An Email About Racism

Three or two weeks ago I started my classes in Modern Languages Center of Universidad de Granada. It has a long name , but dont get fooled , its just an institute where people learn languages , mainly Spanish to foreigners , and some languages for Spanish natives.

Last year I wanted to enroll in the center but I could not because I got a high level in the level exam and therefor my scholarship did not accept paying for my course. This year I just paid it myself and there I am in one of the places that I mostly hate in this world.

Why?

Because when I first arrived in Spain, I was still a simple unexperienced country girl infront of a whole different world ,,,, But most of all I was ''realizing'' the fact that I am an Arab and a Muslim girl , I have not had realized that by then , I thought that people are beyond those stupid ideas , but being in Modern Languages Center for the first time I realized that everybody (well almost everybody) was staring at me and my other friend who wears Hijab. You know that type of staring without blinking and without worrying that I would notice them?!! I cant describe how impolite and hurtful that was , and ever since I entered the center I felt like entering the concentration site of racism.

Later on , with my experiences and the experiences of my other friends I took racism as a fact and I just deal with it , but today my two friends received this email from there teacher and I was o happy to read those amazing lines. When a person understands that you are just ''different'' and does not demand you to be just like him to be ''ok'' .

I am so thankful to Isabel for her explanation , her open mind and I hope that someday this planet would be spacious enough so everybody would easily fit.

Hola chicas, aprovecho que tengo vuestra dirección electrónica para escribiros (¡ojalá no os moleste! Ya sé que me disteis para ver si podía buscaros un intercambio). Me gustaría también escribir a Siham y a Zaid, pero no tengo sus direcciones. Quizá vosotras podáis transmitirles este mensaje.

Es por la clase de ayer, con tantos errores sobre la cultura árabe. Como dije en clase, la información procede de la página de internet referenciada, y yo, en mi ignorancia, la di por buena. Es una bendición tener en clase nativos de esta cultura para deshacer los errores que circulan por internet y que damos por válidos.

Quería daros las gracias, y comunicaros que ya he corregido esos errores para futuras clases.

Quería también deciros que me gustaría, en la clase del próximo martes, que hicierais aportaciones interesantes sobre rasgos culturales jordanos, sirios, marroquíes, que sin duda serán interesantes para todos. Yo, personalmente, tengo mucho interés en descubrir y aprender.

Muchas gracias,

Isabel

Tenemos mucha suerte de que en el grupo haga gente tan diversa. Me fascina, por ejemplo, la presencia de una islandesa o de un brasileño... Me gusta ver vuestro pañuelo, junto a las rastas de Jules, etc. En un mundo tan globalizado, la diversidad es casi un milagro.