Since taking a U.S. Government class at the age of 15, I’ve been fascinated by politics and the democratic system that runs our country. I remember being 16 and watching the McCain-Obama race unfold, mesmerized by both the show and the policy alike. I did research, watched debates, and cast a ballot in my first general election at the age of 20. I watched the numbers roll in late through the night as Obama was voted into his second term. I’ve indulged in political documentaries, movies, books, and television series based in fictional political worlds that grab your attention and refuse to let go.
Though in the past politics has merely been an interest or a form of entertainment for me, this current election has quickly surpassed entertaining and moved into heart palpitations, literal nightmares, and loss of words. I’ve had a unique privilege of observing everything that’s happened from overseas. Thanks to modern technology I’ve been able to stay in the loop of the goings on in the U.S., while living on the other side of the world where one would think it would be possible to escape the insanity.
{A New Perspective}
Moving to Korea last August gave me a fresh appreciation for the country and city in which I was raised. I became so proud of the diversity that I naively grew up in without noticing the cultures surrounding me. While Korea is a beautiful country, but it’s not exactly swimming with a mixture of races and cultures. It has actually become surprising to see someone of another race outside of the 16 foreign teachers that I work with. We all commented that we now find ourselves staring at any other foreigner who passes by. And hearing a bit of English, forget it. My head may as well spin off.
For months I was almost upset at Korea for being so undiverse. I held a small grudge against the hundreds of Korean restaurants I would pass without having a single Mexican restaurant for miles. Now,in the country’s defense, Seoul is actually much more diverse than outlying cities, however, living in the country’s third largest city with over 2.5 million residents, one would hope for more culture.
It wasn’t until a day out searching for hummus that I had a realization. Most countries are exactly like Korea. Made up of generally one race. Eating their versions of comfort food with an ethnic restaurant here and there. I thought back about my recent trip to Italy, had I seen a single Chinese restaurant in the time we were there? No. Had I seen anyone who wasn’t Italian that seemed like a resident? No. Plenty of tourists sure, but nobody who had the confidence of living in the county full-time. It was this day that I became eternally grateful for growing up just outside the city limits of Chicago. I called the city home for five years and couldn’t walk a block without seeing someone of a different culture, hearing a different language, or smelling food from a foreign restaurant. It is probably the thing that I miss most about home.
{The Election Overseas}
Witnessing previous elections from the States, I hadn’t realized the international attention that our elections draw and the effect they could have. That said, this is an unprecedented election with unprecedented media coverage.
I believe my first recognition of this election’s impact overseas was in early June as it was becoming clearer that Trump could very realistically become the Republican nominee. Before June I had been having conversations between teachers at school all from the U.S. or Canada which didn’t seem like much of a political reach. It wasn’t until a night in June when we were out grabbing a drink after work at a local bar.
It was a crowded Friday night and some Koreans asked to join our table. We of course said yes and welcomed some new acquaintances and conversations. Though their English was limited and our Korean was nearly nonexistent, it took less than five minutes for the obligatory where are you from conversation to occur.
Upon hearing two of us were from the U.S. the next conversation was of course about Trump, his crazy ideas, his insults, and us trying to convince these people that not all Americans share his ideas. That we didn’t personally know anyone voting for him. At that time we could almost still laugh about it with a hope that it wouldn’t really happen.
And then it did.
Over six months later his actions, present and past, continue to make headlines both back home and overseas. After each debate I found myself at school the next day in conversations with Canadians feeling sorry about the representation our country was getting.
As I’ve traveled over the past few months Trump and his actions seem impossible to escape. A cab driver in Jeju Island, who spoke maybe 40 words of English, somehow couldn’t communicate the words beach or swimming with us, yet made the effort to communicate “Trump-crazy”.
In Vietnam this September, I overheard people at the table next to me discussing the election at breakfast. They seemed to be a mix of Canadians and native Vietnamese citizens expressing their concerns for the American’s who would be voting in the upcoming months.
Most recently, in Hong Kong, on our train ride from the airport into the city, the television was showing a news program reporting something in Chinese which had Trump’s name and face front and center.
Ironically, as I turn around in the café where I’m currently writing this post, the man next to me is reading an article on Trump right now. Trump’s words and ideas of foreign policy are making headlines and table conversation worldwide. Including the most eye-opening moment that happened in school a few weeks ago.
There is a class of students that I had the pleasure of teaching for a year. They are sweet, thoughtful, and brilliant. They are far smarter than I am, and they are just about to finish fifth grade.
After a friend of mine, their current teacher, ended her class with them, she reported to me that they spent the first 15 minutes discussing the presidential election happening half a world away in the United States. She told me that they were expressing their ideas on his foreign policy. That they didn’t want him to win because of his views on having American soldiers in South Korea or his welcoming comments this summer towards North Korean dictator, Kim Jong Un.
Every day I taught these students someone said something that made me in awe, but this surprised me the most. The fact that they have opinions and chose to use free time in class to discuss them gave me so much perspective as to how much this election is going to affect not only our nation, but the entire world. It also gave an entirely new meaning to the phrase, “Are you smarter than a fifth grader?”
{Ready to Vote}
The countdown to the election can now be measured in hours. Millions of people have cast their ballots early and votes are currently being counted. As the numbers are tallied I find myself growing more worried each day as the margins shrink. I’ve done my part voting from overseas, and now I simply have to hold my breath and wait. Hoping that the country I left will remain the welcoming and diverse country I return to next year.
I’ve discussed, I’ve prayed, and most importantly, I’ve voted. I’ve filled in a ballot, coloring in a bubble for a woman whom I believe cares for people of all races, nationalities, religions, and genders. For a woman whom I believe will lead the country the continue to be respected by nations overseas. For a woman whom I believe will maintain our country’s greatness as a land where all are welcome. For a woman whom I hope will continue her legacy and forever be remembered as the first female president of the United States of America. And I could not be prouder to have done so.
I’m with her.
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The idea of writing this post seems so strange. While I flew out of Incheon airport one week ago, it still doesn’t feel real that I won’t be going right back. At this time last Thursday, I was wrapping up my final classes, grading end of semester tests, and finishing my last report cards painfully trying to ignore the fact that I would be leaving in less than 24 hours.
bbm travels 