Through Rainbow Colored Glasses: The Lenses Which Change Our Perceptions

My time here in Germany has been sort of surreal. Even now, I’m not quite sure I’ve even yet arrived even though my return flight is in two days. Perhaps it’s because of the easily accessible English accommodations that appears ubiquitously around the city or maybe because of the close proximity we still have to each other. However, this trip has also shown many cultural differences including Germany’s love of biking, staring, not taking credit cards, not having air conditioning, and sausage. This was a nice tie in for our intercultural communications lessons which really helped us to gain more of an understanding of subjects that we’ll be dealing with in the future. 

In regards to global health and intercultural communications, I believe that the Sachsenhausen concentration camp visit really opened my eyes to what sorts of interactions have been happening with people from different ethnic and social groups. Many may believe that the Jewish people were the only persecuted groups but we learned that even Roma Centi’s, Asocials, and Homosexuals among others were also imprisoned. 

Personally, I had known about Homosexuals but I wasn’t aware of the other groups, possibly due to the inadequate education regarding world history in American school systems. It was really both heartbreaking and fascinating to visit the site where so many people were killed. 

One method that I found gruesome was when Nazis would disguise themselves as healthcare workers. Given that I intend to be a double Doctorate sometime in the future, I felt terrible about what happened to those who suffered from the hands of the people who took on a mantle they didn’t deserve.

In regards to global health, however, I believe that the knowledge that there are so many different cultures with different practices means that we as future professionals should learn more about them in order to better help those in need. As an Asian American as well as a member of the LGBT+ community in more ways than one, I feel that I have a unique lens to look through for interactions with others including possible patients. 

Overall, this trip has helped to increase my knowledge on what we can do to help others feel welcomed and able to get healthcare that they desperately need. I hope to bring back these teachings and use them in my daily life to create a better environment.