Blog Post #1: Cultural Sensitivity - CP

My experience in Zambia so far has been an amazing and interesting ride. In one of the first nights in Lusaka, I was sitting with my cohort outside in the Arcades mall near the hotel we were staying to register for sim cards at the local Airtel store. It was maybe around 9pm and very dark outside – I remember being severely jetlagged and eager to just pass out on the bed when I get back to the lodge. That was when we encountered a local friendly drunk named Kelvin. He was going around shaking everyone’s hands, laughing, and hugging anyone he could, all the while trying to guess people’s names based on their race and appearance. He pointed directly at me and proclaimed, “Kim from North Korea”. I guess it was especially relevant considering the U.S – North Korea summit in Singapore the following week.

In one of our pre-departure classes, we talked a lot about different aspects of our identities and how certain aspects might become more salient when we change our environments. I never expected my Asian identity to become so salient while in-country. This was especially evident in one of our conversations with our host mom, auntie Sharon. Throughout our trip, we were aware that Zambians often refer to foreigners, more specifically Caucasian foreigners, as “muzungus”. However, Zambians also have words that refer to other races that are present, most prominent are populations of Indians and Chinese, in Zambia. People of Indian descent are sometimes called “munyes”, while people of Asian descent, because there is a significant Chinese population in Zambia, are sometimes called “Chinamen”. Of course, these are informal terms that aren’t used by everyone in Lusaka – my co-worker at CCZ, Joseph, had never heard of these terms before. It is clear, however, that how Zambians view other cultures is profoundly impacted by the world around them.

I couldn’t help but notice the similarities between Zambia and Vietnam. Apart from the community way of life or replacing rice with nshima to accompany every meal, both countries don’t really have much diversity apart from different ethnic identities within the country, certainly not to the level of the U.S. In Vietnam, conversations concerning people from a different country, race, ethnicity, is full of stereotypes and generalizations. This is perhaps due to a lack of exposure to these different identities, as such perceptions of those identities are limited to stereotypical portrayals in the media or in entertainment. Growing up in Vietnam, I’m no stranger to perhaps culturally insensitive comments or jokes about different identities, but this is the first time I’ve been on the receiving end of one.

However, I don’t think the comments directed at me have come with any malicious intent. When Kelvin called me Kim, he was just having some fun and trying to make some new muzungu friends. When our host dad, Mr. Wam, jokes about Asians or Vietnam, I know it comes from a place of care and levity – Mr. Wam loves to be ridiculous. Lusaka has been nothing but welcoming to me ever since I arrived. I firmly believe that Zambians are some of the most welcoming and friendly people in the world. I’ve never been to anywhere else where you can say good morning to anyone on the street and they would always smile and say good morning back. What these comments have taught me is to be more open-minded to new cultures and different values, but also to be more aware and properly examine and reflect on my experiences. I’m excited for what the remainder of the trip and Zambia still has in store for me!