My World Wide Experiences as a Global Citizen

Global citizenship, like any other citizenship is something that must be earned. Not through a test, or by meeting a series of requirements, but by acquiring a general understanding of cultures from around the world. This improved understanding of culture leads to a more passive environment and a decrease in tension among neighboring countries. Personally, I identify as a global citizen because I feel like I have gained this improved understanding of cultures and beliefs systems, as well as an open mind, through my experiences in other places around the world.

Growing up as the son of a Brazilian immigrant in New York, the culture of my home country played an important role in my childhood. Be it reading comic books in Portuguese, or learning the language through my Brazilian babysitter, I began to learn and understand my culture better. Fast forward five years, and my family had moved to Brazil. Growing up with the background of brazilian culture that I had, I thought I would feel right at home. I was wrong. The lack of economic inequality that was extremely prevalent in Brazil made me think: if there are people back home with enough money to buy a mansion in every corner of the globe and still ensure that their future generations would not have to work a day in their life, why are there millions of people living in favelas with less than a hundred dollars to their name?

After a few years, my family moved to Miami, a city full of immigrants from all over Latin America. When I was introduced to my friend’s families, it was made clear to me how large of a role their culture played in their lives. My Spanish friend would have paella every Sunday afternoon with his family, and my friend who was half Cuban and half Argentinian would have choripan and tostones.

Coming back to New York, I was very soon introduced to a suburban lifestyle that hadn’t been a part of my life for a decade. I was shocked by the amount of conformity, and lack of disparity amongst my classmates. It made me stick out like a sore thumb and made it more difficult for me to communicate comfortably and efficiently with my classmates. It felt like every guy I met in my freshman year of high school was indistinguishable from the last.

Four years later, it was clear which of those peers had matured, and taken an interest in learning about world cultures and not just what was affecting them and their immediate community. Unfortunately it was the vast majority who acted the same way throughout all of high school. Fortunately, however, it was those who had grown and expanded their interests that became my closest friends.

Some people may be content with concerning themselves with what is happening in their immediate surroundings and caring more about the politics of their friend groups than those of the rest of the world. However, I feel that it is incredibly more important, especially as we are becoming adults, to not only be knowledgeable but try to understand the way that our world works.