Near the genesis of this semester I unknowingly witnessed an impactful lesson on citizenship. Here’s scenario I saw in its original context: a black man holding fake purses—perhaps of Sub-Saharan African descent—gave some money to a hooded woman who was kneeling face down while extending a cup, humbling begging for spare change. Figuring it odd, in that moment I simply pushed the thought of the scenario aside.
Since that event, and after three months of studying citizenship theory, the Italian language and general life in Venice, I’ve learned quite a bit about this this grand city and country. Generally speaking, there is a huge immigration issue in locally and nationally. These concerns mainly surround African and Middle Eastern immigrants, all of which seem to be leaving their home countries in search for a better opportunity in Europe in order to make a decent living wage. Furthermore, it appears Italians are not explicitly for to the idea of foreign illegal immigration, evidenced by an October protest in Milan which saw thousands of Italians protesting against illegal immigration[1]. There is a clear frustration among Italians regarding the immigrant. Yet it must be noted: many of the illegal immigrants coming to Italy have little to no effective means to even obtaining legal immigrant status prior to entering the Italy’s borders due to various factors such as countrywide violence and war, extreme poverty or even governmental corruption. Furthermore, immigrants who do manage to make it across borders find it extraordinarily difficult to find work. Therefore selling counterfeit items as a means of survival becomes more evidently justifiable. In context, when I look a back at that past scenario today, the African purse seller giving money to hooded beggar, I can’t help but look at it in a completely differently light. I see moreover a man, one who is trying to survive in a city and country that openly reject him, give what little he had to another person, a woman who too is in survival mode. Their interaction revealed to me the two main examples of citizenship I will take away from my abroad experience: the danger of a single story and duties to others versus duties to self. They idea of open-mindedness is fundamental to the danger of a single story. Over the course of the semester I have learned that it takes willing effort and experience to avoid falling victim to accepting merely a single story as whole truth. Through my own willing effort to learn and interact with the Africans purse sellers I learned they were humans trying to make it in this cold world just like me. I learned these were men from diverse backgrounds through interacting with them. Although mostly from Senegal, several were from different parts of the enormous African continent. But because I first thought of these men as solely illegal purse sellers—effectively persons to avoid and condemn—I failed to see them as human beings with unique stories. Therefore because I had a single story in my mind initially about illegal sellers who were African, I was unable to fully comprehend the compatibility of a scenario in which an African purse seller proactively helped another human being in need. This ties in with the notion of duties to others versus duties to self because human beings should not be marginalized to a single story. We as fellow human beings must be able to see others as compatible of investing into the public sphere as citizens through their duties to others and duties to themselves. I learned through these African purse sellers that human beings feel an innate obligation to survive. This is their duty to themselves because jobs are limited and hard to find, meaning they must find a way to fulfill their basic human necessities: shelter, water and food. However, when a person takes the extended effort to fulfill his duties to others, practicing empathy and understanding, they in turn are contributing as citizens to the greater society. Through the African man who gave to the begging woman, I saw him fulfill his duties to others. I realize now the thorough conviction in my witness. It is because of that one small act that my perception of citizenship was impacted and now I plan to interaction with peer group at Wake Forest, when I get back home, through seeking to find more than a single story and emphasizing the importance of striking a balance between duties to self and duties to others. As I head home I plan to specifically approach my black peer group at Wake Forest with a bold challenge to avoid generalizations and seek finding solutions in the public sphere through interacting with all available parties. Because of their previous and personal life experiences, the effect of the Michael Brown case, and the various events that have taken place on campus this past fall semester, I’ve seen many of my black friends step into this dangerous place of embitterment. They are expressing their frustrating in unconstructive fashions, venting their anger but not willing to walk alongside all those seeking solutions—including white persons. This is the danger of a single story. Many of my black peers have been hurt by a few white people and are now grouping all white-skinned persons into a category labeled “racist and hate me.” I plan to be the voice that challenges my black peers to see the danger of that single story. Furthermore, I will reiterate our duties, as blacks, to others as well as ourselves. I will remind my black peers that we should fill a duty to stand up for ourselves and against injustice. In addition, I will also remind my peers that we have the duty to be patient with those who may not understand our own story and argument. I will challenge my peers to acknowledge that our duty to others is to education them and walk alongside them towards solutions and reconciliation. In essence, when I get home I will become like the African purse seller, who gave to the hooded beggar, by remembering the danger of a single story, seeking the right balance between voicing duty to others and duty to self and through making a bold statement through my words and actions in an attempt to produce reconciliation within the public sphere known as Wake Forest University. [1] Article link: http://rt.com/news/197180-italy-immigration-anti-racism-protest/
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