So... I look like a Syrian refugee

My mother’s family is Western European. My father’s is Latino. I have ambiguous, light brown skin, a Caucasian bone structure, with dark eyes, and dark hair.

My ex-girlfriend guessed that I was Armenian when we first met. While living in Shanghai, some people thought I was from Xinjiang, the far western region of China with most of China’s Muslims. While in Turkey, people thought I was Turkish. Others have guessed Italian, and Kazak, and Spanish, and too many to name.

Now I’m in Macedonia, a major stop for the refugees fleeing Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan, and headed toward Western Europe. The locals in this country have fair skin, Caucasian features, and light colored hair. I DO NOT look like a local, but I do bear a resemblance, I’m told, to the refugees. I also dress like one, apparently. I’m a poor backpacker, and so I buy everything as cheaply as I can and then wear it until it falls apart- sometimes even after it’s fallen apart.

Many people here ask me if I’m from Syria or Afghanistan, sometimes accusingly. Border guards give me and my passport a few minutes of extra attention. When I approach strangers to ask for directions they seem very wary of me- not offering to help until they’ve ‘figured me out.’ Some outright refuse me.

The bus driver from Greece to Macedonia didn’t believe that my passport was real and didn’t want to let me on the bus. Years ago, my pages were almost full from so many stamps and visas, so I paid to have an extra 50 pages put into my passport. This bus driver said dismissively, in his broken English, that I had two passports stuck together. I had to show him the official stamp that explained about my pages being added. He still examined it for another few minutes before he reluctantly let me on the bus.

None of my experiences from these past few weeks have been problems. But it makes me wonder about the people who ARE refugees. If this is the treatment that I get- the constant mini-interrogations- because I’m an American who happens to look like them, what treatment do they get?

Right now there are 15,000 people who look like me, stuck on the border between Greece and Macedonia, because neither country wants them. There are people dying in the water trying to reach outlying Greek islands. There are people expunging their life savings, just for the CHANCE of escaping violence.

Yesterday I missed my train stop while coming in to Skopje, the capitol of Macedonia. I spent 30 minutes haggling with a taxi driver at midnight, in near freezing weather, to get a ride back into the city. I was livid with myself for making the stupid mistake, and wasting money when I didn’t have to. But I reminded myself that there are people in this country with actual problems. It’s good to keep things in perspective. If you sleep in a warm bed, and know where your family is, and have a full belly, and are healthy, then shut the hell up- you’re fine.

If you’re interested in helping out with the refugees, I’ve listed three organizations below, along with the percentage of your money that actually goes to the cause. You know some charities only give like 3% of your donated money. My research for these was done through charitywatch.org.

www.acrelief.org
90% - American Refugee Committee

www.DoctorsWithoutBorders.org
87% - Doctors without Borders

www.Unicefusa.org
77% - UNICEF