Kiya Arnold
The Ends of Globalization
2 min readJan 27, 2021

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This question of whether one identifies nationally, ethnically, or globally really depends on how it is interpreted. When I first read the question, I immediately knew I considered myself a global citizen, but that is because of the associations I made with the phrase. A global citizen to me is someone who is empathetic, who embraces diversity in culture, and who seeks new perspectives from those who may not necessarily look like myself. For some, they may be able to say they identify nationally, but still, embrace the diversity of others. As an American, I cannot say this. I know my country, at this current moment, does not embrace diversity, and therefore I cannot identify nationally. A global citizen respects and seeks connection with everyone in the human race no matter their skin color, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, etc. These are the same values I was raised on when I was a child. As demonstrated by the recent white supremacist riot in the US capitol on January 6th, my country does not align with such values. It is the hatred that is still rooted in our country that caused me to have such an immediate reaction to this question. It is this same hatred that had made me realize it’s more important now than ever to be a global citizen. A global citizen is someone who recognizes the wrong within their country and the change that needs to take place within their own region in order to achieve global harmony. As a global citizen, I want awareness for entire the human race. I want awareness of the variety of cultures that exist. I want awareness for the needs of others, and the mistreatment of so many. In order to achieve such awareness, it has to start with my country. It needs to occur at the government level, where representatives can reevaluate the needs of different cultures and how to ensure not just equality, but equity as well. In order to reach the government level, the movement for global awareness has to start at the individual level, which is why I absolutely identify as a global citizen.

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