Student Spotlight: Ashley Nelson in Argentina
What were the biggest personal challenges you faced during your time abroad, and how did you overcome them?
“During my first month in Buenos Aires I was scared to explore the city on my own and truly immerse myself. I didn’t know the language well, I was completely unfamiliar with the environment, and I didn’t want to stand out more than I already did. I started venturing out around the block of my homestay and slowly traveling further away from home than I did the previous time. I’d observe how locals act and interact with each other and become more open to conversation even knowing I’d struggle to communicate. I’d celebrate the small victories until they became normal occurrences and then give myself another challenge to conquer. Now I’m more comfortable with going out on my own, trying to talk to strangers, taking public transportation, and always having google translate open just in case.”
What similarities and differences have you experienced between your host culture and your culture?
“The meal proportions are pretty similar between Argentina and my experience in the United States. In Argentina, we have a light breakfast like a coffee and toast or medialuna, which is similar to an Argentine croissant) around 8/9am, then a heavier lunch around 1pm, and finally, dinner is also a heavy portion which varies greatly regarding what is eaten and is typically had between 8-10pm. The biggest difference between Argentine and US culture is the school/work-social life balance. People are a lot more regularly active in social groups like sport clubs and dance classes, they also frequently spend time with friends spontaneously at a park or walking around. Nightlife activities also go much later into the night with social events often starting at 9pm and restaurants closing past 1am during the week. In the US I think we feel more compelled to plan and schedule our outings days or even weeks in advance. Argentina reminds me that there are 24 hours in a day and helps me embrace spontaneity in hanging out instead of “catching up”
Tell us about an experience where you were out of your comfort zone.
“Recently I went to a language learning social event to try to meet new people and practice my Spanish with Spanish speakers who wanted to practice their English. Though I showed up with a friend, I quickly got pulled into a conversation with a group of Spanish speakers. It didn’t take long for them to bring up me being Black and asking me if my hair is real, if I know any rappers, and other questions regarding how they’ve seen Black Americans in the media. I’ve never imagined being in a Latin American country and being someone’s first non-Latino Black person, they’ve ever met; I felt like a spectacle. At first, I wanted to take offense to their ignorance and harsh wording but quickly realized they’re asking me these questions because they genuinely want to learn more and just have a more straightforward approach that I’m used to. Despite feeling uncomfortable at some of their questions I knew that at that moment I didn’t only represent myself but all Black Americans, so it was important to me to endure my discomfort and that I carefully corrected their assumptions. I was definitely not expecting to be explaining the racial context in the US to Argentines so soon into my abroad experience, but now I feel more prepared and open to having those kinds of conversations, especially knowing it comes from sheer curiosity.”