Wednesday August 31, 9:42 am, Czech America

I have been in Prague for over a week now and some of my most notable experiences have taken place on the trams. Interactions between strangers are starkly different from those I have previously witnessed. There is somehow a regard for personal existence and space which is almost holy, yet no regard for the existence of others. I feel pressing upon me on all sides the expectations of people for me to give way to their existence. But there is no respite from that which constitutes a respect for me.

Much to my surprise, racism and sexism, issues that have come to characterize the American experience, have surfaced more than once on the trams in Prague. I have witnessed and received looks of offended unfamiliarity directed at my diverse group of friends, as well as racist comments one would only imagine hearing in the depths of Confederate America. I always thought metropolitan cities subscribed to a more equal and accepting culture, but Prague is unique due to a devastating history that left it and surrounding lands ethnically cleansed.

Though the Czech Republic is 97% Czech, its population is still slightly over 50% female. This fact is not reflected in the way men view and treat women. Granted, this is a world issue, and as a young woman living in New York City I’ve had my share of uncomfortable encounters with men, but such experiences have been curiously different here. From my friends being touched inappropriately, to having our personal space invaded by louring stares and kiss noises, to the lack of importance of my wish to be left alone being discussed right in front of me, my interactions with men in Prague have been less than pleasant.

Europe is often thought of as a place where things are accepted and appreciated and even romanticized. The more I travel, the more I see that things are not what they seem. The Czech Republic is a very new country in the scheme of the world, but Prague has been a cultural and intellectual capital since its role as such in the Holy Roman Empire. I can’t help but wonder if its lack of diversity and acceptance of it will serve as an impediment to Prague’s existence as a true metropolitan city, or begs of us a revised understanding of social progress.