Reflecting on Experience

I am very fortunate to be able to study abroad.  I am able to undertake this great cultural learning and personal growth experience that will be more than a resume builder because I can afford it with my parents help and my school offers study abroad programs.  I know that I am privileged to have this opportunity that many Americans and other people around the world my age do not have.  

In her essay, White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack, Peggy McIntosh states, “White privilege is like an invisible weightless knapsack of special provisions, maps, passports, codebooks, visas, clothes, tools and blank checks.”  In some ways I have experienced privilege with these exact items.  I was able to obtain a passport and Israeli visa with relative ease.  The visa process for me was very simple; I sent in my passport, Arava Institute acceptance letter, proof that I paid the program fees, plane ticket, a photo of myself, copy of my bank statement, and a processing fee.  Two weeks later I received my visa.  I was told by an Israeli Consulate worker that it did not matter how much I had in my bank account, they just wanted to make sure that I could support myself while in Israel.  This is understandable since it would be expensive for the country to support people who visited, but I realized that already this is a thing of privilege.  People can not afford plane tickets and do not have substantial bank accounts are not able to travel and experience another culture or see the amazing environment that I am in.  It was also relatively easy for me to enter this country as an American.  My Jordanian and Palestinian classmates did not obtain a permit to enter the country as easily.  There was even a Palestinian student who did not receive permission to enter Israel until three weeks after the program started.  Other non-American international students say, “people from the states can travel to whatever country they want.”  Meaning that Americans are not prevented from entering almost any country.  These students know that it would be very difficult or simply impossible for them to travel to certain countries simply because of the country where their passport is from.  

I am lucky enough to be able to experience the Jewish holiday of Purim (above) and watch the sunset over Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt from an Israeli beach (below).  

As an American in Israel, I feel as though I am given certain privileges that other tourists do not have.  In my day to day activities and travels I do not feel discriminated against.  Even if I break a social norm or make a mistake, I feel as though Israelis just roll their eyes and think, “Oh an American tourist.”  I know it is not the same for some of the other international students here who might receive dirty looks or be refused help or service based on their nationality.  Also, I am still able to interact with most everyone in Israel by speaking English which is my native language while the language of Israel is Hebrew.  

“Learning at the cost of other cultures” is an interesting phrase.  From my interactions with non-Americans, I have learned that most of them see the ‘American Dream’ as a sign of wealth and accomplishment.  Development within countries seems to mean becoming more ‘westernized’.  As an environmentalist, I shudder at the word development because it usually means that some environment somewhere is being destroyed.  However, there is a social justice side to environmentalism.  If the quality of people’s lives are improved or there are good quality jobs created, then development has a good side to it.  Can this ‘westernization’ destroy or uproot other cultures?  Yes, but there are also people that are able to improve their quality of life by adopting western ways and still maintain their cultural heritage.  As the world becomes more globalized, it will be interesting to see how cultures change and meld.  I certainly hope that I am not learning at the cost of other cultures, but as McIntosh points out in her essay one type of people can not have an advantage without creating a disadvantage for another.  By definition, the word advantage can not be used unless someone does not have whatever it is that that made the other person advantaged, and, therefore, that person is at a disadvantage.  I do not think that the way to rid the world of advantage is to stop using the resources one is given.  I think that in order to have equality in not only race but income levels, religious beliefs, gender, etc. is to provide for the basic human rights of everyone.  These basic human rights are not only food and water but education, dignity, respect, and so on.  At the moment, I think the way that this is attempted is by developing into a more western way and this can be seen as development at the cost of other cultures.  I hope that the fulfillment of human rights, which I believe can create equality for all, can be achieved in a way that still preserved someone’s cultural identity.