December 1 , 2009

“You Are the First Palestinian I’ve Met”

BU student reflects on her semester in Mexico



By Vivian Ghobar (BU '10)

Before arriving at Mexico International Airport I was staring at the amazing night view from the sky. I knew that Mexico City is the biggest city in the world, but you have to see it to believe it.

The Mexican culture is unique, from its breathtaking cathedrals to its diverse dishes. I could not stop putting chili in my food! The Mexican people are friendly, and my host family helped me feel at home.

I arrived in Mexico as one of 54 students coming to Mexico City from the USA, Chile, Scotland, France and other countries to study at Universidad La Salle. On the first day of class, a Mexican student asked me where I was from. When I said Palestine, he looked amazed and replied "You are the first Palestinian I’ve met." It was soon clear that he was not the only one who was surprised to see a Palestinian student (not to mention one who speaks Spanish).

Students and teachers began asking me about Palestine. “What is it like to live there?” they’d ask. “Do you see Bombs every day?” Many more questions followed, and I felt that I needed a more complete response. What I came up with was "Jardín de Púas y Olivos" ("Garden of Spikes and Olives"), a 50-minute movie that showed Palestinian history and culture. After the movie people came up to me and said they never imagined that Palestine would be so beautiful, or that it would have a modern lifestyle.

As happy as I was to show off my culture, some of the responses made me sad. A group of students came up to me and said, “Vivian, we never knew that there was a Wall separating Bethlehem from Jerusalem.” I was surprised to hear that – surprised that so much of the world does not know about our struggle.

Still, the overall experience was an unforgettable one. Thanks to the support I received from Universidad La Salle, I completed my 200-hour Bethlehem University internship at the State of Texas NAFTA Office, which is the Office of the Governor of Texas in Mexico City.

I thank Universidad La Salle in Mexico from the bottom of my heart for making this scholarship available to Bethlehem University students. Thanks also to Bethlehem University for its dedication and caring towards its students. It was indeed an amazing journey! In the five months that I stayed in Mexico City, time passed so quickly that I made a promise to visit Mexico and all the wonderful people again.

Just a few weeks after her return from Mexico, Vivian was off again. Headed this time to Washington, D.C., Vivian spent the rest of her summer participating in one of The Fund for American Studies’ Live, Learn and Intern experiences. With students from the US and 22 other countries, her experience included classes taught by outstanding faculty, quality internships (Vivian’s was at the Atlas Economic Research Foundation), sight briefings at government institutions, mentoring, and small group activities. She met former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mr. John Bolton, and Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Mr. Roger Noriega and Bethlehem University alumna Amany Rishmawi (’08), now working on her master’s in Language and communication at Georgetown University.