For Hispanic/Latinx Students Abroad:

Gaddi Vasquez, the first Hispanic Director of the Peace Corps, tells a story while abroad where people said he didn’t look like an American. He says studying abroad is a chance to showcase the diversity of the United States. The percentage of Hispanic/Latinx American students who study abroad is not proportional to the number who are pursuing an undergraduate education. Geneseo is dedicated to increasing diversity abroad and providing opportunities for all students to pursue an international education. This page is a compilation of information and resources for Hispanic/Latinx students interested in studying abroad.

Why Study Abroad?

Study abroad is a great opportunity for students to gain new perspectives and unique experiences. An international education allows students to develop a deeper understanding of other cultures, increase their foreign language skills, and build maturity and self-confidence. Students can satisfy major requirements or earn elective credit while abroad.

Experience abroad not only enriches a student's undergraduate education, it can also make them more competitive for jobs after graduation. The benefits of international education are numerous, and are just as important for members of groups that are typically underrepresented in study abroad programs.

For many Hispanic/Latinx students their education is not only important to themselves but to their family and studying abroad on the surface can seem like a risk. Tony, Lucia, Alejandro, and Wendy understand the fear or the struggle in explaining this to your parents! Watch their video to learn about how they went about it.

Discrimination and Race Abroad

For students going abroad, it is important to research the history of the country where you will be living. Ideas of race vary from one country to the next, and are often affected by historical processes or events. It is likely that most people will view you as an American, rather than a Hispanic or Latinx American. In countries where most people are of the same skin color, people may be curious about your appearance. Questions and even staring are annoying, but are not likely to be the product of negative racial stereotypes.

AllAbroad's page "What About Discrimination" addresses the kind of discrimination Hispanic and Latinx students may face while abroad.

DiversityAbroad lists questions that a student should consider when researching discrimination in a potential study abroad location. This page also offers tips on dealing with possible negative situations.

Blogs & Articles

• While studying in Spain, Thania Inoa De Jesus was able to draw parallels as well as discovering unique differences from her own heritage. On her blog she highlights her success, barriers, and her biggest take away from her experience as Latina and first-generation student.
• Noe Monarrez describes navigating Chile as a queer, Mexican American as “an incredibly refreshing and invigorating experience”.  Learn about how he finds a sense of belonging while also adjusting to the Chilean slang!

Videos

• Laura Razzuri is a Peruvian-American who studied abroad in Jordan. Being Latina, she found connections to living with a host-country similar to her own life in the United States. Watch her video to learn about her experience abroad.
• From Spain to Thailand, these students share how being Latinx impacted their experience. From explaining how they were American even though they were not white to sharing how this impacted their family, this video provides an overview and general experience students have faced.

Scholarships and Financial Resources

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 webpage to access a list of possible scholarships.