In-and-out: A Nigerian-American’s Exploratory Ethnic Immersion in London
When I departed for my semester abroad at King’s College London (KCL), I had a feeling that I would be diving into an ethnic experience that would be difficult to articulate. On one hand, I would be travelling to the UK through an American study abroad program, but I knew through research and conversations with people who had previously studied abroad that most exchange programs have historically not had many students of color. At the same time, however, I knew that by choosing London my study abroad experience would not be one in which I would be an obvious outsider. London is one of the world’s most multicultural cities, and a huge portion of the city’s black population is of Nigerian descent. With this in mind, along with having direct family members living in London, I knew that I would be able to “blend in” as a fellow Western-hemisphere-born-and-raised Nigerian. But I wondered, how would I actually feel on arrival?