Who Studies Abroad?

“There’s absolutely no way that I am going to study abroad. It’s just not for me” I said to my friends as they discussed the possibility of spending an entire semester in another country. If you would have told freshmen me (I thought I knew it all) that I was going to spend a semester going to school in Spain, I would have told you that you were absolutely crazy. I had this idea that studying abroad wasn’t what I was supposed to do. I never knew anyone in my immediate family or friend group who had ever studied abroad, so the opportunity just wasn’t on my radar. Despite my freshman year skepticism, today I can look back at the semester I spent studying abroad as one of the best decisions I’ve made during my entire undergraduate experience.

Those who advocate for studying abroad usually point out benefits such as learning a new language, immersing yourself in a new culture, cheaper tuition, beefing up your resume, and becoming more independent. Although all of those things are actual benefits to studying abroad, I found the experience to be far more rewarding that just those things. I made unforgettable memories and had the opportunity to learn new things about myself. I found new interests, made life-long friendships, and gained insight into various different cultures first-hand. My study abroad experience was invaluable.

Unfortunately, even though I have such an amazing study abroad story, most students of color in the United States do not. According to a study done by the University of Denver, students of color are underrepresented in study abroad participation. The study found that, “The typical study abroad participant is White, female, middle to upper middle class, and majoring in the humanities, social sciences, or business.” The underrepresentation of student of color was quite apparent in my own study abroad group. In a group on nearly forty students, I recall that there were less than ten students of color from LMU on the trip. According to the Institute of International Education, only five percent of those in the U.S who travel internationally during college are African-American. An article in the Atlantic titled “What’s Keeping Black Students From Studying Abroad?” reported that, “The grim reality of this 5-percent problem is that it also excludes African-Americans from gaining some important perspectives.” The article went on to describe the ways in which losing out on cultural interaction abroad could also potentially mean losing out on job opportunities and other benefits.

The fact that students of color are underrepresented in study abroad programs is clearly a problem, but there are efforts being made to try to affect some type of change. Many students of color may have similar mind sets to mine as a freshman in college. Feeling as if studying abroad is not your path, simply because those around you did not go down that path. To combat this type of thinking, an African-American woman named Kenya Casey who works with the Institute of International Education authored a book titled, “"You Too! Can Study Abroad: Guide for Ethnically and Racially Underrepresented Students.” The book aims to some of the barriers and misconceptions that students of color may face when considering studying abroad. I think it is very important that efforts are being made to increase representation in study abroad programs. I have tried to contribute to these efforts by sharing my own story and encouraging minorities at LMU to take a chance and study abroad.