American exchange student leaves Europe angered that no one is interested in the colour of her skin
A 26-year-old US-American woman spent eight months trying to integrate in Europe. But nobody understood that she wanted to be perceived as a young, black woman.
In the USA, she is constantly asked about her ethnicity, says 26-year-old project manager Nadia Crevecoeur. She has to state her ethnicity on government forms. When people see her skin colour, they ask about her roots. But during her eight-month stay in Europe, people showed no interest in her ethnicity. On the contrary.
"People said: 'Why do you always bring up your origins?' Your parents are Haitian, so you are Haitian!", Nadia told Business Insider. The fact that she doesn't feel like a Haitian, a typical US-American or a typical European - but a Black woman - didn't interest anyone.
"People [in Europe] were just very confused about my identity," said Nadia. "In the US, I'm not just a woman, I'm a Black woman! That's an important part of how I see myself in this world!"
As someone who grew up "with a strong understanding" of her identity, she was "surprised and exhausted" by the indifference of Europeans. She felt "being windedup" and therefore left Europe.
www.bbc.com
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