“what the hell are you doing here?”

it’s a question I get a lot, believe it or not.

Whether solicited by the color of my skin, typically a stark contrast to that of my Tanzanian friends or my Chilean classmates, or my foreign-sounding accent, my lack of tattoos or slang in the city I love, or my over-zealous smile… people are typically curious about my presence.

“You’re here to save us, right?”