COMMITMENT TO
EQUITY, DIVERSITY, INCLUSION
Diversity is acknowledging that the bits and pieces of our identities make us complex and susceptible to unique experiences.
Equity is recognizing the imperfections/systems that disproportionately hurt some more than others and working to remove those barriers.
Inclusion is the lifelong, proactive accountability to ensure those barriers are removed, consistently checking in on the communities we are trying to uplift, and responding to new barriers that arise.
Experiencing "Otherness"
To be born into white Western privilege is one thing, but to be adopted into it from a developing country presented me with a constant identity crisis. Although I had the privilege of attending private K-12 education, I never consciously understood why I felt out of place amongst my white upper-class classmates and teachers— I just experienced the out-of-placeness. I never understood why I felt ashamed of telling others I was Chinese and adopted— I just felt it. The presence of people who didn’t look like me, and the dominating narratives that surround transnational adoptees and what ‘family’ meant made me battle my own internalized racism. My identity was always an “icebreaker” questioned by the locals when I went to different countries. I realized I was not the only one. I heard my black American classmates abroad discuss their feelings of Otherness and discomfort from locals abroad. I talked to other transracial adoptees to hear their narratives on what it was like growing up in their adoptive countries. When uproar sparked across my campus when professors used the n-word in their lesson, I discovered my passion for bringing sensitive discussions on identity to light in the context of navigating cross cultural contexts.
My Commitment
My passion to create a space that uplifts every dimension of one’s identity and culture and to challenge my own biases is rooted in my work. Some highlights include:
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Designing a framework for a virtual exchange “for-credit” program that leverages best practices in edtech to unite transracial Chinese adoptees around the world and foster relationships, collaborative projects, and digital inclusion.
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Conducting research on black identity abroad and how black American Spanish learners acquire and make choices in Spanish to present their identity in a second language.
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Translating and reverting to Spanish communication to support immigrant families in the US.
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Developing a first iteration of a framework for CEA CAPA Education Abroad to make its organization and onsite locations more accessible to students with disabilities.
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Critically investigating menstrual exclusion in the education system of developing countries through a comparative lens, looking at resources from multiple perspectives: scholars, the country’s government, non-profits, documentaries, and local activists (paper here).
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Leveraging the virtual Zoom “waiting room” feature and designing an inclusive study abroad office that encourages a welcoming space for underrepresented students.
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Attending The Forum of Education Abroad conferences to stay relevant in trends and challenges facing DEI in programs abroad.
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Creatively designing ESL lessons that avoid stereotypes of American culture and represent different identities, strategically bringing awareness to underrepresented groups in “age-appropriate” manners.
As a lifelong learner and advocate for personal growth, I am ready to take on new challenges and celebrate small achievements in making global experiences more accessible, safe, inclusive, and equitable to the students I serve. The best way to continue advancing is to seek roles that involve and foster DEI spaces.
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Sincerely,
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Rachel Bornstein
