5 Reasons to Travel to Your Homelands
By Elisabet Raquel Garcia | March 7, 2022
“Going to Haiti for the first time was amazing. I found a whole new perspective of life after looking at how my people live.” - Michele Emile (he/him), Haitian American
When deciding where to travel, oftentimes you think you should go somewhere new, exciting, and unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. I know this was my perspective and the reason why I, as a person of Mexican and Chilean heritage, started my travel journey by studying abroad in Brazil - a place where I have no familial ties or connections.
But, have you ever considered all the new, exciting, and unknown experiences you can have by traveling to your homeland(s)? Let me tell you that traveling, living, and studying abroad in my homelands (Mexico and Chile) for a total of two years absolutely changed my life. And, I know I’m not alone out there.
María Cáceres, an island born, U.S. raised Dominican who returned to the Dominican Republic for the first time in 10 years as an adult, says, “I had always wished I lived in the DR because I felt disconnected being in the US....going back [to the DR] made me realize I didn’t have to choose [between my identities]”. Like María and like me, you can practice all heritages you are tied to - in the countries you live and in the countries where your families came from. The first step is heading to your homelands.
Why you should travel to your homelands
“It is necessary to visit where it all started to understand where you are [now] and where you can go [in the future]” - Camilo Alvarez, U.S.-born Dominican (he/him)
Still not convinced? Here are five reasons why traveling to your homelands could be one of the best decisions you ever make in your life:
Reconnect with your roots
Living in a country other than the one of your origins can make it difficult to understand your identity. I remember growing up in the U.S. not really knowing who I was and carrying a lot of misconceived ideas about my origins
Going to these places to travel, study, and live helped me reconnect with my roots. I gained a deeper understanding of who I am and deconstructed all the false ideas I had about my origins.
2. Deepen your language skills
There is no better way to learn a language or further develop your language skills than immersing yourself in a country where that language is spoken. And there is no better place to practice your heritage language than your heritage country.
Five years ago, I spoke no Spanish. Now, after two years traveling, living, and studying in my countries of origin, I’m proud to say that I’m near fluent in Spanish. This means so much to me, because speaking Spanish helps me connect with folks in more meaningful ways across language barriers in my homelands and back home, too.
3. Connect with your culture
This is a huge one. Access to authentic culture is hard to come by when you live in a different country that tends to commodify your culture and tries to re-sell you a commercialized version of it.
Want authenticity? Travel to your homeland. Experience the culture up close and personal. There’s no place better to connect with your culture than in the places where the people who are the culture are all around you all the time.
4. Familiarize yourself with your family
Family can be complicated and complex, but there is nothing more fantastic than familiarizing yourself with your family, which is the source of your origin and who has the answers to many of the questions about your heritage.
I became a family historian during my travels, using the opportunity to familiarize myself with my families across México, Chile, and Bolivia. It was absolutely life changing and I found so many answers to my life’s questions I’ve carried with me forever.
5. Come home to yourself
Traveling to your homelands can be a complex experience. I know for me it was - especially as a formely closeted queer person coming to my more conservative countries of origin. But, this experience, as scary as it was, offered me the opportunity to come to terms with, process, and accept all the complex aspects of my diverse identities - being low-income, first-gen, queer and more.
Tips for responsible travel to your homelands
Feeling convinced yet? Good, now let’s prepare for your travels to your homelands with some tips on how to make home-going socially responsible.
Recognize your privilege
You’re coming from a different country with the privilege of a passport and financial means that allow you access to your country of origin as a foreigner. Remember that you are being allotted privileges that so many people in your country of origin might never be afforded. Stay humble and grateful for everything that you are offered during your visit because local folks are offering you the best of what they can.
Come with an open mind
Remember that the way you perceive the world is not the way that locals may see the world. You came to see the world in their cultural context. It’s important to always listen to locals and contextualize the world through their eyes.
Give to local people and businesses
If you’re coming to your homeland, there’s no point in coming if the money you’re investing in your time there doesn’t go back to the very people who make the experience worth it in the first place. Skip the resorts and engage in ethical tourism with local organizations who are all about supporting the people.
Sound good? Great. Lastly, I want to leave you with some words from Sydney Valerio, who is a Bronx-born Dominican American who has returned back to her island of origin every year since she was two years old. She advises travelers going to their homelands to document their experiences in an introspective way.
“Be fully present in every moment of those visits instead of documenting them in a performative manner. Why? Well, it's simple: to come from the diaspora means there are cultural connections and experiences that cameras cannot capture--only our spirit can.”
