Here’s what I do when my skin colour becomes more interesting than the scenery when I travel | Canada Voices

Andrea Bain can tell you the exact moment during a trip to Argentina when things took a turn for the worse. The co-host of CTV’s The Social was admiring Iguazu Falls when she spotted a stranger’s outstretched fingers … in her sister’s hair.

“My sister was wearing her natural afro, and a woman just walked up to her like she was an animal in a zoo and attempted to pet her head,” says Bain. “I could tell she really didn’t understand how what she was doing was very offensive, but immediately, both my sister and I [thought] they think that we’re not human.”

In 2011, I had the same thought. My family was a few months into a yearlong trip around the world. Me, my husband and boys aged six and eight had been warmly received on our stops in Latin America and had no reason to expect anything different as we headed to China. But while Latin America is made up of racialized populations, China is generally monocultural.

We met some incredible people in China. Still, there were moments when the colour of our skin resulted in aggressive behaviour from strangers: Surreptitious photo taking without our permission. Grabbing at my young kids’ hair and skin without asking. Crowding us in ways that made us feel unsafe. We spent 30 days in the country and the spotlight never waned, drawing both the innocently curious and those who seemed to regard us as objects instead of people. When I left, I was pretty sure I wouldn’t return.

Then, last September, more than 14 years after that initial visit, my youngest son Cameron asked to do a university semester in Shanghai. I hesitated. He may have been too young to remember the stress of our first experience, but I remembered. I steeled myself and prepared him for what was to come.

Racism is one of those things that lives in the anecdotes. There aren’t any statistics that I could find that detail the racism that travelling Canadians experience on the road. There is, however, clear evidence that a good portion of Canadians understand what it looks like.

A 2025 Statistics Canada report found that 45 per cent of “racialized Canadians” – defined as “persons, other than Aboriginal peoples, who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour” – aged 15 and older said they had experienced racism and discrimination in the past five years. Eighty-one per cent of those said it had happened more than once. The study also found that discrimination can have negative mental health outcomes.

You only have to peek at the hashtag #TravelingWhileBlack to find Black travellers sharing their experiences – good and bad – online.

As a Black Canadian, I am privy to the conversations that detail the variety of ways (and places) that racism interferes with our attempts to holiday. I’ve seen the stories in “just-us” online forums, heard from friends over lunches and responded to queries in my DMs (“but is it safe for us?”) for years.

“I can feel it from the time I hit the airport,” says Bain, noting that the stares, micro-aggressions and number of other Black people in the airport at her destination are a clue to what she’ll likely encounter outside. The intrepid solo traveller says she has learned to tone down her exuberant personality and bold style to avoid unwarranted attention in those spaces. “I just want to be invisible, because I don’t want to have these interactions.”

The shock of a racist encounter can go beyond a fleeting irritation. Katya and Eugene Park were partway through a trip across Africa, India and Oceania seven years in the planning, when a few incidents made them seriously consider ending the trip early.

As a blonde, white woman married to a Korean man, the couple knew they would stand out in many of the places they visited, and that travelling with their four biracial sons would likely draw even more attention. When your physical characteristics set you apart (skin colour, hair texture, height, freckles) from the people in the place you’re visiting, a holiday can put you centre stage. For some, the experience can feel akin to gaining celebrity status. But when the attention is negative, it’s less amusing.

During a three-week journey across India, the Parks say some of their interactions in the markets and on public transit crossed the line.

“We’d be at the market. Katy would go in first and be having a conversation and once I entered there was a tone change,” says Eugene, noting that friendly encounters suddenly became strained. “Prices would go up, all of a sudden, if I showed up.”

There were also the moments when locals would stop the family and ask for a photo, only to then ask that Eugene step out of frame.

Despite the painful moments, Eugene is adamant that continuing on their trip was the right thing to do. He believes his kids learned a valuable lesson about handling adversity.

“Had we just said, you know, ‘this is too much, we’re just going to leave.’ What kind of a lesson would that teach them?” he says. “You don’t always have that option.”

Bain refuses to let the racism she’s encountered abroad stop her from travelling either. “As Black people, we always have to be mindful, but I’m not going to let those experiences prevent me from ever getting on a plane and seeing the world.”

And I haven’t let it stop me either. Since visiting China, all those years ago, I’ve travelled to dozens of countries. Sometimes people behave in a manner similar to what I experienced in China. (Hello, Uzbekistan!) But sometimes, I’ve been pleasantly surprised to find I go completely unnoticed. Those experiences left me hopeful, if nervous, about that return trip to China.

But my experience in September was completely different than in 2011. One of the gamechangers was that Cameron speaks Mandarin – the result of a combination of kind neighbours who indulged him, online apps and classes at school. That ability to communicate with locals made a big difference in our perceptions.

Cameron’s understanding of what was being said allowed him to shock and shame would-be gossipers, correct me when I defensively assumed the worst of a nearby conversation I couldn’t understand and fully interact with residents, providing an opportunity for dialogue instead of derision.

With Google Translate at the ready, I had more conversations, too. Did we still encounter racism on the road? Absolutely. But, it also left me hopeful that perhaps the next generation will find new ways to close the gap.

What you can do

Racism, sexism and other prejudices are global issues. If you find yourself or someone you care about in a difficult situation on vacation, here are some suggestions for handling it.

Step in: If someone with you is being ill-treated or singled out, intervene.

Bain, who was once singled out by authorities in the Mexico City airport as she began her journey home, recounts how the group of white colleagues she was travelling with failed to notice she’d been detained (at one point in a locked room with four officers) despite her 45-minute absence.

What could they have done instead? Pay attention and ask questions. Ask yourself: Does your fellow traveller need help? Officers may not change their aggressive behaviour, but it would’ve provided Bain with a witness to the encounter and allowed someone to ask questions if anything went awry.

Travel solo, but in a group.

A group solo trip (such as those offered by Intrepid, Journey Woman, GAdventures and others) offer the safety buffer of the group in tough situations. On my trip to Uzbekistan, it was my fellow Exodus Adventures group members who often shielded me from aggressive cameras, or spoke up when people were out of line.

Call a friend who’s been where you’re headed.

Unsure if a place will feel safe? Ask a friend who’s been there or find a group of similar travellers on social media. Firsthand reports will give you more information to decide if it’s right for you.

Use your spending power.

The Parks often left a store if they felt that prices were being raised because of Eugene’s ethnicity. Sometimes it meant they went without the item they came for, but taking the stand allowed them to leave with their peace of mind intact.

Understand the difference between curiosity and entitlement

As tourists, we often wander destinations, snapping photos of the intimate details of strangers. The next time you do, ask yourself whether you’d be as happy to have someone doing the same in your neighbourhood. Behave as you’d like guests in your home to behave.

Special to The Globe and Mail