Personal Narrative

The American Lack

New opportunities, new ideals that never mattered nor existed before- a new world; these thoughts whirl around my skull as I exit the doors of the Madrid International Airport. I carry my bags onto the sweat-filled bus heading north-east to the city of Pamplona, home of San Fermin (aka The Running of the Bulls) and for the next six months, home to me. I embraced the town’s mountain-fresh air and the crisp cleanliness of wealthy city-life. Beginning classes and nestling into a new international community, I was exposed to endless cultures; some which I had never known existed.  I found myself surrounded by German, Singaporean, Chinese, Australian, Finnish, Czech, Greek, and Canadian influences daily. My ideals, ideas, and overall knowledge expanded every time I held a conversation with each and every one of my peers. During one of these intriguing conversations, I was introduced to a sadness that overcame me and my ultimate way of thinking. This has led me to my writings, actions, and beliefs even here in Asheville, NC. I was made aware of how much of the American culture and history my international friends were aware of and how little I knew of theirs.

Was this lack of knowledge my fault? Or did it only uncover something buried deep into my background- all of the American backgrounds? Lack. Apathy. Cages. Bubbles. Influence; my brain flooded with these words as the epiphany spread throughout my being. Questions arose which had never bothered me before: “Why was I only required to take one semester of world-history classes, and two years of U.S history?” “Why are we required to take foreign language classes, yet no one cares that nearly none of us can actually speak the language that we spend at least one year studying?” “How can we be one of the leading world powers when we are so barricaded from the rest of the world?” Our country is caught in this bubble of white-picket fences and “The American Dream”.  Does our dream not consist of expanding our horizons in order to further understand the ways of the world? I believe it is of uttermost importance that our country prospers in this area of knowledge in order to contribute and understand the actions of the world around us.

Beginning the week before Semana Santa, a large religious festival held in Spain during the week of Easter, a group of friends and I set out for our European adventure. During our next three weeks, we were to embark on a journey through Morocco and Andalucía. We set out on our way in search of knowledge, new cultures, and fun. We began with a 12-hour bus ride to Sevilla in southern Spain where we caught a flight to Morocco for the weekend. I was extremely surprised at the ease and affordability of traveling around different countries. The price of a flight from Texas to North Carolina would easily equal the same rate as traveling from Northern Spain to Morocco, then to Portugal and back. I see this factor as a barricade for Americans to spread their experiences. Once we crossed the African boarder and flew into Marrakesh, I noticed the heavy French and Arabic Influences, though not too much from Spanish culture. From street signs to market menus, worldly influence was obviously dominant. As we marched through the dusty streets hoping to locate our hostel before dark, I heard at least one word in nearly every language: “nǐ hǎo” “Konnichiwa” “Hallo” “Hola” “Bonjour”. This experience really opened my eyes to how positive influence and constant interaction could largely affect a nation’s acceptance and knowledge. Even in our hostel, the Moroccans’ genuine interest and acceptance made each visitor feel at home. The owner of the hostel, Rashid, kept us up nearly all night, every night, asking questions about our stories and sharing his journeys with us. He knew nearly infinite facts and aspects about the world; my jaw dropped once he stated that he had never been outside of Morocco. Through his experience with tourism and positive, multicultural interactions, Rashid had gained insight and geographical wisdom of the world beyond his African home.

With an unmistakable “homey” feeling, my companions and I safely returned back to Spain. From Seville we began “Andalucía hopping” around Granada, Malaga, Ronda, Valencia, and Cadiz. Because I have traveled very little in my own country (going no farther west than Manchester, TN), I was astounded at the extreme cultural difference found only inside Spain itself.  From Catalan, Basque, and Moorish influences, Spain continues to grow as a separate yet unified nation. These influences are strongly embraced through acts of nationalism around the Iberian Peninsula. Each area is greatly defined through separate styles, languages, and ideas such as: the Basque country’s dred-mullets and farming-by-the-sea techniques, Ronda’s southern accents, flamenco, and hanging-cliff landscapes, and Valencia’s Catalan-influenced language and coastal, fire-loving heritage. Each section of Spain publicizes its differences which individualize the provinces. The embracement of heritage and acceptance of those around them creates a strongly unified country. This unification does indeed remind me of the United States, yet I feel as though we do not bring forth our strong differences in the same manner as the Spaniards. Regardless of our area, South-eastern, Northern, Western, etc, I believe that we should show pride in our region and make our differences widely known and more understood throughout our country and the world. Very little Europeans understand why the southern accent is so strong below Virginia, but not so prominent in Florida and completely different in Texas. These are facts that we should share and embrace as another “separate yet unified” country in order to expand the global understanding of Americans and for us to understand that of other cultures.

Without a doubt we are quite a sheltered nation. Are we to blame ourselves or our past generations for our American lack? Is there even anyone to blame? Regardless of where the fault lies, we must fight for our solutions in order to break free of our bubble. The spread of knowledge in schools and communities is only the first step to spreading acceptance among other citizens. Multicultural activities and festivals could also help engage Americans to refinement and understanding. Long paths lie ahead in order to obtain this goal, but the benefits are necessary for our nation, without which we cannot intend to globally prosper.