Sitting here at the airport is making me reflect a lot on work and on recent immigration and travel policies. Traveling is often a transformative experience for people; a way to push past comfort zones, understand how other people around the world carry their daily routines, witness grand historic remnants that moved the world, and grow our souls in a unique and enriching way. There is high value in intercultural and international experiences, as well as important nuances about how to approach it in a mindful manner.
But traveling is also a privilege–an experience often foregone due to financial, social, or political barriers. I remain humbled by the scholarships and support I had back in college to study abroad, giving me that first step to travel alone and grow in ways I did not know I needed. I am also humbled to have the resources and ability to travel at this time.
And I think about recent travel bans and the implications of creating unwelcoming borders; about mongering fear and increasing hostility to our Black, Brown and Muslim communities; about sending the signal that the greater international community is not welcome because America must be first; about families no longer able to see their loved ones; about daring collaborative international research projects postponed indefinitely; about labeling people as threats instead of listening to their stories.
We live in an exciting and increasingly globalized world, and we cannot let fear and prejudice stop progress. We cannot let hate define America. We cannot allow our borders to become synonymous with hostility. When we close the door, we lose opportunity. We should love thyself, but we must also love thy neighbor. When we love, we grow; when we listen, we learn.
I’ll be gone for a week in Europe to recharge, but when I return, I’ll be there to stand up and fight back.