. While those experiences are exclusive to that specific blogger, you might find connections to your own experiences or nothing at all. However, this can help challenge your perspectives and peak your interests. Take time to look at a variety of blogs by students that look like you and by ones you have no connections with at all! You might also find you are interested in research and would like to know what studies have shown. Below is a beginning guide to understanding how your identity can heighten your study abroad experience.
Blogs & Articles
- Diversity Abroad’s Culture and Diversity Destination Guides page offers a breakdown of 22 countries and their cultural, ethnic, and racial inclusiveness/diversity
- This short article by Diversity Abroad gives students who are interested in returning to their ethnic roots some pointers and questions to ask themselves in order to get the most out of their experience.
- Chinese-born American Wudan Yan humorously recounts her experiences at home and abroad as someone who looks foreign, was raised in America, and doesn’t speak their “native” language.
- Gloria Atanmo talks about her travel experiences as a “bi-contitental” woman and suggests some ways to be more respectful when inquiring about someone’s ethnic identity
Videos
- This student-made short video from the “Identity Abroad” page on the Global Learning Office (Northwestern University) introduces key concepts associated with racial/ethnic identities and what multicultural students should expect while traveling abroad.
- This As/ls (Buzzfeed) video interviews a handful of adults who are multiracial about some of their experiences as a result of being easy to racially mislabel.
Scholarships
Students of all backgrounds and ethnicities cite money as an impediment to studying abroad. Geneseo works to help make traveling abroad an affordable and accessible opportunity for all students through numerous scholarships as well as financial advisement. Visit our Scholarship page to access a list of possible scholarships.