Before going abroad, I was warned that I’d dislike the United States even more upon my return. However, after spending the past five months in Stellenbosch, South Africa, I’ve come to appreciate being an American citizen more than ever.
It’s been fascinating to really see what a fragile democracy looks like. Although apartheid (meaning ‘separateness’ in Afrikaans) or legislated segregation here in South Africa ended only 14 years ago when Nelson Mandela came to power, it’s clear that South African society remains deeply unequal. Racism and the structural injustices of the old apartheid system still linger. After all, only 14 years ago discrimination was legislated. Only 14 years ago, South African society was comparable to segregation in the U.S. before the civil rights movement.
Initially upon arriving in South Africa, I was shocked by how separated and unequal society was based on race. I was surprised by openly racist attitudes of some Stellenbosch University students, a mostly affluent, white Afrikaans, conservative university. However, only after a few months did I realize that the structural injustice of the old system is what shapes and sustains these racist attitudes. It’s not right, but it took our country over 50 years after integration to reach where we are today. This fairly new democracy in South Africa has a long way to go before it reaches equality.
As clichéd as it sounds, studying overseas has been the best experience I’ve ever had and has allowed me to view the world in a different light. I’ve never learned so much in such a short period of time in my life. Most of all, I’ve learned how lucky I am to live in a country where, theoretically, everyone can get a job no matter what gender or race they are. A country where every child is provided with an education up through grade 12 and where western medicine is available and accessible. And a country that doesn’t have 60,000 people living in dangerous, poverty and disease-ridden townships (shantytowns) right outside all major cities.
Being able to drive through acres of beautiful wine estates and see ostrich, zebras, and baboons everyday is certainly different from waking up in snowy Vermont. The mountains laced with wine vineyards and oceans colliding together makes the Cape Town area the most uniquely beautiful place I have ever visited. Hearing personal stories of those who have suffered from conflict and injustice in Africa and witnessing the reliance of the human spirit despite AIDS and poverty has been an extremely humbling experience.
It’s been interesting to look at the U.S. with my feet in African soil. I empathize with the frustration of the world’s underdeveloped countries as they look up at the United States, admire its power, freedom and social influence but wonder why it has neglected to join significant efforts with the rest of the world to address humanitarian conflicts in Africa. It seems media can create an ‘Africa fatigue,’ portraying Africa to the rest of the world as a hopeless mess of poverty, perpetual conflict and AIDS. Although that is true with much of the continent, there are places such as South Africa that are developing rapidly and rising to become more legitimate and significant actors on the international stage. Although I’ve been critical of recent U.S. foreign policy, I’ve become truly grateful for the democracy, equal opportunities and freedom I have as a U.S. citizen.
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