Xenophobia: when we are all foreigners

This morning, while walking around the city in which I live, I saw two families that touched my heart and I started to think of how the fear (sometimes a bad feeling) against foreigners can create problems for us and, of course, for them as I am sure at least their children are not going to any school…

This blog is not a political platform; rather than that, I try to raise awareness.

It is not for a social awareness either, but self-awareness… because, you see, we are all foreigners.

Our civilization has becoming an expert on splitting us, humans, into different categories and the land in which we were born is one of them. By this reality, I am Brazilian, a foreigner living in Colombia.

But my relatives are not original from the green giant; I have at least German and Spanish roots. In a way, I am a foreigner in relation to the land I was born!

Besides, I am human; how many species have been displaced for me to be where I am right now? We are all foreigners in relation to them.

And so on! In whichever way anyone looks, we are foreigners living at a place we shouldn’t be… should we?

Let’s look from another perspective: as a human, I can help other species to thrive, I can help them to live longer or to have better health.

As a descendant, I see the influence of my ancestors’ people everywhere in Brazil: food, language, lifestyle, etc. The impact is profound; it has changed the profile of a Brazilian.

As an immigrant in Colombia, I have been serving these people for almost 30 years and I am sure, some impact was done…

In other words, we as foreigners, change our reality. As the foreigner you are, which type of impact have you created?

Expatriates: is this a new species?

Sometime ago, I wanted to promote a program with expatriates. With WHAT???

Yes, expatriates… And it is not a new word, it has been in use at least from the 18th century, but it has got a peak in its use in the last few years, simply because there are too many of us.

Yes, I am an expatriate…

And we are not, as some people understood, a person without a country (easy to get confused for those who speak Spanish or Portuguese). Neither are we part of a different species… We are people, OK, but a good comparison would be trees without fixed roots or free birds.

Expatriates go to another country because they have a job to do – an important difference in relation to an immigrant, who is moving to stay; after the job, the expatriate individual goes back to their country or to another one, but the immigrant will stay there until the end.

Why am talking about this? Because I feel it is a very important challenge the world in general is ignoring, with thousands of people roaming the planet without roots…

Our human society is a tree society since we are prepared from childhood to have a family, a stable job, settle somewhere, etc. Uprooted humans (a possible replacement for expatriate?) go against that general education.

And that is wonderful! As an expatriate, I feel I pollinate the world by taking experiences, points of view and values from one place to another, challenging the status quo and proposing changes to the environment where I live or go.

I thank every place for their kindness, lessons or the space to grow and although I am aware one day I may have to go from this place, I know that place will stay in my heart, in my awareness and as part of my personality.