Thu, 24 May 2012
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“Three things traveling abroad has taught me about being a black woman," according to author, editor and award-winning blogger Carolyn Vines.For over twenty years I’ve been traveling and living abroad. I’ve been all over the United States down to Mexico and the Caribbean and across the ocean to Europe. I’ve become acquainted with nearly one hundred cities in seventeen countries spread over three continents, each of which, through a slight gesture or a grandiose revelation, gave me insight into what it means to be a black woman in the world.
Firstly, my travels have taught me that America’s futile obsession with race does not define me even though it’s done it’s best to convince me that I’m not relationship material, that I’m loud and otherwise ignorant, i.e. socially inept, and that if I’m financially successful, I’m an anomaly. 
In contrast, the people in each of the countries I visited were interested in me because I was a black woman. They listened when I spoke and wanted to know about black culture in America. Bit by bit, with each journey, I expelled all remnants of a racist ideology that, unwittingly, I had internalized.
By the time I moved to the Netherlands, eleven years ago, the slate had been wiped clean enough for me to inscribe my own definition of who I was. Dutch culture does not see blackness first and foremost, nor does it place a stigma on skin colour. Therefore, instead of focusing on how others perceive me because I’m a black woman, I feel empowered to focus on my creative potential as an author, mother and individual.
America’s obsession with race extends to the black community, where it is felt deepest in our negative body image. Nowhere is this felt with greater intensity than among black women and our hair. We’ve managed to politicize something as personal as hair care. Hair continues to divide us. Even now we’re in the middle of a polemic, one side of which tells us that if we chemically process our hair, we’re ashamed of our heritage and have a poor self-image, as though sporting natural locks could somehow obliterate all of our issues, past and present.
In the absence of Dudley products, I’ve been forced to ground my body image in other areas besides the physical. I started paying attention to the fact that people responded to my openness, were drawn to my genuine interest in their culture and were attracted to my growing self-confidence. That, in turn, empowered me to love the body the good Lord gave me – with a couple tweaks here and there! I’m a lovely shade of brown, my body is healthy and my hair is versatile. I’ll change my hairstyle at the toss of a coin depending on what part of my character I want to express that day. Being abroad has taught me that my brown body is just that: a brown body. I get to tell the world exactly what that brown body stands for, not vice versa.
In addition to learning that my hair and that America’s racist ideology do not define me, traveling abroad has taught me that I have a distinctive voice. As in writing, voice is not limited to the words I use but extends to how I get my message across. The fact that I travel speaks volumes to the multi-dimensional identity of black women in general. The way I dress, how I pass along the legacies of the black culture to my children, how I interact with my husband, down to how I try to dance on the cross trainer at my gym listening to Prince, George Clinton and the Doobie Brothers are all extensions of the voice I carry within.
When I turned to words – through blogging and writing my memoir – I connected with other sisters living abroad and tuned into that vibrant community. I learned that we could be, and were, an indispensable support for one another. We shared past hurts, present successes and future dreams. Their voices, expressed through their stories, resonated with and fused into mine, making it stronger, clearer and eloquent.
More about the author
Besides being an author, editor and award-winning blogger, Carolyn Vines is a full-time mother of two bicultural, bilingual daughters. She holds an MA in Latin American literature and has taught in universities in the Netherlands and in the US. She speaks Spanish and Dutch fluently and currently resides with her family in the Netherlands.
Her memoir, black and (A)broad: traveling beyond the limitations of identity is available online at Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk and Barnes & Noble online
This article is excellent! A true and intelligent view of travel, self, and cultures.
Bob, Amsterdam
Being a African-American (whatever that means) I couldn't have said it better myself. I have been here since 1994 and I have to say you hit the nail on the head. America has a way of instilling some very negative s elf hate images on the black (whatever that means) community.
Sorry, I disagree. When I lived in Europe, I was greeted with loud monkey noises, stares and pointing. I lived in Berlin in a very homogeneous neighborhood and spent time as well in Rostock and no one was interested in my identity other than to mock it.
Of course, I did not attribute those actions to all Berliners or Europeans,
but I think it's trite to lead others to believe that Europe is completely open to other ethnic populations. I was part of an article for a magazine on the 2006 'No Go' areas for the World Cup and the findings were not pleasant. I was asked to travel to those areas as a black woman to test their safety and at the first stop the police told me 'Best to leave now because after dark people around here use people like you as a punching bag.'
Please do not generalize your experience to everyone else. I don't think America is so bad. There are limitations, glass ceilings and stereotypes everywhere. If you are loud and ignorant in America, you are exotic and a sexual fantasy in Europe.
Neither is utopia.
Check your history! What did you expect from Germany?
Is there a point here? Racism is rampant all over Europe.
Hi Carolyn,
I just read your article on being a 'black woman abroad'. I did find it quite interesting because I could relate to some of the points you mentioned.
I am actually African British (born and bred Londoner) I have lived in Norway, Netherlands and Belgium.
I went to all 3 countries alone and not knowing anyone.
The reception I got was quite mixed. In Norway people in general were very kind and friendly.
In the Netherlands although people were nice in general I found the whole tradition a black peter difficult to understand.
My friend from the Caribbean explained that St Nicholas had slaves and the black Peter characters are a caricature of those slaves.
How could a country so insensitive to the feelings of another race not be racist.
'Blacking up' is never funny to black people. Whether done in jest or to insult, the result is always the same: it offends.
The reception in Belgium would be a mixture of that of the Netherlands and Norway. Although the people are kind there is a strained relationship between the Belgians and foreigners. I actually get treated with more respect because I am British than the nonwhite Belgians do. It seems that most Belgians do not consider the non white Belgians to be Belgian. They don't mix very much with the large Muslim population.
Ingrid I agree with you statement. I have lived all over the world and your so right about you comment. "Please do not generalize your experience to everyone else. I don't think America is so bad. There are limitations, glass ceilings and stereotypes everywhere. If you are loud and ignorant in America, you are exotic and a sexual fantasy in Europe."
Ingrid, I agree with your statement. I have lived all over the world and your so right in this comment. "Please do not generalize your experience to everyone else. I don't think America is so bad. There are limitations, glass ceilings and stereotypes everywhere. If you are loud and ignorant in America, you are exotic and a sexual fantasy in Europe." Thank you!
Ingrid, I'm curious about what you expected from Berlin? Actually, you don't sound like someone who has travelled widely in Europe.
I think that Carolyn makes some valid points that have been overlooked by the responders on this blog. I read with interest that, through travel, Carol discovered that racist ideology did not necessarily have to define her. She obviously found the European environment refreshing and open. Maybe, it was open in a way that will remain closed in the American environment for many years to come. When I travelled to Norway, I uncovered this open-ness. I traveled there alone but found so many people willing to show me around that I did not feel alone. If I were viewed as a "sexual fantasy" I would not have known it. Why? Because people were engaging with me in an intellectual way--I was able to sit in a cafe and talk about books, politics, poetry with relative strangers, who found me engaging.
Black women and people of color, in general, are very 'body-objectified.' Too often, people view only coloring and bodily features of people of color, refusing to note intellectualism or high creativity.
I appreciate the fact that Carol Vines mentioned the 'hair' issue among Black women. She herself mentioned that she would change her hair on a whim. And that is her right (or any person's right) to do. People can do whatever they want with their hair--straighten, wear natural, go gray, color, relax, perm, etc. Often women with naturally straight hair will attempt to waylay nature by using an ammonium thioglycolate formula to 'burn' curls into their hair. Yet, one often hears the word 'perm' tossed abut casually, especially by Caucasians. They feel they have a right to perm their hair. I keep seeing people with dreadlocks in the beauty shop, getting their beautiful locks trimmed and brushed up a little. Obviously, even people with dreads feel the need to beautify or alter nature a bit. I think that Black people get caught up in these types of debates (straight -vs- natural)because they are so very 'body-objectified' by society. As a result, Blacks are forced to be concerned with issues related to authenticity. So much so, that divisiveness is a result, instead of the much hoped for identity revolution.
Ingrid,
I'm a Black American male living overseas. The writer of this article didn't say Berlin or Europe was good or decent place to live. She said THE NETHERLANDS was a good place to live, and I agree. Improve your reading ability. I also visited Germany as a tourist, and I will never return to Germany because it is too racist. Berlin is even worse because it is the center of modern Nazi Skin Head activity in Germany. This is widely known. However, Amsterdam is not like Germany. It is more like London with greater open racial diversity. I was in London for 7 months. I never experienced "social racism" even one time in London. I'm not naive, I know that Blacks experience a lot of discrimination in Britian, but it is much more job discrimination, not discrimination in your everyday life.
In America, A Black experiences DAILY social discrimination in his everyday life whether it's going to the grocery store, or visiting the doctor's office, or riding the train, or being pulled over by police. It's really intolerable. And yes, Black Pete needs to be addressed, but Black Netherlanders really don't appreciate how less racist their country is for a Black compared to the U.S. They see Obama, Oprah, and lot's of wealthy Blacks, and think there is no racism in America, and use America as a model for modern Black freedoms.
A Black can make a lot of money in America, but the sacrifice is that he has to deal with huge levels of daily racism that wear his body down physically, and mentally while living there. Where in London, Amsterdam, and maybe Paris, there aren't many economic opportunities for Blacks like in America, but the Black doesn't experience the incredibly high levels of daily racism that damage his body, mind, and spirit. I prefer the Europe "version" of racism because I will just start a business or be creative to make money, but at least I can live in relative peace. I also didn't mention that in America, all of the non black people of color join together to hate Black people. This adds to a Black guy's stress. This doesn't happen in Europe because there is no racial hierarchy among people of color like in America, where Black Americans are on the bottom, and Asian Americans are on the top, for example.
This article is excellent! A true and intelligent view of travel, self, and cultures.
Bob, Amsterdam
Being a African-American (whatever that means) I couldn't have said it better myself. I have been here since 1994 and I have to say you hit the nail on the head. America has a way of instilling some very negative s elf hate images on the black (whatever that means) community.
Sorry, I disagree. When I lived in Europe, I was greeted with loud monkey noises, stares and pointing. I lived in Berlin in a very homogeneous neighborhood and spent time as well in Rostock and no one was interested in my identity other than to mock it.
Of course, I did not attribute those actions to all Berliners or Europeans,
but I think it's trite to lead others to believe that Europe is completely open to other ethnic populations. I was part of an article for a magazine on the 2006 'No Go' areas for the World Cup and the findings were not pleasant. I was asked to travel to those areas as a black woman to test their safety and at the first stop the police told me 'Best to leave now because after dark people around here use people like you as a punching bag.'
Please do not generalize your experience to everyone else. I don't think America is so bad. There are limitations, glass ceilings and stereotypes everywhere. If you are loud and ignorant in America, you are exotic and a sexual fantasy in Europe.
Neither is utopia.
Check your history! What did you expect from Germany?
Is there a point here? Racism is rampant all over Europe.
Hi Carolyn,
I just read your article on being a 'black woman abroad'. I did find it quite interesting because I could relate to some of the points you mentioned.
I am actually African British (born and bred Londoner) I have lived in Norway, Netherlands and Belgium.
I went to all 3 countries alone and not knowing anyone.
The reception I got was quite mixed. In Norway people in general were very kind and friendly.
In the Netherlands although people were nice in general I found the whole tradition a black peter difficult to understand.
My friend from the Caribbean explained that St Nicholas had slaves and the black Peter characters are a caricature of those slaves.
How could a country so insensitive to the feelings of another race not be racist.
'Blacking up' is never funny to black people. Whether done in jest or to insult, the result is always the same: it offends.
The reception in Belgium would be a mixture of that of the Netherlands and Norway. Although the people are kind there is a strained relationship between the Belgians and foreigners. I actually get treated with more respect because I am British than the nonwhite Belgians do. It seems that most Belgians do not consider the non white Belgians to be Belgian. They don't mix very much with the large Muslim population.
Ingrid I agree with you statement. I have lived all over the world and your so right about you comment. "Please do not generalize your experience to everyone else. I don't think America is so bad. There are limitations, glass ceilings and stereotypes everywhere. If you are loud and ignorant in America, you are exotic and a sexual fantasy in Europe."
Ingrid, I agree with your statement. I have lived all over the world and your so right in this comment. "Please do not generalize your experience to everyone else. I don't think America is so bad. There are limitations, glass ceilings and stereotypes everywhere. If you are loud and ignorant in America, you are exotic and a sexual fantasy in Europe." Thank you!
Ingrid, I'm curious about what you expected from Berlin? Actually, you don't sound like someone who has travelled widely in Europe.
I think that Carolyn makes some valid points that have been overlooked by the responders on this blog. I read with interest that, through travel, Carol discovered that racist ideology did not necessarily have to define her. She obviously found the European environment refreshing and open. Maybe, it was open in a way that will remain closed in the American environment for many years to come. When I travelled to Norway, I uncovered this open-ness. I traveled there alone but found so many people willing to show me around that I did not feel alone. If I were viewed as a "sexual fantasy" I would not have known it. Why? Because people were engaging with me in an intellectual way--I was able to sit in a cafe and talk about books, politics, poetry with relative strangers, who found me engaging.
Black women and people of color, in general, are very 'body-objectified.' Too often, people view only coloring and bodily features of people of color, refusing to note intellectualism or high creativity.
I appreciate the fact that Carol Vines mentioned the 'hair' issue among Black women. She herself mentioned that she would change her hair on a whim. And that is her right (or any person's right) to do. People can do whatever they want with their hair--straighten, wear natural, go gray, color, relax, perm, etc. Often women with naturally straight hair will attempt to waylay nature by using an ammonium thioglycolate formula to 'burn' curls into their hair. Yet, one often hears the word 'perm' tossed abut casually, especially by Caucasians. They feel they have a right to perm their hair. I keep seeing people with dreadlocks in the beauty shop, getting their beautiful locks trimmed and brushed up a little. Obviously, even people with dreads feel the need to beautify or alter nature a bit. I think that Black people get caught up in these types of debates (straight -vs- natural)because they are so very 'body-objectified' by society. As a result, Blacks are forced to be concerned with issues related to authenticity. So much so, that divisiveness is a result, instead of the much hoped for identity revolution.
Ingrid,
I'm a Black American male living overseas. The writer of this article didn't say Berlin or Europe was good or decent place to live. She said THE NETHERLANDS was a good place to live, and I agree. Improve your reading ability. I also visited Germany as a tourist, and I will never return to Germany because it is too racist. Berlin is even worse because it is the center of modern Nazi Skin Head activity in Germany. This is widely known. However, Amsterdam is not like Germany. It is more like London with greater open racial diversity. I was in London for 7 months. I never experienced "social racism" even one time in London. I'm not naive, I know that Blacks experience a lot of discrimination in Britian, but it is much more job discrimination, not discrimination in your everyday life.
In America, A Black experiences DAILY social discrimination in his everyday life whether it's going to the grocery store, or visiting the doctor's office, or riding the train, or being pulled over by police. It's really intolerable. And yes, Black Pete needs to be addressed, but Black Netherlanders really don't appreciate how less racist their country is for a Black compared to the U.S. They see Obama, Oprah, and lot's of wealthy Blacks, and think there is no racism in America, and use America as a model for modern Black freedoms.
A Black can make a lot of money in America, but the sacrifice is that he has to deal with huge levels of daily racism that wear his body down physically, and mentally while living there. Where in London, Amsterdam, and maybe Paris, there aren't many economic opportunities for Blacks like in America, but the Black doesn't experience the incredibly high levels of daily racism that damage his body, mind, and spirit. I prefer the Europe "version" of racism because I will just start a business or be creative to make money, but at least I can live in relative peace. I also didn't mention that in America, all of the non black people of color join together to hate Black people. This adds to a Black guy's stress. This doesn't happen in Europe because there is no racial hierarchy among people of color like in America, where Black Americans are on the bottom, and Asian Americans are on the top, for example.
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