Let’s state the plain: learning overseas inevitably means leaving the acquainted behind.
Settling into a brand new nation and cultural context is important for everybody, however for marginalized identities, the unknowns could be much more daunting. At DIS, we encourage college students to attach with others who share their identities and to discover the communities that exist within the native space.
Our personal workers at DIS have skilled this themselves, which is what drove us to create affinity teams to offer college students with areas to search out consolation, belonging, and familiarity as they ease into a brand new residence. In Copenhagen, the College students of Colour Affinity Group and LGBTQIA+ Affinity Group are facilitated by Group Advisors Erika Del Cid (she/her) and Devin Hedegaard (he/they) respectively.
How do these teams convene? What do members get out of becoming a member of them? Learn on to find out how these teams serve DIS college students, and the way Erika and Devin lead them.
Erika Del Cid
As a daughter of Salvadorian immigrants to the U.S., Erika is aware of what it’s wish to be a minority in a predominantly white house. Transferring from the U.S. to Denmark to pursue her grasp’s diploma in migration research, she has herself skilled the tradition shock of transferring to Copenhagen as an individual of colour.
Erika admits it was a difficult transition. To make sense of her expertise and ease her anxieties, she sought out a neighborhood. “I joined a assist group for college kids of colour at College of Copenhagen, created by social science school and anthropology college students.”
It helped a lot, she says. “Spending time with different individuals of colour helped me really feel assured in myself that I may exit in a majority white society and really feel snug. If I hadn’t joined that group I don’t know if I may have lived in Denmark long run. So, if I may do one thing like that for college kids, that may be wonderful.”
College students of Colour Affinity Group
Erika describes the affinity group as an area for college kids of colour to fulfill others and type friendships, a approach for members to achieve a assist system proper off the bat.
The group is various, encompassing a spread of identities. “Having the ability to mirror and share collectively as nicely and listen to one another’s views could be actually affirming,” Erika stated. “They could be taught one thing from another person and train another person one thing too. It’s not simply studying concerning the metropolis, however about attending to know one another and rising collectively and connecting as a bunch.”
A part of the venture, Erika says, is to problem college students’ preconceived notions of Denmark. Many, upon their arrival, view it simplistically – as a particularly white house. The affinity group supplies some context and challenges that, displaying college students the place range exists and thrives within the metropolis.
Numerous programming for a various group
The social occasions are assorted and intentional. Early on, college students need to orient themselves within the metropolis, and Erika factors them to spots they may discover useful.
A spirited speed-friending occasion kicks off the semester, adopted by a neighborhood tour of Nørrebro – essentially the most racially and ethnically various a part of Copenhagen – displaying college students the place to search out grocery shops, hairdressers, and clothes outlets geared towards totally different identities.
Different actions on the agenda embrace board sport evening, dumpling making, a zine workshop, a soccer match, well timed celebrations like Day of the Useless or Mid-Autumn Pageant, and a festive concluding dinner. With eight-or-so occasions all through the semester, Erika considers the pursuits and demographics of the scholars who make up the cohort.
A spot of consolation and belonging
Typically college students don’t want a structured exercise, they simply want a spot to really feel at residence.
Erika acknowledges that many college students of colour discover it difficult to acclimate to a brand new cultural context. “I feel loads of college students could be onerous on themselves. In the event that they’re having difficulties, they take it personally,” she says.
In a time of stress, she’s intent on offering a protected, inclusive house. “I need to ensure that they really feel taken care of somewhat. Right here’s some meals, right here’s some firm, simply loosen up for somewhat bit. I do know issues are very nerve-racking. Simply have it good for now.”
Mentorship in thoughts
As an American expat who has now lived in Denmark for 9 years, Erika’s college students typically inquire about how she ended up in Denmark. Typically they simply need recommendation or a listening ear.
“I meet with college students to speak about what they need to do, like a grasp’s program in Europe and what that entails, and even the DIS post-graduate internship program. I’m very open about sharing every thing I do know that may very well be useful for them.”
Past providing her knowledge and insights, on the finish of the day Erika helps them make connections with one another. “I’m right here so that they have areas and designated instances the place they’ll really feel that their tales and realities are mirrored, and the place they’ll see themselves mirrored of their classmates.”
Devin Hedegaard
Devin leads the LGBTQIA+ Affinity Group with a deep private funding. As a non-binary, transmasculine, queer native who’s extremely educated about the LGBTQ+ neighborhood in Copenhagen, he’s dedicated to sharing related areas and alternatives with DIS college students.
Devin sees his function as a mentor, function mannequin, and cultural interlocutor suddenly, performing as a bridge between the DIS college students and the queer Danish neighborhood in Copenhagen.
LGBTQIA+ Affinity Group
Greater than ever earlier than, college students are saying they selected to check overseas in Copenhagen due to its LGBT historical past or as a result of it’s a protected nation, Devin says. As of late, he has a number of discussions with college students about transgender rights and security.
Devin cultivates a bunch setting the place college students could be themselves, outdoors heteronormative stress. “That’s my hope, to provide them that protected house. A noncritical, pleasant house.”
“I be sure that I’m introducing them to one another. I make them really feel protected. I’m setting instance. Everybody can use a brand new identify, a brand new pronoun, each time we meet. They don’t have to make use of their authorized names. They don’t have to make use of the identical pronouns each time.”
New terrain
Over time, Devin has gleaned that some college students are from very small cities the place there aren’t many queer or homosexual areas.
To assist them navigate their new residence, Devin leads a “get to know your gayborhood” occasion initially of the semester. He factors out golf equipment, cafes, and different locations of curiosity proper by DIS, like LGBT Denmark, an activist group with headquarters only a quick stroll away. His options and pointers give affinity group members the lay of the land. The very first week, college students go to the LGBThursday Café (a comfy spot for folk of all ages), and later Salon 7, an area for good firm and activism run by younger individuals, for younger individuals.
Studying from one another
“I be taught from all my college students,” Devin says. “And it sounds corny, however I’m actually grateful for American and worldwide college students coming to Copenhagen, as a result of I admire the mind-set they convey with them.”
Introducing the scholars to older generations of the queer neighborhood has been a very rewarding observe. Devin brings college students to a homosexual home in Christiania, giving them the prospect to strike up conversations in an older house. “In case you grew up LGBT or queer, you may not essentially have anybody who you determine with in your loved ones. Or know anybody who’s out and open. And that’s one of many causes I’m actually vocal and sincere about being non-binary, transmasculine, and queer,” Devin says.
It’s not solely gratifying to introduce DIS college students to the Danish neighborhood. “I like introducing the older era to this actually progressive, inspiring, firework power, newer era,” Devin provides. It’s a terrific alternative for college kids to search out older function fashions, and to have interaction in invaluable cultural change.
Life after DIS
After what is usually a liberating semester overseas, the prospect of returning residence is usually tough to face. In recognition of this, Devin hosts a “homecoming occasion” in direction of the top of the semester, encouraging college students to arrange for his or her departure from Copenhagen.
“Going residence can generally be actually, actually tough once you’ve been capable of be fully out and feeling protected,” Devin says. Facilitating dialogue about what that return would possibly appear to be helps put together them for his or her reentry.
It’s bittersweet to say farewell, Devin says. However by the top, he hopes he’s instilled in his college students “the protection they’re deserving to have, their worth and rights, and that they’re adequate as human beings.”
Uncover extra DIS range assets:
>> Take a look at DIS Copenhagen’s Variety Sources
>> Study Blue’s expertise as a scholar of colour in Denmark
>> Learn Tubbs’s reflections on being LGBTQIA+ in Scandinavia
