Traveling While Black

Tales of Travelling While Black

Obama in Cambodia

Traveling abroad as a Black person, at times, is a unique experience. When my family and I first began to travel overseas, we didn’t give our skin color, hair styles or textures much thought. 

But it really hit me once we stepped off the train in the town of Aranyaprathet, Thailand. We wanted to catch a tuk-tuk to ride about 3 miles to the Cambodia border town of Poipet. 

Once we arrived at the Thai-Cambodian border, we followed the walkway along with about 50 other people.

We had to get across the border to the Cambodian immigration office to get our passports stamped.

When we arrived at the border walkway, several Cambodian taxi drivers were staring, laughing, speaking to one another in their language, and calling out, “Obama, Obama!” referring to my son, Miles.

An Eye-Opening Experience

The situation was definitely off putting. My daughter, who had lived in Thailand, was a bit more equipped for a situation like this. But coming to the realization that I’m a Black woman with her kids, speaking English, alone and crossing the border. I must note, alone meaning without the presence of a man/husband. All eyes were on us. We watched people’s heads turning slowly as we walked by.

The further we walked towards the Cambodian immigration office, the larger the crowd of Cambodian taxi and tuk-tuk drivers gathered. They stared, pointed, and took photos of us until we made it inside to the immigration counter.

Just like anything else, you always have the right to speak up for yourself. Even language barriers don’t stand a chance against your tone of voice, facial expression, and body language.

Your safety and comfort is paramount when traveling abroad. Regardless of culture, I’m a firm believer in advocating for yourself when your safety or comfort is genuinely being violated.

Black Girl Photographed from the Bus Window

My daughter Janine tells the story of when she was a 16-year-old foreign exchange student. She was hosted in Bangkok, Thailand. Every day she got dropped off to school in the mornings. At the end of the day, she would ride the bus back home. People recognized she was attending a Thai high school because of the school uniform she wore. 

She would sit and wait patiently at the bus stop. Only to look up and see people sticking their phones out the bus window. They were taking pictures of the Black girl in the Thai uniform. Some days she would glare or look away. Other days she would smile and pose. It was a lot for a teenager to feel like a spectacle seemingly everywhere she went.

Now that she’s older and has since traveled the world on her own, she realizes that those experiences have prepared her for what its like being Black outside of her own community, country, and continent.

That is all to say that you should prepare yourself when traveling while Black. You will get stares, maybe some glares, but it’s all part of the experience. 

And to be clear, every Black traveler’s experience is unique. I’ve never felt threatened, or genuinely unsafe, nor have I ever been explicitly treated poorly for being a Black traveler.

Oftentimes, I have found locals around the world to be curious about Black Americans in particular. Seeing our black hair, mine straight and Janine’s naturally kinky and coily.  

Although we travel as individuals, when we cross borders, we are representing Black America. Giving insight to others across the globe who may not have the knowledge or exposure to the various histories of Americans of color.

Black Americans in Cuba

But all my experiences of being Black while traveling haven’t been uncomfortable or awkward. One moment in particular was when Miles, Janine, and I were walking down the street in Trinidad, Cuba. An old afro Cuban man was sitting on his doorstep, smoking a cigar. The man couldn’t be any younger than 80, and he asked my son in Spanish where we were from. When my son answered in his limited Spanish, “…Los Estados Unidos.” The old man was shocked and mustered up a joyful, “¡Ay, caramba!” And then he started crying…literally tears streaming down his face.  

He told us, he hasn’t seen a Black American walking the streets of Cuba in over 60 years.

He had seen Black Canadians, English, and Caribbean travelers, but not Black Americans, since he was in his 20s.

Although, he was speaking in broken English and Spanish, we could certainly feel the pride and appreciation he had. Especially for President Obama for easing travel regulations for the American people to Cuba.  

People around the world will be curious and interested in you especially in nations where you look different than the majority of the population. Even other tourists may be curious about your experience of traveling while Black. All I can say is to just embrace the experience, it’s all a part of your Black travel adventure. 

Black Hair Means More Stares

It’d be remiss if I didn’t take a second to write about Black hair while traveling abroad. The more your hair defies gravity, the more stares you’ll get. The more people will want to have a touch. My daughter who has been natural for nearly a decade has had her fair share of interesting interactions when it comes to her hair while traveling.

In China she sported bra-strap length boho locs. Egypt, she wore her natural hair out in a stretched style. In countries like Ghana and Tanzania she arrived with her hair washed and blow dried in preparation to get her hair braided or twisted in-country.

During her time in Thailand teachers at her school would gently ask questions about Black hair. “How do you make it curly?” “What does your hair look like straightened?” “How long does it take to style your hair?”

One of the best parts of Thai culture is their respect of bodily hierarchy. Thai people consider the feet to be the dirtiest part of the body and at the bottom of the bodily hierarchy. Whereas the head is the most respected part of the body, and thus at the top of the hierarchy.

Not once during Janine’s time in Thailand did she encounter one unsolicited touch, stroke, or brush of her hair. One of the biggest no-no’s of Thai culture is to touch someone else’s head (without permission).

Depending on where you are in the world curiosity with your hair and skin can certainly be a fascination to so many even if they don’t outwardly express it.

…But Where Are You Really From?

So many times in my life, I’ve been asked where I’m from. When I tell them, “America.” nine times out of ten I’m met with, “But where are you really from?” What they want to know is when is my ethnicity, where are my roots from. But like so many Black Americans I was born in America. And so was my mother, my grandmother, my great grandmother and a number of great-greats beyond her. 

Not having a typical immigrant story tied to our American heritage is surprising to many people. Even in countries like England or Canada Blackness can usually mean roots from elsewhere. You aren’t inherently thought of as being just English or Canadian.

Black people are not a monolith and we all come with different culture and histories. But the reality is oftentimes we are seen as one people when we travel the world.

Traveling abroad as a Black person will definitely give you the opportunity to unpack your own thoughts and feelings about your identity and Blackness. You may look closer at stereotypes you may be faced with. You may also look into how people of color in your home country are treated in comparison to the country you’re visiting.

My family and I have learned to truly embrace the blessing and privilege it is to travel the world. Patience and understanding are so important when encountering someone else’s country and culture. While some things are unique to someone’s travel experience. But some things only other’s that are traveling while Black will understand.