By Namirah Zihniah
Arieana Pirbaksh is a senior at NYU Gallatin concentrating on post-colonial studies within the Caribbean diaspora. She is also an MPH candidate, pursuing the 4+1 BA/MPH program in Public Health Policy & Management. As a part of her Summer Travel Course with Gallatin Global Programs, she visited Dublin, Ireland, for The Black and Green Atlantic course with Professor Kimberly DaCosta. Arieana is originally from Guyana, and her interest in diasporic and migration studies brought her to Dublin in 2023 and Madrid under the Islamic Spain Summer Travel Course in 2021. The intersection of post-colonial societies, migration, and public health is something that she is personally interested in and is academically pursuing.
Namirah Zihniah (Graduate Assistant of Global Programs): What are you studying here at Gallatin, and how did you get into that?
Arieana Pirbkash: Public Health and Post-colonial studies within the Caribbean diaspora. I took a lot of migration and public health classes and learned how those two intersect, especially coming from a post-colonial society like Guyana. I also think about how public health can be better accessible to the immigrant population, especially in NYC. Through my public health courses, I learned a lot about the movement of people and how it affects their lifestyle, health, socio-economic, and other acculturation factors. So now, thinking of how people migrating from post-colonial societies in the Caribbean can thrive in a different environment. Caribbean literature and research relating to the Caribbean and its people should be more researched or included in narratives. The literature generated from post-colonial societies is not considered of high value compared to European and Western cultures.
Namirah Zihniah: Is the Dublin Trip your first choice? If so, what drew you to it?
Arieana Pirbkash: Two summers ago, I took a study away in Madrid called Islamic Spain. I chose it due to my interest and connections to the Muslim world as an Indo-Caribbean Muslim. I didn’t expect the course to be related to my concentration; however, the erasure of narratives relating to the Legacy of Muslim Spain was eye-opening and prompted me to think more about the erasure and exploitation of colonialism in the Caribbean. I gained a lot from the Madrid trip that if you didn’t go there and learn firsthand, you wouldn’t know because of the erasure of Muslim Spain. I then took the Dublin trip, especially on the Black and Green Atlantic, to understand more about post-colonial inequalities and multicultural democratic societies. The parallels and differences between African migration to Ireland, Irish and African migrations to the Americas, and Irish Americans were truly historical connections I did not know before my summer study away.
Namirah Zihniah: In what aspects of Dublin were you most interested in (art, culture, history, scenery)?
Arieana Pirbkash: The complex history of Dublin. This course taught me much about Ireland’s history, especially the Black and Green Atlantic and the African and Irish people during the transatlantic migration. I was unaware of the history of British colonization of Ireland and then later Ireland’s colonization of the Caribbean. I didn’t expect to find an Irish connection to the Caribbean, especially relating to slavery and indentured servitude. Therefore, you see how the African diaspora was formed during the transatlantic migration and is still present today in Ireland and the Caribbean. Interestingly, Ireland is also connected to the United States, with similar activism movements in the fight for civil rights in both Northern Ireland and the United States of America.
Namirah Zihniah: How has your perception changed (or unchanged) about Dublin after the course?
Arieana Pirbkash: Affirming that Black Irish exist and their historical narratives matter. One aspect that helped me and other classmates understand Irish multiculturalism better was speaking to people involved in Black studies in Ireland and non-profit organizations in Ireland, such as the Africa Solidarity Centre, with the aim of activists of the African diaspora having a voice in Irish society. Dr. Phil Mullen is the only professor of Black Studies at Trinity College Dublin, and she is ensuring that the history of Black-Irish doesn’t vanish, especially the ostracization of Black-Irish babies in mother and baby homes. We spoke to another professor at the University of Belfast in Northern Ireland, Professor Peter McLoughlin, and he helped us better understand the solidarity movements in Ireland and their parallels to the US civil rights movement. He also helped us understand more about Ireland, such as the ongoing conflict between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. One last thing also: when the Black Lives Matter movement was occurring in America due to George Floyd’s death, similar outrage was felt in Ireland due to George Nkencho’s death; yes, both of their names were George. So, we are seeing the parallels. At times of conflict especially, we are similar in solidarity, protesting and fighting for what we think is right.
Namirah Zihniah: What is your favorite memory from the course and what is one memory that you will look back on?
Arieana Pirbkash: I took short trips outside of Dublin. We were in Dublin and the city center for the first two weeks. Then as a group, we traveled to Northern Ireland and the UK. We crossed borders without knowing that we crossed it because it was so seamless. I will look back on the day we visited the Giant’s Causeway. It is a heritage site formed from ancient volcanic eruptions. It was also a filming site for Game of Thrones. It was refreshing just to be there and learn a lot of the history behind it and even some myths of how this came to be. It was a day to be out in nature with a beautiful group of Gallatinos. I love nature and think visiting Northern Ireland and seeing the pasture, cows, and greenery is fulfilling and wholesome, especially being from Guyana, where agriculture and farming are a part of the nation’s economy. You can also see the sea coast, and you know another country. Throughout my time in Dublin, I also ventured out with classmates to a lavender farm in Kilmacanogue, Co. Wicklow, an animal farm in Dublin, and a beach and mountainside in Bray.
Namirah Zihniah: What are your main objectives for studying abroad in Dublin and how does it fit with your academic goals?
Arieana Pirbkash: Gallatin’s summer studyaways were extremely helpful towards my academic goals. It is usually 4 credits in about 3-4 weeks that not many people know about. And I think the automatic consideration for the Dean’s Scholarship Award is beneficial in studying away. Not a lot of people have that opportunity to study away, especially when you are a first-generation and low-income. So this encourages people like me to study abroad. If you can’t study abroad during the Fall and Spring semesters, the summer study away is perfect, and you will earn four credits, which will keep you on track if you are behind on your credits or an accelerated track. Both summer studyaways helped me with my Gallatin core requirements, even though I transferred to Gallatin at the end of sophomore year. I also found connections I didn’t think I would find relating to my concentration, so the summer study away helped a lot academically and my overall life experiences. I am including my study away coursework in my rationale and utilizing it to broaden my thinking in the historical and global context.
Namirah Zihniah: How has the course enriched your college experience?
Arieana Pirbkash: I always talk about it to my mentees, friends, co-workers, and individuals I network with. I mentor first-year students through Gallatin and the Academic Achievements Program. I talk to my mentees, often low-income, first-generation students of color, about how studying abroad can be very beneficial academically but also can improve your life in so many aspects you have not thought of. You will have great memories, experience a different form of independence and well-being, and talk to people you never thought of, for example, talking to the professor in Trinity College, who is a trailblazer in black studies in Ireland, that is monumental. Speaking to people of different backgrounds and experiences gives insight into what’s happening worldwide, not just problems in the US but expanding your thinking and learning about experiences in a global context.
Namirah Zihniah (Graduate Assistant of Global Programs): What is one piece of advice you would give someone who is interested in studying abroad in Dublin?
Arieana Pirbkash: Specific to Dublin, the weather was unexpected, but I did my research. I had an NYU wind-breaker red jacket from my commencement ceremony job here at NYU. I also had my umbrella from my other on-campus job. I had two great NYU merch to protect me from the wind and rain. Having a good jacket, umbrella, and walking shoes is key. My umbrella was really strong, but the other students did not have a good jacket, and their umbrellas broke in the wind. NYU merch came in clutch to weather me through the storm, literally. The weather was unexpected, even though July was the best time to visit. Nevertheless, the weather never stopped me from venturing and learning more about Dublin, the Republic of Ireland, and Northern Ireland. So be prepared for the weather! That contributed a lot to how I would feel throughout my experience.