Ancillary #2–9AM. Identification As a National or Global Citizen
Although the current process of globalization has made people from different countries more closely connected to each other than before, people still hold different opinions when it comes to identifying themselves as national or global citizens. National citizens believe that they should put national interests in the first place while global citizens feel that they have a responsibility to make the world a better place. From my perspective, I regard myself as a global citizen because my personal experiences enable me to be more empathetic towards the world around us.
Though I am not an American citizen, I was born and raised in a country where people put an emphasis on English and global education. There, you can see children in kindergarten already starting to memorize the English alphabet and students in elementary school already reading English novels and watching American films and TV shows. Some people may even pick up a third language when they are in college. Parents would take their children to travel abroad during vacations or even send them to study overseas. My parents, as well as many others, believe that having a global education can help their children to become global-minded, and have the ability to see things from different perspectives. Growing in such a culturally-inclusive environment has evidently cultivated my deep interest in other countries. I love learning about the literature, history, and people of other countries, and have become more empathetic towards cultures that are different from mine.
Some people may argue that even though global citizens are empathetic, it is impossible for them to fully take up the responsibility to help other nations and handle world crises. They expect global citizens to actively participate in solving world problems such as ending hunger, poverty, or inequality. In my opinion, global citizens can certainly work on these issues, but we should not simply reject their identity if they are unable to end the problems. The most important things for a global citizen to possess are an open mind and a global perspective that can be used to understand other nations. However, a global perspective does not simply mean to watch world news, it means you have to visit that country, communicate with the people there, and learn about their cultures and ideas. I have met other global citizens who have either visited my country or lived there for a long time. Instead of criticizing my country based on what was reported in the news, they asked me for my opinion and tried to generate a different perspective towards the issue. Often times, they said that they find the actions taken by both countries are reasonable. These experiences taught me more about what I should do as a global citizen. I learned that I should not judge other countries because I do not completely know about their situation and their culture. I will always try to learn more about this country and think about the issue from their perspective before having my own conclusion.
Being a global citizen is not easy, but I do believe that the open-mindedness and the empathy that a global citizen possess can make the world a better place.
