Having grown up in the middle class as a white female in a predominantly white southern Oregon town, I have never really known racism or discrimination based on my personal skin color. Most whites in America would likely say the same. And while I can still not say I am able to rightfully identify with those minorities who have, I now know a bit of how being a minority can feel through my experiences in Ghana.
Everywhere I went, heads would turn; people were curious to see why a white person like me was in their country, and some had likely not seen someone with skin like mine before. (Not only am I white, but my pale skin is littered with freckles).
I learned that being white meant a lot of things to Ghanaians. Many of these stereotypes I did not fit but knowing their limited knowledge of my background and where I came from, I understood their reasonings behind it. However, there were still several instances that made me uncomfortable.
My colleagues Taylor, Kelly, Clare and I all took an Uber out to dinner. The driver’s kind demeanor developed into an overfriendly, awkward, and inappropriate conversation. Out of the blue, he mentioned his desire to “have half-caste babies with someone in the car”. Thinking he was joking, we initially laughed it off until his comment turned into his attempt to persuade us into giving him partially white babies. When asking if he had a wife who knew he was asking us this, he commented, “Yes, and four children. But I want a white one because they are better!” This disgusted me. Although the situation seemed awkward and funny at the time, it went against everything we are taught about race and equality in America, especially to hear those inappropriate comments coming from a Ghanaian man himself.
When I was interning with Net 2 TV, I went on an assignment to a children’s school graduation. It was a fun setting and my job was relaxed as I just was to follow the camera man and be prepared to write a summarized story at the end. However, halfway through the ceremony the owner of the school came over to my camera man and asked him something in Twi. Her body language showed it involved me. In broken English it was then translated that they wanted me to present the graduating students their diplomas and gifts. What?? I asked “why me”, and they simply responded, “Because you’re white”. I was immediately so uncomfortable with the situation that I had to continue questioning it. They continued to say that I was white and therefore was like a celebrity with a lot of money and it would mean so much to the kids if I did it. I had never been in such an ethical dilemma as this, and I found myself full of anger and guilt. Their words inaccurately described me and went along with the ideas of white supremacy that people have so strongly tried to break down.
Other situations involved strangers touching our skin to see what it felt like, getting flipped off by locals and their children as we drove by in our bus, and being harassed about marriage and a ticket back into the US. While these were all very typical things to experience, it was a challenge nonetheless. I cannot say that I have experienced true complete racism, but it was my first time being exposed to these ideas firsthand and it was challenging to take it with a grain of salt. However, being in a different culture and knowing the differences we did have I was able to learn and grow from these experiences and hope to be more culturally aware in any ways I was not prior to these happenings.
