Tag: bmnobles

By bmnobles

Before going abroad I didn't really know anyone in my group, I had met one guy Max one time last year. Thus, I was pretty nervous that I wouldn't fit in or find people in my group that I really clicked with. On the day of our at-school abroad orientation, something really stuck out to me. At the end of the GW Programs specific orientation, the person leading the orientation said "Oh, and if you're a minority student or a woman you should probably look up how your host country treats those groups of people". I sat there astonished, not only that the possibility of my oppression (being both a woman and a person of color) was treated with such nonchalance, but that when I then took the time to look around the room, we were few and far between. That was when I realized that I, simply by existing and doing the things that I love and am passionate about, am revolutionary.
...continue reading "Being a Woman of Color Never Changes"

By bmnobles

One of my most memorable moments of my abroad life is the moment I realized I really can speak Spanish. I was sitting at a restaurant with my GW Madrid group in Barcelona and we had asked the waitor for pitchers of water. The waitor returned to our table with individual bottles of water for each of us. Things like this happened to  us a lot because Spaniards assumed that since we're American that 1) we have tons of money to just blow on random things and 2) that we wouldn't have the courage or the skills to correct him. ...continue reading "Reflection"

By bmnobles

While I think that my greater outlook on life has changed since coming to Madrid, I don't think that the way I identify myself has changed. If anything, my experiences here have solidified my ties to my identity. Now more than ever I feel myself clinging to my identities of color. We are currently in a time in America where being a black girl is like being part of an exclusive club filled with goddesses, and Native American people are becoming more visible than ever. Since being in Spain I've noticed that the struggle for visibility and equity is a constant one. We, as women of color, will probably get to take a break from these struggles in out lifetime.

...continue reading "Reflection"

By bmnobles

I think that it's important to start off this post by first saying that I define community as being a group of people. I don't personally consider community for myself to be a specific place or thing, but more the people I choose to surround myself. In terms of GW Madrid, there are only twelve of us, so I have personal relationships with each person in my program. However, there are certain relationships here that touch my heart with more significance than others. Friendship for me is an extremely deep connection that I have with another person, and below are some photos of a few of my new, wonderful friends. ...continue reading "Creating Community"

By bmnobles

I was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and lived in the same house my whole life. I was born to an Italian mother, and a black and Apache Native American father. Until studying abroad I had never defined myself as American. I call myself multi-racial and in the past referred to myself as bi-racial. When my parents got divorced my black and Apache family disowned me, thus I consider myself to be culturally Italian. However, I am visibly a person of color.

...continue reading "the puzzle of identity"