A Global Mindset
Global citizenship is, as I define it, the concept of placing our existence as human beings before any arbitrary lines of national, ethnic, or religious division. If then it is such a mindset, rather than solely a politically governing ideology, I consider myself to be part of it. Though I do subscribe to the nations in which I hold documented citizenship, I rather prioritise achieving the basic needs of placing all humans of the globe on equal and level ground before seeking to achieve the political gains of individual nations often at the expense of others. In other words, perhaps I am not entirely one who fully accepts global citizenship, but rather one who rejects national/ethnic citizenship.
Such rejection stems quite directly from my upbringing. My mother, a Punjabi Hindu, and my father, a Keralan Hindu, moved from India to London, England a year before my birth, and after twelve years, we then moved to Ohio. As such, my immediate family and I have been surrounded by people who ‘were not like us’ ethnically for much of our lives, giving us much experience in environments whose populations mirror much of the globe. In conversation, if we are to define ourselves geographically, we often say we are ‘Londoners’ first, as well as being Indians, Hindus, etc. not just because of the British citizenship we hold among others, but because of the ethnically, economically, and socially diverse city with which our ideals match, and our goal to always hold all people with equal reverence.
Our mindset, however, rarely finds commonality with those of our extended family. With growing nationalistic sentiment particularly in America and in India, our cousins and grandparents often voice their Islamophobia, Indian nationalist sentiments, and notions of Hindu superiority with such hate that it shines a spotlight for me on the upsetting consequences of strictly holding national/ethnic citizenship and identity. Besides, though it may be a stretch, I find such sentiments eerily similar to gender/sex inequity in that they are rooted in a notion of superiority over other sects of humanity. Such thoughts upset me, particularly because my sense of global citizenship stems partly from my beliefs as a Hindu; The Vedas teach that all beings are avatars of God, and therefore are divine and are One.
I find more identity in a Oneness of humanity rather than subscribing primarily to the divisions that we define ourselves with. Keep in mind, however, I speak only in terms of the hatred that national/ethnic citizenship can bring, and I am not speaking about global efficiency at this point, only of mindset.
