Traveling is one of those things people associate with frivolity, however, sometimes it's a little hard to disassociate traveling with politics.
Even as an American citizen, it's a little hard not to be disturbed by what is happening right now. Recently, Newsweek reported Lewelyn Dixon, a green card holder who came over from the Philippines more than 5 decades ago, got detained by ICE, and that even U.S. citizens are getting racially profiled.
Some tourists are also getting caught in the fray: There have been accounts of Canadian and German tourists getting detained by ICE.
It is easy to duck our head in the sand, and say politics has no role in travel, but in reality, it couldn't be further from the truth.
Immigration and border policies literally affect the flow of going in and out of a country, and sometimes, actual war and conflict can prevent us exploring a culture in peace.
Traveling couldn't be more scary right now. (Earl Andre Roca / Pexels)
In my opinion, this is all around bad. Travel is not only a huge gateway to other cultures, but drives at least 9% of the U.S. GDP, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council.
How bad is it? At least five countries have issued cautionary language, including Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Denmark and Finland. (The last three countries have noted the U.S.' new policy for transgender travelers.)
For the record, as someone born here and has ethnic heritage, it is worth pointing out that at least 64% of the Asian population in the U.S. is naturalized (including many members of my family), while nearly 78% of Hispanic immigrants have been in the U.S. for over 10 years. (For the record, some Arabs like Persians do consider themselves Asian.)
Sadly, I do believe this wave of detainment will hit Asian and Latino communities the most.
Let's just say it, guys: Racial profiling is a real thing, and it often shows up at immigration borders. Even for me, as someone who was born in the U.S., and a Global Entry member, I have been detained and questioned about my intentions.
Ultimately, it's a sharp reminder that traveling is a privilege.
Not many people know I did not leave the U.S. for the first time until after I graduated from college (sans Baja California, and since I grew up in Southern California, that was like going to the next town!).
Even now, I'm constantly reminded what a privilege it is, since not only does it require discretionary money, it requires the fact that you must also be able to afford to leave your home unattended and not work for a couple of days. 1
If I was to go on a trip that costs roughly $2,000, it would also mean I can afford the $2,750 to leave my one-bedroom apartment in NYC unattended. That's a $4,750 expense!
People are what makes the U.S. great.(Sahil prajapati / Pexels)
The thing, though, that makes America great, is that it is literally a country that is made up of immigrants. The idea of America being the great melting pot-or a salad bowl, depending on the era-has actually been around since 1908 from Israel Zangwill's play of the same name. (That's 117 years, folks!)
I'm not sure about anybody else, but I definitely plan on continuing to celebrate that.
