I have a wonderful virtual friend "of color" and she participates quite often on this forum. We daily play "Words With Friends" (an online scrabble game) which has a chat box, so we have gotten to know each other better through that connection.
If she happens to see this thread, possibly she may choose to reply on how she first heard of the Camino and decided to walk it several times. I think she has shared her story a few times in the past.
To one and all, I didn’t happen upon this thread, Chrissy told me about it on: WWF.
CC, sometime next year we MUST leave our virtual existence and meet up.
Although, as Trecile knows currently I am quite reluctant to meet anyone “new”.
After a year-and-half on steroids in order to preserve life the 80 pounds gained and toothsome smile lost have made me meet and greet shy.
Methinks one reason few non whites walk may simply due to lack of happenstance exposure. That’s how all those Koreans discovered it a program in their nation. I met Brazilians who read Paulo Coelho’s book on topic. That was their entre to The Way.
Many Americans found the Camino via: Rick Steves, The Way, friends, et cetera.
But, for persons of color there maybe added bits and bobs to hinder sewing up a camino completion.
In 2000, I was teaching Sunday School at a predominantly white Episcopal parish. The rector’s wife was walking the way for her first time for her 50TH b’day. My way onto the way.
I investigated the route. Then, I decided to walk August 2001with mom insisting on going along for my protection. Or, so she said. She was 70 only walked a single orbit within the nearby mall, to my very, very professional dancer shape 39.
At that time my mom was: a college graduate from a PWI, (predominantly white institute), a divine nine (9) sorority girl. She was retired and had already traveled to Notre Dame, Vatican, Portugal and Spain, Canada, and so on.
However, however!
Her comments the first few days were interesting. From Roncesvalles to somewhere just after Pamplona she said often: “pilgrimage is for white folks, let’s leave and go to Greece”. Does every African-American feel this way? I neither know nor can speak for them. But, that’s what my well traveled mom said to me.
Once we reached Santo Domingo de la Calzada we’d worked out her bus train journey, while I walked, overcame communication problems via Internet Cafes and our Lozano guidebooks.
To this day, by the time I walked into Santiago where she’d spent a week awaiting me I don’t know who had more more fun on pilgrimage. She or I.
Also, when a white person walks into foreign predominantly white territory such as the way, concerns might revolve around fitting in, getting along, navigating the experience, budgets, can I really do this.
For me, I too have those concerns but they’re colored, pun intended, by notion of acceptance. It’s a back of brain issue but one nonetheless.
On my second camino in 2002 by day three or four I was greeted with tons of greetings and salutations from other pilgrims. The white American Jesuits with whom I was walking asked me how come so many folks already know you. I stated the obvious, I am the only person who looks like me out here.
One day those same Jesuits entered a store in a small town while I sat outside resting. Upon leaving they asked me if I had any problems on camino due to my race. I said: “no why”. They proceeded to tell me the proprietor expressed contempt towards them for walking with “la morena”.
I consider myself profoundly lucky to have had the exposure I have had. My dad insisted I attend a predominately black elementary school grades: 3-6. My mom insisted I attend the predominantly white junior high. And, my last two years of high school two races vied for predominance: Asians and Hispanics with Blacks and Whites rounding out the numbers.
And yet, even there…. There were two brainiacs at my high school a black girl and a white guy.
One day I overheard the chemistry teacher, a white guy, say to his colleague: “because of the brilliant black girl he will never again believe blacks can’t learn”. My jaw dropped. A: he’d thought blacks couldn’t learn? B: it took brilliance to show him otherwise. Sad.
These repeated experiences year in year out color travel decisions. I can’t speak for all persons of color.
Although, in general for many of us our actions regarding travel in country or without are colored by color. In the USofA blacks are still challenged when we’re at restaurants, hotels, motels. Idea being “you” should not be here.
Travel anywhere means persons of color often ask themselves if I go will I be received? If not, about it, what will I do?
While I am yapping away. I took a few years on this platform before I made my ethnicity known. I thought long and hard. I knew I would be become the other. Did I wish that for myself. Finally, I decided this is who I am within and without with the content of my character as part of the package.
Anyway, back to my original statement. On forum it seems as if everybody in the world knows about this great walk.
Yet, we all know that’s not so. How many of us of all cultures, nationalities, ethnicities have met others within our non peregrino circle who have walked the way?
I’ve since found other articles on the topic.
