IFSA Logo

STUDENTS

FAMILIES

ALUMNI

FACULTY AND ADVISORS

Category Stories: Racial and Ethnic Identity

  • Exploring My Mexican Identity in Mexico

    posted on

    Exploring My Mexican Identity in Mexico

    I am the child of immigrants and a first-generation student. My parents moved to the United States from México before I was born. They wanted me to live where I would have opportunities they didn’t have growing up, to get a better education and live a better life. My mother believed in my future, so she…

    Continue reading

  • Exploring African-American Identity in London

    posted on

    Exploring African-American Identity in London

    During spring semester of my junior year, I travelled beyond American borders for the first time in my life, to London. Living in London both challenged and deepened my understanding of my identity as a black American. In the classroom, black students were still very underrepresented at King’s College, but London itself is one of…

    Continue reading

  • Exploring Family Roots and Exotification in China

    posted on

    Exploring Family Roots and Exotification in China

    I have always wanted to come to China. Listening to the stories my grandfather told about his childhood here and wondering about the ones he didn’t share, I felt I owed it to my blood to try and understand some of Chinese culture. What did my Grandpa feel on his way to the Philippines and…

    Continue reading

  • A Black Man in China

    posted on

    A Black Man in China

    Being abroad in China has taught me so many things about myself. I am a Black male from America, a first-generation college student raised in a middle class, mixed family. This may not seem important, but the diversity in my family is something many Chinese did not understand, and often caused a lot of confusion. …

    Continue reading

  • Fish Out of Water: Navigating Glasgow as an African Caribbean

    posted on

    Fish Out of Water: Navigating Glasgow as an African Caribbean

    Early Stages Since my early high school days I dreamt of studying abroad, whether that be in Japan, India, Lithuania, or somewhere else it didn’t matter; I wanted to see the world. Coming from an immigrant working middle class family from the Caribbean, I didn’t have the luxury of exploring outside the country, much less…

    Continue reading

  • Step Out of Your Comfort Zone. Study Abroad.

    posted on

    Step Out of Your Comfort Zone. Study Abroad.

    Step Out of Your Comfort Zone. Study Abroad. Last week, and while I was on a video call with my sister, I came to a rather interesting realization. As my eyes wandered around the room behind me through the screen, I noticed one of my suitcases could be seen through the frame. On it, I…

    Continue reading

  • How to Navigate Study Abroad as an International Cambodian Student

    posted on

    How to Navigate Study Abroad as an International Cambodian Student

    Why I Go Abroad? Despite the cancellation of my previous program and the fact that I am in the middle of a pandemic, I did not give up on study abroad. I got asked “why Ireland? Why study abroad when you are already abroad? Why leave a community you have become familiar with and go…

    Continue reading

  • How I Gained an Understanding of Chinese Culture through Food

    posted on

    How I Gained an Understanding of Chinese Culture through Food

    Upon arriving in China, the one aspect of my semester abroad that I was particularly excited about was the cuisine. Having spent most of my life growing up in the US, my perception of authentic Chinese food was characterized by cinematic imagery and the special dishes my mother would prepare during the holidays. Therefore, my…

    Continue reading

  • Understanding the Culture of Protesting In Chile

    posted on

    Understanding the Culture of Protesting In Chile

    Overview: Protesting in Chile In my first few weeks of classes, one of the universities in Santiago went on “toma,” meaning that students had taken over the school and barricaded the doors, so classes were canceled. The next week, another university went on “paro,” meaning that the faculty and students went on strike. This, I…

    Continue reading

  • Food and Culture: Living as a South Asian in London

    posted on

    Food and Culture: Living as a South Asian in London

    Why London? Big Ben, the London underground, and torrential downpour. The things London is well-known for are wonderful, but not all there is to the city. Home to more than 8.5 million people, London is one of the main attractions in Europe.Most study abroad organizations market themselves to juniors and seniors, but as a rising…

    Continue reading

Blog Categories