African Americans outside of the US will experience just as much racism as in the US; humans are humans. That being said, however, from my own observations as an avid traveler, race is regarded on a much different level in other countries, meaning, people are not as politically correct, not as educated on race, and, again, in my opinion, aren’t as malicious when using un-PC terms. There are countries that just don’t see a lot of minorities, so you will be regarded as something unique and interesting. Their behavior shouldn’t always be taken as racist.

For example, I was walking on a street in Santiago, Chile, when a bus full of 11 year-old boys drove by with all of them yelling out the windows, “Cheena! Cheena!” (Cheena – “china” in Spanish – meaning Chinese girl. I’m Asian American).

There was nothing evil, nothing mean-spirited in their tone; they said this while smiling and waiving. I didn’t take offense, and actually felt a bit like a celebrity!

It was certainly a more pleasurable experience than having a car full of Hispanic men drive by yelling to me “Chee ching chong” in a Wal-Mart parking lot. This seriously just happened a few weeks ago. In Connecticut.

Anyway, the point of my long note is, don’t let racism get in your way of traveling and seeing the world. The world wants to get to know you as much as you want to get to know it.

While I’m not black, I am brown, and I can say I’ve never experienced racism on the road. That includes Amsterdam and many other predominantly white cities/countries.

Racism does exist of course, but you’re unlikely to encounter it. Even less likely would be that it would endanger your safety.

As Lola pointed out, traveling is a great way to break other people’s stereotypes. Not only are we learning about foreign cultures to us, but we’re also teaching others about our own culture.

I definitely understand your fears. I was once there and I have experienced the gamut of emotions – from total acceptance to total rejection.

Though it may be hard to believe me, your experiences will actually be more positive than negative. Being different will naturally incite curiosity and people will want to know more about you and where you’re from.

You can then use those opportunities to share your own story and bust some stereotypes – http://www.women-on-the-road.com/stereotypes.html

Another excellent resource is http://www.blacktravels.com where you’ll get to meet a lot of travelers just like you, and you can learn from their unique experiences. Again, most of them positive.

The world is so beautiful and richly diverse. Don’t let the fear of the unknown limit you from exploring beyond your culture.

If you’d like to chat more about this, definitely email me at lola [at] matadornetwork [dot] com.

I am also the editor of Matador Goods – http://www.matadorgoods.com