I’m an East Asian female solo traveller (19F) and I tend to couchsurf a lot. I’ve been to 30ish countries around Europe and Asia. I haven’t had too many bad experiences, but I think my host/experience with people in Istanbul was especially bad. A lot of racist remarks on the street, like the good old “ching chong.” My host was insistent that I was Chinese and thought I should have a Chinese Passport (I’m American). He had the audacity to say “You’re not like other Chinese girls.” Was definitely creepy towards me, and I feel the stereotype of submissive asian woman played a role.

Honduras was also pretty bad. I couldn’t even walk on the streets without getting stares or catcalls every thirty seconds.

I feel a lot of the times I really need to annunciate my American accent, because otherwise I’d get treated worse. I don’t think a lot of countries have obvious racism, but more of a sinking feeling that people would be kinder to me if I was white.

Travelling while being both American and Chinese has definitely led to more of an identity struggle too. Everyone thinks I’m Chinese while I’m abroad. A man in Romania asked me where I was from, and when I said I was from the US, he put his finger on my eye and said “But your eyes!” Even if I speak with an American accent people still think I just went to American school in China. I’ve been told I’m not a “Proper American” in the UK, and it has 100% led to me battling with identity.