Submitted by Alexis Withers on the 2019 winter session program in Australia sponsored by the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering…
I have been in Melbourne, Australia (on campus) for four days now and I am really enjoying myself! Everyone is very friendly here (both my classmates and the Australian citizens), but for some reason, I’ve been feeling a bit out of it. I am the only African American in my study abroad group, which I’m pretty used to as I’m also the only African American in my class. However, being one of the few African Americans in a large city is a bit strange to me. Because it gets hot in the summer, I style my hair in braids; to me this is completely normal, to others it is so fascinating. This is when I witnessed my first culture shock in Melbourne. Back in the United States, it’s normal to see African Americans with braids in their hair. Here in Australia, people are so amazed and I get stares almost everywhere I go. At first, I didn’t think much of it. Now, it makes me completely uncomfortable. One time, I was on the train and the woman sitting next to me asked to “pet” my hair… like I was an animal or something (I respectfully declined). Another time, one of my classmates asked, “How do you wash those things?”. The word “things” threw me off… it was my hair, not some “thing”. Another time, an Australian police officer commented on how long my hair was and he “didn’t know how I do it”. To me, it’s not something I do, it was just normal to have my thick hair braided in the warm weather as it was easier to deal with. The worst was when a woman in a bathroom asked me if I was from South Africa since my hair was “like that” (I was in complete shock and actually left the restaurant after this in frustration).
I feel like an attraction here. I get so much unwanted attention. I’ve noticed Australia doesn’t have many African American individuals living/visiting here since it is difficult and expensive to reach the country (very understandable after purchasing my plane tickets!). I handle all these situations in a kind, calm manner showing little to no emotion, but on the inside I’m very bothered by it. I’m not sure if this is something I could change or avoid, but more of an observation, and I guess something I have to get use to frequently dealing with. Other than receiving “compliments” or comments about my hair style, I am really enjoying my study abroad program. I really enjoy exploring the city and traveling to the different museums and national parks!
