An American Global Identity
The American narrative is evolving. In 1965, the Hart-Celler Act lifted racist immigration laws that only allowed Northern and Western Europeans to immigrate to the U.S. “The bill we sign today is not a revolutionary bill,” said President Johnson. America did not know that the new bill would significantly alter the ethnic makeup of the U.S. Since 1965, our nation’s narrative has changed drastically as the suppressed stories of immigrants and other minorities drift to the surface and make their way onto American soil. Not all Americans are treated equally by the government as well as the public, which typically leads to social conflict. This is fueled by people’s stagnant beliefs, such as the “othering” of minorities, in our changing cultural environment. America’s population is becoming increasingly diverse, therefore, Americans should adopt a global mindset in order to understand our true national narrative and create an inclusive and productive society.
As a Chinese American who has lived in China for six years, I find it difficult to identify with just my birth nation, America, when I feel a sense of belonging in both Beijing and California. Much of my identity is derived from the Asian American experience, Chinese culture, and the Mandarin language. This feeling of identifying with one’s cultural group is amplified among first-generation immigrants who make up 13% of the U.S. population. Many first and second-generation immigrants in America naturally drift toward people of the same cultural background because of our innate need for belonging. Examples of people finding a sense of cultural belonging in America include the gathering of people in Korean churches, USC’s student-led cultural organizations, or New York’s Little Italy and Chinatown. The diversification of the U.S. comes with the stitching of foreign cultures into the quilt of America’s evolving narrative.
To understand our past and current national narrative we must acknowledge the cultures we live among. In the 1850s, Chinese workers were alienated and blamed for stealing Americans’ jobs, which led to the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act. When the transcontinental railroad was completed, Chinese workers were not credited despite making up 90% of the railroad workforce. History repeated itself during Trump’s presidency when he blamed the Chinese for America’s failure in stopping the spread of the virus, and Mexicans for “taking our jobs.” Racist policies and sentiments plague America’s history, yet much of this is left out of our history textbooks. America’s historical narrative should be revised to reflect the mistreatment of non-white Americans and acknowledge their contributions to society because, without them, our nation would not have accumulated the amount of wealth we have today. Moving forward, the harmful alienation of minorities can be prevented by promoting a global cultural awareness that allows us to understand the reasons why people immigrate to the United States and the struggles they face after moving here.
Consequently, the acceptance of our fellow citizens’ cultures can lead to a more productive workforce. Harvard Business Review found that “nearly 95% of corporate board directors say diversity brings unique perspectives to the boardroom, and 84% say it enhances performance” Promoting a global identity in America means equipping people with the cultural competence needed to produce high-performance work environments. Cultural competence is the ability to understand and respect cultural differences. For companies, this means incorporating different communication styles, value systems, and workers’ individuality into the organization. The ability of workers to understand foreign cultures benefits companies and our economy as it improves workplace collaboration and innovation, helps companies expand into foreign markets, and increases employee satisfaction.
Along the same lines, having a global mindset in America will reduce social conflict. For instance, cultural competence training for America’s law enforcement can prevent conflict by reducing racial biases in policing, making America safer for citizens of all color. Social conflict usually occurs when individuals see differences as something that sets people apart from one another. However, acknowledging differences can be a catalyst for cultural and intellectual exchange, which will reduce misunderstandings and create safer environments for future generations and new immigrants. Protests against Trump’s Muslim travel ban and the global support of the Black Lives Matter movement reflect the public’s belief in looking past differences to fight systemic oppression. A global mindset encompasses this vision of reducing global inequality.
Here, some may argue that having a global mindset will distract us from solving important national issues. Admittedly, identifying nationally generates solidarity and willingness to act in the interests of the U.S. And as American citizens, we should certainly learn about who is struggling in our local communities before signing up for that volunteer abroad program. However, I argue that solving our current set of national issues requires the cultural competence that comes with having a global mindset. Addressing problems in America like unemployment, economic inequality, and COVID-19 solely through a national lens is insufficient because these issues are all in some way connected to the ethnic makeup of our country. Inequality and unemployment are more prevalent among certain racial groups than others. Looking back in history, we may find that the root of these problems is Americans’ lack of cultural empathy toward certain people of color. The pandemic had uneven effects on different racial groups and countries must work together to stop its spread. Racism is another national issue that can be alleviated if more Americans adopted a global mindset to understand how history and cultures have shaped our differences.
It is important for Americans to realize the benefits of cultural competence because, living among America’s diversifying population, exposure to cultures and beliefs different from our own is inevitable. As America undergoes its own globalization, being American is becoming increasingly synonymous with being a globally-minded citizen. For America to truly become a more productive nation, we must look at national and local issues through a global lens that doesn’t discriminate based on skin color, accent, eye shape, or hairstyle; a lens that tells the story of each individual. After all, these stories are the missing pieces of America’s incomplete history.
