Monday, January 2, 2023

Above all, my first impressions made of the North African country of Tunisia were based in fear and doubt. These impressions began well before I stepped on any plane, however. In speaking to relatives about my upcoming travel plans prior to this trip, I would often be confronted with shock and worry. A family member was quick to warn me of systemic poverty issues in this country despite her vast ignorance of the region’s customs and history. A co-worker at the non-profit organization that I intern with was without pause in warning me of Muslims’ supposed propensity for terrorism.

Whether a result of their legitimate care for my safety or from blatantly racist ideologies, the images of Tunisia and the Arab world as painted by my closest circle was surprisingly misguided. It seemed likely that these views were representative of many popular perceptions of Arabic cultures by Americans.

Being enlightened enough to know how short cited the views were, I was especially looking forward to disproving these negative stereotypes and perceptions. When stepping onto a plane to come to Tunisia, I couldn’t help but smile to myself as I imagined how consequential of an opportunity I had to disprove these perceptions. I felt like I was representing something much bigger than myself. I imagined confronting harmful and divisive ideologies with the middle finger, and I couldn’t wait to gain positive experiences that I could report on back to my family and colleagues. This trip quickly became seen as an opportunity for me to defend the perceptions of a world that I hadn’t even met before - not because it was personal to me, but because I knew that I could, in my own small way, make good in the world in my own small way using my experiences abroad.