One of the biggest things we looked forward to with our move to China is our ability to travel!  We can travel to different countries like hopping to different states in the US.  So, with the kids having 2 weeks off for Chinese New Year, we headed out for a little R&R – we chose Singapore and Vietnam for our first trip.

Both trips were fantastic, for different reasons.  Recapping them would be a post by themselves – check out a few pictures from our adventure on the picture page.  But these trips, along with the events over the last few weeks in the US, reminded me of the first line one of my favorite poems, I Too Sing America.

Let me explain.

When we travel around Asia, we are usually the only African or African-American faces that we see.  Ever.  Surprisingly, there are quite a few African faces, primarily from West Africa, here in Guangzhou.  But, outside of Guangzhou, I usually only need one hand to count the number of Black faces I see in a day.  While we were in Vietnam, I only needed one hand for the entire week, and I counted my family first.

Given that I encountered only a handful of Black faces during our trip, you can imagine the looks of surprise when the local people, especially in Vietnam, saw not one, but four smiling Black faces walking around on a tour.  Many individuals in these countries have never seen a Black person, in person. Ever.

The folks who’ve never seen a Black person are easy to spot.  Some simply stare at us and hold their gaze a bit too long.  The “they think they’re slick” folks are all of a sudden taking selfies right in front of us.  The brave folks use their best English to ask us if we’d mind taking a picture with them; who knows where our pictures are floating around right now.

I actually expected this reaction.   Rob has travelled to Asia enough times for me to understand that our mere presence can be a bit like seeing a purple unicorn.  And, I guess if I saw a purple unicorn, in person, going on a tour of Halong Bay, I might ask it for a picture, just as proof for my friends and family.  I try to give the curiosity seekers the benefit of the doubt, even as I get frustrated with being the center of their unwanted attention.

What surprised me even more, though, was the look of complete shock when we told some of the English-speakers that we were from the US.  For the curious onlookers, it was enough to see a Black person, but one from the US ?  That was dinner conversation for them I’m sure.  One individual in particular, assumed that we must be from South Africa.  Not only were we Black, but we were from the US, she just couldn’t believe it.

But no, we’d kindly tell them.  We are from the US.  Our ancestors from Africa, yes.  But we, our children, our parents, our grandparents, great grandparents, all born in the US.

These encounters hit me hard this week.  Not only  was it important for me to be patient and become an ambassador to the folks in Vietnam, but I also had to remind myself, my kids, and all the Brown and Black faces who aren’t feeling like we belong in the US or that the US belongs to us, that we are US citizens.  For all of us,  “We” Too Sing America.

Here’s the poem, so you can reflect too:)

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