Traveling as an American in the Trump Era

It’s been a rough week since the events of last Tuesday in the Hippie Homo Household.  While I am first to admit that I live in a very liberal bubble, and that the people I surround myself with pretty effectively shield me from any pro-right wing speech, I went into last Tuesday thinking that a Trump victory was unthinkable – that our country couldn’t possibly elect such a narcissistic, hate-mongering, perverted, month-old rotting pumpkin/sexual predator as our next president.  And yet here we are.

But, as opposed to ranting about my personal political beliefs, I wanted to use this platform to elucidate the very real potential threats to traveling the world as an American under a Trump presidency, and to gesticulate on what we might be able to do to ameliorate those threats.

A less powerful passport

Americans have long enjoyed one of the most powerful passports in the world.  This allows us to travel to 174 countries either without a visa or by obtaining a one on arrival in-country.  Applying for and obtaining visas for foreign travel is a proverbial thorn in many travelers’ sides, especially those who are citizens of nations without privileged visa standings.  Americans are only occasionally on the receiving end of this pain point.  Americans have issues getting to countries like Iran, Turkmenistan and North Korea (and to a degree, Russia) without following strict visa procedures, and often needing official guides once in country.  For many, including myself, the inability to travel independently ultimately makes travel to those nations impossible.  I like to travel on my own and form my own opinions about a place, and having a minder by my side during 100% of my waking hours, I believe, limits this experience.

A Trump presidency is going to be inherently more aggressive and combative (and racist, and xenophobic, and misogynistic, and homophobic…).  With talk around striking trade deals and even treaty alliances, it is a very real possibility that many countries will reverse visa-free agreements with the United States.  If there’s no reciprocity or even semblances of amicable feelings between our government and those who aren’t “doing enough for us” or “paying us for our protection,” then what is the upside for them to allow our citizens to enter their country without jumping through a few hoops?

Increased anti-American sentiment

During the Obama administration, I was proud to tell people I was an American.  Lots of policies during his administration were problematic, sure, but foreign views of Americans during his administration were much better than during George W. Bush’s time in office.  I remember, as a college student, I was one of the young travelers who would claim Canadian citizenship when asked about where I was from.  I didn’t want to own the mistakes and horrible decisions being made by my government – especially one I didn’t vote to put in place.  So when Obama was elected in 2008, I was happy to finally own my American-ness again.

And now, I’m not sure what to do.  I think I’m too old to sew a Canadian flag patch on my backpack, but I also don’t want to claim responsibility for the policies of my home country’s government.  I do realize that in some parts of the world, some groups of people are celebrating Trump’s election.  And as it happens, many of David and my favorite places are included here – I joke with David that we only ever go places where Gay Pride parades have police escorts (see Tbilisi, Belgrade, Kiev, etc.).  However, in many of these places (by fringe and sometimes not-so-fringe groups), Trump is being celebrated for the same reasons that I fear his presidency: for ultra-nationalist, racist, and xenophobic policies.

Ultimately, I fear that I will be asked to answer for the election of the madman I consider to be the single biggest security threat in the world.  And when I’m traveling, I’d personally rather be kicking back than debating policies that I don’t agree with in the least.

Blame and shame

And so when we travel now, to places where Trump policies will have very real effects, how do we, as Americans, make peace with that?  How can we go abroad knowing that our nation’s decisions and actions have huge real potential for causing long-lasting worldwide damage?  It’s similar to visiting places like Vietnam, Laos and other affected parts of Southeast Asia in the wake of the Vietnam War – or what it would be to visit parts of the Middle East affected by continuing American military presence there.  History is written by the victors, and I am afraid of the narratives that will emerge thanks to Trumpian influence and intervention in various parts of the developing world.

While my gut reaction is to hide – to run from this and stay in bed for four (or even eight) years – I know that the only appropriate reaction is to get to work.  There is a way to resist and reeducate, to spread the idea that #notallAmericans support what may happen in the coming four years.   And then we have to put our money where our mouth is – genuinely strive to be what Americans have striven to be for so many generations.  A nation that sets an example for the rest of the world to follow in terms of fairness and equity to all, no matter one’s creed, race, gender, or sexual preference. 

We need to not be afraid, and to continue practicing diplomacy the only way travelers are able: by having genuine interactions with people of different backgrounds and cultures.  Human to human interaction will never be more important than it is right now – for if we can convince people of good, even from children of a currently misguided nation, we can change the tide of the increasingly disturbing world in which we live.