03
Editor's
Note
Black Americans Living Abroad was created out of a need for me to network with Americans whose expat experience paralleled mine. As I combed the web, I realized that many of the experiences were from a White American perspective. Not only that, there were many travelers, but few expats. While I appreciated reading their adventures, I realized their encounters were very different from mine because of our ethnic and racial differences.
When I initially moved abroad, I labeled myself African American which confused most people. They would ask what African country my mother and father were from. Even when I stopped using African American, they would still ask, “No, but where are you REALLY from? Where are your parents and grandparents from?” It was interesting that people wanted to negate my American heritage and replace it with some cultural idea they had of me. At times, I felt personally insulted because it seemed no one knew or recognized the huge sacrifices of my ancestors.
We needed a forum that focused on our perspective. I thank EVERY member, specifically our expatriates and repatriates who have built this community. Over the years we have expanded from having members in one specific region to those in various countries. At this point, we have BALA members from 99 different countries. Most serve as resources who answer questions about their regions to help others research and decide whether they’d like to take the leap of faith and relocate abroad. As we continue to grow, we will expand our services. Expect more from us this year.
In this, our first magazine issue, we wanted to focus on Black men abroad. They are the numerical minority in our group and our goal is to encourage and support them in their lives abroad as fathers, husbands, students, etc. We’d also like for our young members to know that life abroad, whether temporary or permanent, is possible for them.
I hope you enjoy this first issue of many. It has been a labor of love. I thank all of you who supported me in this effort and the team of individuals who volunteered to assist. I thank God and I am excited to see where HE will take us in the future.
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