Identity Crisis… or not

When I was first asked the question, “Do you see yourself as a global citizen or do you identify more locally?” I answered with the latter; mainly because I had little idea of what it meant to be a global citizen, up until recently.

When I first heard the term “global citizenship” I associated it with the idea of “belonging to the world” or “multiple nations”. With this in mind, I automatically assumed that I could never be a global citizen seeing as how I’ve lived in the United States my entire life. Since then, I’ve come to realize that global citizenship means so much more: it means being aware of issues (social, political, and economic) across the globe, it means being empathetic towards others (including their cultures and traditions) no matter where they’re from, and most importantly it means coming together as one to make the world a better place. It was this definition of the term that truly opened my eyes and allowed me to see myself as a global citizen; allow me to explain.

Growing up in Los Angeles I’ve been exposed to a multitude of issues and cultures. In a city like this, hearing about the protests happening downtown, or interacting with someone from a different cultural background is pretty much inevitable. Instead of pushing these things away, I’ve embraced them and integrated them with who I am. For instance, the protests have encouraged me not to look the other way when there’s a crisis in the world, but instead to look for ways that I can help, whether it’s big or small. Similarly, when I encounter someone from a different cultural background I don’t look at them any differently compared to someone from my own. These are two things that I am incredibly proud of because they have allowed me to build a much better understanding of the world, and empower my identity as a global citizen.