It has been about nine months since I have moved to Ethiopia. There were certainly things I have had to adjust to but, the one thing I have not gotten used to is the white privilege I’m confronted with all too frequently. As a diaspora Ethiopian, I am deeply familiar with this narrative. At home in Canada, the concept of white privilege is beginning to be acknowledged and understood. And while I do think that my Ethiopian counterparts are certainly aware of what I am talking about, it isn’t really the norm to call it out here. The very idea of calling out is definitively not a part of Ethiopian culture. Politeness is taken very seriously, so I understand why people hesitate to speak up. But even more so, people are simply unaware of how problematic some behavior can be—and to be honest they don’t have to be. When you’re a foreigner living in or touring Africa, you have to come with the mindset of unlearning. Whatever your homeland has taught you about Africa, erase it.
Based on different interactions I have had with white foreigners visiting the country my parents once called home, I have identified some starting points where the practice of unlearning can begin.
Stop complaining about how “backwards” things are.
I get it. Things don’t operate as conveniently as you want or are used to. However, please do not talk about how advanced other countries are in regards to the internet, infrastructure, and electricity. Yes, we know South Africa and Kenya have legit internet, but they also have different phone companies that offer competitive rates, similar to what we have in the west. In Ethiopia, there’s only one. And I get that Cape Town has more paved roads and may seem more comparable to Europe, but we also have to acknowledge that colonial history and the presence of Europeans has a lot to do with that.
There is always room for improvement, but we need to accept the fact that every society moves at their own pace. Europeans may have brought modernity to the African nations they landed in, but they have appropriated as well.
Know who you are in this world
I’ve noticed that foreigners are very unaware of their privilege in Ethiopia. I myself have privilege but I am certainly aware of it. It shocks me when I hear white people complain about things here, considering that it was their choice to come and be here in the first place. There is a privilege you have as an expat. Shoot! Even the term expat applying to you is a privilege. Let me explain; there is a huge expat community here in Addis. That’s all good but let's look at it this way, if I were to go back as to Canada, I am viewed as an immigrant even though I am a born and raised Canadian. In a 2015 Guardian article titled “Why are white people expats when the rest of us are immigrants? Mawuna Remarque Koutonin editor, of SiliconAfrica.com, put it like this,
“Most white people deny that they enjoy the privileges of a racist system. And why not? But our responsibility is to point out and to deny them these privileges, directly related to an outdated supremacist ideology. If you see those “expats” in Africa, call them immigrants like everyone else. If that hurts their white superiority, they can jump in the air and stay there. The political deconstruction of this outdated worldview must continue.”
Food will be different. Be respectful.
After a night of clubbing, my best friend and I decided to grub on some kebabs and watch movies in his living room. Not to our surprise, his roommate (a cisgendered, white, male) coincidentally decided to come and say hi as soon he heard our food wrappers. As we continued eating, this man proceeded to talk about all the cool places he’s traveled to. All was fine until he started complaining about Thai food in Thailand.
What?
He was unhappy with the lack of “North American” food options. I sarcastically asked, “so you probably weren’t a fan of Japanese food in Japan?” To my dismay, he said, “Yes! It wasn't very good but I had some good Indian food there”. I was too tired and too drunk to fully check this guy but I wasn’t surprised. This is a common attitude here. People complain about the lack of Western or European options but here’s a shocking fact: you are not living in a western country.
As someone who has cultural ties to both Ethiopia and the western world, I understand the frustration people can feel when they come to a foreign country. But at some point, the complaining gets old. What spared me from a lot of stress when I moved here, was lowering my expectations. This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t have standards, but expectations often lead to disappointment. I am tired of white travelers not acknowledging their privilege. By comparing societies based on a Eurocentric perspective of modernity, we reinforce the problematic concepts behind Samuel Huntington’s, “Clash of Civilizations”. By homogenizing cultures and societies under a Eurocentric lens, it creates this sense of comparison, that one is “better” than the other. There isn’t a society that is completely perfect, and I am not saying that there aren’t people who are not changing the status quo; however, I think if you are a person of privilege traveling, be aware of how you are coming across.
If you do find yourself traveling to Africa, embrace the fact you’re there to experience a different culture. Don’t miss out on the amazing opportunities for growth and learning by sweating the small stuff.
