How That One Time I Was Texan Helped Me Plan a Volunteering Trip

I had been studying in America for a couple of months when somebody asked me where I was from since I apparently had an adorable accent. I get this kind of comments and questions all the time, so I didn’t hesitate to respond that I am an international student from Venezuela. I understand that sometimes my English breaks and what I say can be misunderstood. But I have been fluent in English for more than 12 years and the phrase “I am an international student from Venezuela” is not that complicated. This person replied, “How cool! Is Venezuela in Texas?” To which I sassily responded, “No, honey. Texas is IN your country. I am from ANOTHER country.”

I started thinking about my friends and classmates who are also international students. I thought about the stories they have told me about the time someone laughed at the way they said the word “fish,” when somebody ask if what they saw in a movie about Colombia is true, or when someone told them “WTF is Kazakhstan?”  I was angry. I understand that it is impossible to know every single country, but I was shocked at the confusion particularly after I mentioned that I was an international student.

After the anger watered down, I realized that it wasn’t neither this person’s fault nor mine. I decided to stop judging and start educating. Since then I have become very open to questions about my home country. I answer them wholeheartedly, but I am never afraid to tell people the truth about the political situation of my country and I am not afraid to present the facts to those that make fun of me for being Venezuelan.

 In many opportunities, my friends who are also international students have told me about their experiences. Many of them come to me very angry and frustrated. I then ask them, “What did you do?” I encourage them to think about the fact that getting angry won’t solve the problem, patiently explaining the situation will. I always tell them that, as international students, they are ambassadors of their countries. Whatever they say or do, will be associated to their countries. As a Venezuelan Ambassador, I decided to teach and help others to understand my culture better.

There will always be things that upset you, these things happen for a reason. The next step is up to you. I want people to know about the great things my country has. However, my country is not the only one with a great culture and people. Being part of the Global UCF program has allowed me to make friends from all over the world and learn about their cultures. The opportunity to lead an Alternative Break trip with this amazing group of people came to me when I least expected it. I discovered quickly that this was a chance to keep on educating. Together we can help alleviate an issue that affects us all by bringing cultural awareness. We are going to teach about our cultures in two schools and help multicultural families in need. I believe we will create a great impact because there is nothing we are more passionate about than our culture and our curiosity for others. We simply can’t wait to go to Washington D.C to teach about our countries and to learn more about this country that has welcomed us all as students.  I never thought that being confused for a Texan could lead to anything, but it gave me the greatest idea to create change and help others.