Study Abroad and Assimilation: Worth the Effort

“I haven’t gone there,” my host-mother declared in Spanish one night early in my study abroad experience. We were eating dinner together, and I was sharing my plans to go to a restaurant the next day with a few of my friends that I had made while studying in Sevilla, Spain. “It’s a place for the guiris.” I had tilted my head, confused. “A guiri,” she explained, “is a word to describe tourists in Spain.”

This was the first time I had heard the term. It would not be the last. “But you should go,” my host mom continued. “You would probably like it.”

Why try to adapt?

Sometimes, the purpose of study abroad is dulled down to complete and total assimilation to the new culture you find yourself in. I would absolutely advocate that when you study abroad, you attempt to assimilate. If you approach the country you are staying in with the same pointed, unbudging perspective that you treat the culture or cultures you’ve grown up with, in my opinion, you reject some of the amazing experiences that studying abroad presents. You reject the opportunity to take part in different dining experiences, different activities, different conversations.

If I had come to Sevilla with the same perspective that I had adopted for the 20 years I lived in Nevada, I would have never had the appreciation that I have for the flamenco shows I’ve seen, the churches I’ve visited, and even the tapas I’ve eaten. I’ve let studying abroad change me. I have let myself be open and willing to try new things that are distinctly Spanish or distinctly sevillanas.

“I have let myself be open and willing to try new things that are distinctly Spanish or distinctly sevillanas.”

However, during my three-and-a-half month program, I recognize full assimilation to Spanish culture is not something I will be able to achieve. How I act, how I speak, even how I look separates me. However, I don’t let this stop me from trying to find my place in Sevilla and in the world at large.

An ongoing process

I am immediately identifiable as a guiri. Once I begin to speak my accented Spanish, my identity is further revealed. This sometimes causes Spanish people I have met to respond to my Spanish in English or target me as a potential buyer for tourist attractions. I’ve learned to accept it. I am a newcomer to this city and to this culture and in certain moments, I will be held at arm’s length from it. However, my identity as a guiri does not stop me from appreciating this city and this country, and working gradually in every moment to discover where I can fit in.

So, yes, I did go to that guiri restaurant. And, yes, I enjoyed my time.

Ruby Jacobsen | Lewis & Clark College | IFSA Seville Universities Program: USevilla, IFSA First-Generation Scholarship Recipient | Fall 2024