Often before or after I have visited a country I will tell people about how much I am looking forward to, or how much I enjoyed traveling through said country. And many times I will be met by the same few lines, “Why would you want to go there? The people are disgusting and the food is horrible. I would never visit that country”.
It is a sad thing to say, but countless times I have had this response. From peoples of many different countries around the world. And always from those who have never traveled to any of the lands that they so easily discriminate against. Or know even a shred of information about the peoples that they so casually dismiss. Often these are normal individuals who live their daily lives and never show any inkling of racism. Whether it be an English person talking about China. A Chinese person talking about India. A Chilean talking about Argentina or a Korean talking about a Japan. We have advanced much over the last couple of decades. However, racism is still prevalent in every corner of our world.
There is one group of people however where it is rare indeed to hear a racist comment. From those who travel. Those who have actually spent time with the peoples that they talk about. Those who have been imbued with a deep lust to wander. These people venture forth and learn that we are all the same, that we all bleed red, no matter the colour of our skin or the size of our wallets. To travel is to learn, to travel is to understand that all humans no matter if they live on an island in the pacific, in the jungles of asia or the cities of europe, that we are all the same.
Hopefully as the world grows ever richer, we can only hope that more people will wander. More will cast of the shackles that keep us rooted in our villages, towns and cities. More will learn and also experience for themselves the other cultures of our planet. And maybe, just maybe with a little bit of luck, racism will be killed forever and cast into the depths of history where it belongs. If more people actually met face to face the others that share this world, hostility to one another would vanish and love between us would flourish.
A short quote that all should read
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” – Mark Twain, The Innocents Abroad
12 comments
Great article and well thought out perspective. people that are driven to travel are open and curious about diversity, it’s hard to have a racist mindset with that. What I’ve also found interesting and personally experienced is racism toward me as a traveler. But I don’t let that stop me. Sometimes people are scared of what they don’t know.
Yes i have experienced racism as a traveler also. I will write about that in the future. Most of the occasions I have experienced racism has luckily only been slight. As an Englishman I expected to be met with racism from all corners of the world when i first started to travel, it is a beautiful thing that i have never really been affronted over my nationality, even living here in Argentina where i expected to be a target. it just goes to show that most of us on this world can live happily together 🙂
Look forward to reading about that!
If you are a racist you will miss every opportunity to see another civilization… Is as simple as that! Only open minded people have a courage to see things from their eyes! Btw great post! ✌👏
I completely agree Raj, we can only hope that one day they open their eyes 🙂
Lovely and so true! We got our wallet stolen in the Philippines last week and when I rung home a member of my family said “well they are all scum” this simply is not true! (This person has never been to Asia) To generalise a nation by one bad event is insanity. Everyone we met in the Philippines was lovely and friendly. So, we had one bad experience it doesn’t define that nation and it’s people. When I remember the Philippines I will remember the family that invited me to a fiesta, the children I spoke to and the people who touched my heart. You are so right when you say travel can cure racism because you soon discover that underneath our skin we are all the same.
I am sorry to hear that your wallet was stolen. It is good that you can forgive and forget. I always say i have more of a chance of being robbed walking the streets of london than i do walking the streets of Asia. It just comes down to luck in the end. Like you said most people are beautiful souls and would never dream of stealing from a visiter to their land 🙂
Great post <3
Thank you 🙂
That is why I want as many people as possible visited Russia! Met with our people!
I have many russian friends that i have met through traveling. One day i would love to visit your country 🙂
imagine a person travelling and tasting food around the globe, exploring cultures beyond boundaries, befriending people who hardly understand their language and the individual has still not let go his prejudices.
I think that is humanly impossible.
I will like to visit each and every country of the world and celebrate with all the inhabitants. I am sure travellers at heart feel the same. cheers to that!
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