Standing Out as an American

There shouldn’t be anything forcing people to give me special attention during my stay in Senegal. After all, I do look Senegalese and could pass for one if I had some clothes made with African print, spoke Wolof and stopped being sassy with people. There are times I introduce myself as Salimata because it’s such a nice name. During these past four months, I have learned a thing or two about status. This is referring to my status as an American and then as a woman.          

At the very beginning, I was approached by men who can apparently tell that I am not Senegalese for marriage proposals, being asked if I wanted a Senegalese boyfriend, etc. If this happened once a day, I would laugh it off and tell that person to have a good day. When it happens several times a day, it becomes a stress factor to my experience. It’s so bothersome for me because there’s no regard for who Salima is or what she wants or what she believes but this idea that because she has the American identity, because she’s with the other American students, she must also be looking to have the same experience. I have become grouped into this American identity that’s one dimensional and doesn’t allow for the person to voice their opinion about who they are.  

 

There’s enough blame to go around regarding stereotypes, who creates them and why they are created in the first place. I have stood out more here than I do in my state and I never imagined that happening. We definitely think that it’s from the fact that being American is seen as being White. Maybe it’s hard to grasp the concept of someone born in Africa, moves to America and then decides to study abroad in Africa? It could also be that minorities in the US are under-represented in studying abroad. I would be interested in talking with other students about their experiences and the way they handled the issues that came up regarding race or gender. In my case, I had to be reminded not to take everything seriously and that people will always assume things about you. What’s important is your reaction, taking control of the situation and realizing that sometimes those people aren’t worth the trouble.

Photos: On the left, I am climbing out of the biggest Baobab tree in Senegal. It's quite a touristy spot! On the right, this photo is not fake. The photographer felt bad for me being short and wanted me to feel good about my height. Since I usually don't post pictures of myself on this blog, it was time for a change.