An Asian in Albania

As an Asian in Albania, I’ve had to learn how to deal with unwanted attention. I share three stories of truly overwhelming days, but for the most part I’ve learned to accept the extra stares as a part of everyday life here in my new home.

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One of the things that’s been most difficult for me to adjust to in Albania has been the extra attention that comes with being a racial minority in a very homogeneous society.

I took my ability to blend in for granted when I was in China, and now I’m experiencing a brand new culture from the perspective of an obvious fish out of water.

UNWANTED ATTENTION

In my time here in Albania, I feel like I’ve been through it all:

• People randomly saying hello to me in Chinese or Japanese
• People whispering “China” or “Kineze” (which means Chinese) behind my back or saying it directly to my face to try and get my attention
• People saying “ching chong” as I walk by (which has only happened once)
• People asking me about my origins or where I’m really from (even after I tell them I’m American)
• People pulling back their eyes to make them more slanted when describing something about Asia or China
• People telling me that my eyes are beautiful
• People reacting positively to my background because China and Albania used to be friends
• People asking if I will be in their picture or trying to sneakily include me in their selfies
• Groups of children following me around
• Extra stares on the street
• Extra catcalling

Still I’m able to shrug off the majority of unwanted attention because I know that the comments and staring because I know that this unwanted attention doesn’t come from a place of malice.

From 1946 to 1992, Albania was ruled by the People’s Socialist Republic of Albania. The country was largely closed off from the outside world, and “travel and visa restrictions made Albania one of the most difficult countries to visit or to travel from.¹”

After 50 years of isolation, foreigners still receive a great deal of attention.

As a result of these almost 50 years of isolation, foreigners still receive a great deal of attention, especially in rural areas of the country. Albania is a relatively homogeneous society, and minorities make up only 2 percent of the total population.²

So when I travel around the country, people are understandably curious about me and where I came from. My experience in Albania is actually really similar to my Caucasian friends’ experiences in China. I’m instantly recognized as a foreigner, treated with curiosity and (more often than not) respect, and assumed to be a tourist. 

I’ve noticed that the amount of attention that I’ve received varies from place to place in different areas of the country.

Now that I’m in my permanent site, the amount of unwanted attention I receive has really decreased. But when I was in Librazhd, it was to the point where I couldn’t even go to the bathroom in the school without hearing “Kineze” in the halls.

The amount of attention that I’ve received varies from place to place in different areas of the country.

With that said, none of the attention has been hostile, and in fact a fair amount of it has been positive. People have come up to me and praised me for my Asian looks or Asian eyes, which is a different problem but at least they meant well.

The attention is something that you never quite get used to, and I definitely still feel like a fish in a fishbowl here in my community. As the only Asian in a small town, I stand out.

ADJUSTMENT AND COPING

When that extra attention rains, it truly pours. I don’t want to sugarcoat my experiences, so I’ll freely admit that at times I felt really down and discouraged, and I doubted whether or not I’d ever truly fit in to this new culture.

I relied on my support network to find the silver lining in every cloud.

In those instances, I relied on my support network of trainees, family, and friends back home to find the silver lining in every cloud. For me coping is all about finding the right method for my mood and patience levels for the day. There will be times where I’ll want to address the name-calling head on and other days when I’ll just ignore the extra attention.

Check out my full post about self-care in the Peace Corps here. 

But here’s a caveat: My experiences aren’t the experiences of every Asian here in Albania or every minority volunteer in the Peace Corps. Everyone has their own perspectives, and they’re all valid! Check out some of the other volunteer blogs on this same topic at the end of this blog post.

MEMORABLE MOMENTS FROM PST

With that said, here’s a few examples of some of my more uncomfortable moments during PST:

Wednesday, April 12, 2017, 9:46pm

It’s been a long, long day. We had a full morning and afternoon of sessions at Hub, and when I finally arrived home in Librazhd I was exhausted.

But for whatever reason (an attitude of saying yes to everything, I guess) I agreed to go out for a xhiro (stroll) with my family. And it was not pleasant. I definitely broke my record for most unwanted attention in a single outing. I got at least five “Kina” or “Kineze”s, a few “Hi”s, one “Hey, baby,” and even a couple whistles.

At one point they wanted me to take a photo, but I’m not an exhibit on display.

There was also one extremely annoying group of boys that wouldn’t leave me alone even with my host sister by my side. (I think they intimidated her as well.) It wasn’t even that the boys were saying anything offensive – there were just so many of them all at once. Plus they were speaking really quickly in Shqip, which I didn’t understand. At one point they wanted me to take a photo, which I really didn’t have the patience for because I’m not an exhibit on display.

So I texted a friend when I got home, and that made me feel a bit better. But I still felt decidedly less upbeat about PST, Peace Corps, and life in Albania in general after the experience. Some days the attention doesn’t faze me a bit, but other days (like today) I definitely wish I could fade into the background or handle these situations better.

I hope that as my Shqip improves I’ll find the confidence to respond to some of the unwanted attention in a positive way. Sigh.

Thursday, April 13, 2017, 10:18pm

On my way home from school, I was walking with another trainee, and a group of boys saw us pass and followed us into the center. They were bursting with questions about me, and their mocking tone grated on my nerves so much that I decided to just ignore them.

When it rains, it pours, which makes it harder to ignore the little moments.

The other trainee ended up coming over for coffee, and we had some downtime to talk about the unwanted attention I’ve been getting recently. When it rains, it pours, which makes it harder to ignore the little moments since they all seem to have piled up lately.

I really do have to figure out a way to address these groups of boys in a way that’s good for my mental health and is also good for my integration. Maybe I’ll try talking to them – asking their names and introducing myself. And if that doesn’t work, I can always just ignore them (wearing headphones might help) or find someone to walk with me when I’m having a bad day.

Thursday, May 4, 2017, 9:34pm

While my host mom got her hair dyed and cut, my host grandma and I relaxed in the qender for awhile until it got a bit chilly.

It’s great to know that my host grandma has my back and that she’s willing to stand up for me.

As we were sitting near the fountain, a large group of children approached and just sat and stared at me for at least five minutes without speaking. Then when they finally did speak, they asked where I was from and one girl jumped in with, “Do you know Donald Trump?”

My host grandma told them all off for “lacking culture,” which I think means lacking politeness. It was honestly a little satisfying to see them admonished and then to watch them scamper away. The girls stuck around for a bit and got another earful five minutes later. It’s great to know that my host grandma has my back and that she’s ready and willing to stand up for me.

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Check out some other great blog posts about being Asian in Albania:

• Letting my struggles become my aspirations
• Being an asian-american in Albania and how to deal with such situations

Header Image: Flickr