Home is part of our identity, but what happens when we no longer live there? Many years ago, one of my writing professors in college told me that in order to write about my home region of the southern US, I would have to leave it. The same could be said about the United States as a whole, or anywhere, really. This edition of American, Etc. will explore what I’m calling expatriotism—a portmanteau of the words expatriate, someone who lives away from their home country and patriot, a person who loves their country. Distance has a way of changing your perspective about something you are familiar with. This change can lead you to question things you have been taught, dismiss older attitudes, or give you a greater appreciation for your home; sometimes all three happen.
   Daejeon is a truly international city. With KAIST’s numerous foreign students and faculty, along with English teachers of one stripe or another, and various other workers from other countries, Daejeon is a diverse community. I have met people from all over the world living in Daejeon, whom I may never have otherwise met had I never lived here. Coming into contact with people such a wide range of backgrounds can broaden your horizons (meaning to increase your understanding of what’s possible in the world) because you can learn from them. You can also encounter people who will be prejudiced against you for you are.
   “Oh you’re a southerner,” the British man said to me, noting my accent. “Been to a NASCAR race recently? Found a church yet? Jamming on some country music? Beat up any black people recently? I bet you voted for George W. Bush. How’s your war going?” This man did not know me, but in our brief encounter he presumed several things about me: that I enjoyed stockcar racing, that I was politically conservative, that I was religious, that I was racist, that I supported America’s wars abroad, and that I liked country music. In truth, only one of those things about me was correct, and the rest of it was totally inaccurate to my life. No one likes experiencing prejudice, even when it’s the small kind you find in regular conversation with people. The truth was that this British man didn’t yet see me as a person; rather, he saw me as a symbol. To him, I was a White Southern American, and with that came many expectations that he had come to know about, probably more from television and pop culture than from actual experience. To him, I must like country music, I must be conservative, I must be religious, I must be racist, I must have voted for George W. Bush, I must be pro-war…because those are things that White Southern Americans supposedly are and do.
   These are stereotypes, of course, and stereotypes are the shorthand ways that our brains compartmentalize other people into mental boxes. Sometimes the stereotypes are “good”—for example, “Asian people are studious”; others are simply wrong—for example, “Black people are criminals.” Some stereotypes have their roots in truth, but often times they are inaccurate and can be hurtful to people, whether they are perceived to be “positive” stereotypes or not. Even though this was a small incident, it was angering to me that someone would judge me based not on who I was, but of who this person assumed I was.Dealing with assumptions and prejudice can be a part of anyone’s experiences, both at home and abroad.
   I bring up the story of the British man who insulted me in order to highlight something I learned from it and other small, less hostile moments interacting with non-Americans: the world is always watching the US. I knew this, perhaps too abstractly, before I arrived in South Korea to begin my time as an English professor. However, it is one thing to know something in the abstract, and it is another thing to experience it first hand. As of this writing, the country I’m from has shut down its own government because of intense political fighting. It’s too long and boring to get into the reasons why, but suffice it to say, when America’s government shuts down, it is big international news. In fact, many things America does are big international news stories. This is something that many Americans may not be as aware of as they should be. When they become aware of it, it tends to change the way they see America because they realize their view of it is from the inside can be drastically different from the view on the outside (meaning non-American experiences of America). Those outside views might be inaccurate (for example: “Americans love war”), but they might nonetheless be telling: those views rarely come from nowhere and there are almost always reasons why people think the way they do. Living around people who are not from your culture can broaden your horizons because they expose you not only to their own cultures and viewpoints, but you can also see your own culture reflected in theirs.
   When you encounter views of your home that are contrary to yours, you may end up continuing to disagree, but it also may modify or alter your perspective. Our first instinct when our country or culture is questioned, criticized, or attacked is to defend it. Most people are proud of who they are and where they came from. An open mind, however, is crucial to learning. If you truly examine and question the things about your life, it is possible to change the way you think and feel, possibly for the better.
   Living at home can breed insularity, the feeling of isolation from the views and experiences of others. It is a kind of ignorance. It is certainly possible to widen your experience of humanity from home—living in big cities with diverse populations can help, but the Internet alone allows for much more exchange of ideas than was once possible. However, living far from your home and culture, even if just for a year or two, gives you a deeper appreciation and understanding of other cultures and ultimately your own. Some foreigners come to a new country and experience intense culture shock, the feeling of alienation from your new environment. Many foreigners here in Korea adapt and enjoy the experience, while some cannot wait to return to their home countries.
   What does it really mean to live abroad and how can it change you? Can you be an expatriote? I can really only know how it has changed me. Watching America from far away, seeing how non-Americans perceive America, and having my own time to think has definitely colored and shaped my views. To be a patriot is to love your country, sometimes thoughtlessly. That kind of thoughtless patriotism is easier for those who live in an insular environment and it is much harder to maintain that when you expose yourself to other views and cultures. Traveling and living abroad can lead you to have a more nuanced view of your self, your country, your culture, and your home. You may find while living abroad that there are more things you would change about your home than you realized, as well as recalling fondly the things you will always cherish.

By Prof. Matthew Ross / Dept. of English Language and Literature