Okay, so, I wrote this post almost a year ago and didn't really know if I should publish it. I still don't know if posting it is a good idea but I'm having a YOLO moment. Enjoy.
When I first decided to move to the Middle East I thought that it would be a great opportunity to live some place where black and brown people were not the minority. I wanted to know what it was like to be a member of the majority so to speak. Not that I actually felt like I was a minority back home in the states, to be honest I didn't really think about my race (or anyone's really) all that much at home but I knew that moving half-way across the world could change that.
With all of the recent events regarding people of color and their treatment in society (Mike Brown, Trayvon Martin, and too many others to name), I feel somewhat ashamed to admit that I never really thought about race relations prior to or during my adult life. I've never been a victim of blatant racism, at least not to my knowledge. I can't imagine how it would feel to know that you're being treated unfairly just because your skin is a different, darker color than someone else's. How infuriating must it be to not only be treated that way, but to then feel that there is nothing you can do about it? And what if it happens not just once but on random occasions throughout your life?
Living here in the UAE as an african american woman is kind of like...constantly being reminded that you're different and even sometimes "less than" others. The country is a melting pot of different races, cultures, and religions. In my school alone there are over 80 different countries represented, and within the UAE the large expatriate population makes it possible for one to interact with people from other races and cultures on a daily basis. What a great platform for recognizing the differences that we all have and embracing them, but at the same time appreciating and respecting them. Although that sounds good in theory, it is not always practiced. I've seen others talked down about for their differences and worse, people distancing themselves from what they deem to be 'different'. How can anyone learn and grow with those attitudes?
What I have learned and noticed about people here is the need to differentiate themselves based on outward appearances and material objects. In the land of 'oil money' where everyone has money, and all kinds of things can be easily gotten with a phone call or a flash of some cash, people set themselves apart by buying expensive cars, dressing in fancy clothes, and some by employing foreign nannies and drivers for their children. Many of these things offer convenience to people who can afford them, but I think they also have a way of distancing people from reality.
So what does this have to do with being an african american woman in an Arab country? Some would probably say nothing, but to me having and using money to set yourself apart from others creates the illusion of power and the feeling that one is somehow better than another which is often the catalyst for racist behavior. I guess I thought that when I moved here there would be some sort of solidarity amongst myself and the Arabs here (we're all brown, damnit!). While I have met my share of nice and genuine people, I still get mistaken for domestic help more often than I'd like.
