The moment I entered this world, I became a citizen of the United States of America. Before I was named, I already had responsibilities and duties to withhold for the benefit of my country. As I went through the American education system, I was taught in Geography of the intangible lines that separate land into countries. I was taught in history of the nationalism that inspired unity within each border but division throughout the world. Always, I was told and encouraged to remain a good and proud citizen of the best country in the world.
It wasn’t until I was 18 years old that I decided to question the most predetermined part of my identity by living in a country that I was foreign to. I now start to ask why it is emphasized all over the world to be a prideful member of only your own country. I challenge the belief that I should remain a good American. Instead, my experience has driven me to believe that what the human race is really in need of are prideful, loyal, and responsible citizens of the world.
Living in Brazil, I experienced a moment in which I realized that the people I had seen as foreign were, besides a different language and set of physical traits, evidently similar to myself. The laughter I shared there is no different than the laughter back home, and the hopes, dreams, and anguish of each person so intricately matched what I had seen in my own country.
Feelings of overwhelming anger, sadness and confusion started to consume my thoughts of the acts of hatred happening around the world. Human beings are ruthlessly murdering each other; they are murdering people that are so alike to their own loved ones, and it is because they are convinced that the division of each country and the varying beliefs make them different species. We neglect and dehumanize those around the world because we assume they are dissimilar.
Unfortunately, these borders have done more than separate land. They have created stereotypes and emotional barriers between human beings. That year abroad, I realized this tragedy, and still today, it fuels my motivation to no longer consider myself a citizen of the United States but a citizen of the world. The relationships of friendship and family I created there in Brazil drive me to fight for the wellness of human beings, in addition to the wellness of my country.
Although world peace is impossible now because the very essence of the human condition is flawed, I will take action to motivate others to stop looking at culturally different people with a negative perception. This in turn with hopefully make at least a small impact on the current lack of sympathy illustrated in the news each day. Promoting citizenship for one’s country has good intentions, but it should be global citizenship that is promoted and taught.
I now firmly disagree that we should be informed more about our national rights and duties in the education system than our human rights and responsibilities. Creating a global family in a foreign culture educated me more about being a person than an American. Graciously accepted into another culture, I feel so inspired to give the love I received abroad to others around the world in hopes of uniting the planet person by person. My life preceding Brazil, I had perceived it all wrong. Before I was named, I had the responsibilities and duties to withhold for the benefit of humanity. The moment I entered this world, I became a global citizen.
