Morocco
I will be traveling to El Jadida, Morocco with a fantastic program called Teachers for Global Classrooms (TGC).
Morocco is a fantastic location for study. One might ask, “Why is a Spanish teacher interested in studying the culture of Morocco?” The answer is both simple and complex.
I am curious. I saw Morocco for the first time in 1992 from shores of Spain. I can’t explain why, but the fact that I could look across a body of water and see, not only another country, but another continent is impressive. I was struck by the closeness of the world. I sat on the sandy beach long minutes watching the trucks moving along the steep inclines and the whitewashed buildings of a town, name unknown, somewhere between Ceuta and Tangiers. Someone told me later that the sand blows to Spain from the Sahara Dessert.
More pertinent to my classroom, I’d like to develop a curricular unit regarding immigration. It is my understanding that despite the improvements in education and economic development, there is a history of Moroccan immigration to Spain. Some of that immigration is illegal. Of course, this is a situation that mirrors the illegal immigration to the U.S. from Mexico. I’d like to learn more from the point of view of Moroccan people.
We in the States have such difficulty understanding what is happening in Muslim North Africa. And because we, as a nation, have not informed ourselves about the countries of North Africa, they feel strange and dangerous. Except for Morocco. Morocco represents an exotic country that bridges the cultures of Christian Europe and those of Muslim North Africa.
I hope my visit and this blog will provide a bridge between the people I meet in Morocco and my colleagues and students in the U.S. I hope this blog will be a space for learning and collaboration.
