Growing up between homes in California and Beijing, I've been lucky enough to have been exposed to a variety of cultures. I would like to share some of the international perspectives I've encountered, beginning with an interview of my two best friends from attending international school abroad. Their points of view are only two in a world of more than 7 billion, but perhaps they will offer a fresh dimension on contemporary world issues than seen in the American mainstream.

What, in your opinion, is the most pressing issue facing the world today and why?

Aimee Watts, British-Japanese, lived in Beijing and attended high school in Rio de Janeiro:

There are quite a lot of issues jostling for that number one position! From climate change to the refugee crisis to increasing terrorism, the world our generation will inherit is shaping up to be a troubled one.

I think the common thread that links these (and the many other issues facing our world today) is the current insufficiency of countries working together. For example, we need to have a multilateral approach to global warming, building on the Paris Agreement of 2015, to combat this particular issue looming over us — we can’t have, for instance, China, Japan and the U.K. agreeing to cut down on emissions, while the U.S. and India continue on regardless. In the same way, the refugee crisis cannot be resolved by the actions of any one sole country; other nations need to agree to take in quotas of refugees, to donate a certain amount to camps, and most importantly to lend a hand to stabilizing efforts to the conflict causing the crisis in the first place. Terrorism, too, needs an international approach; the November 13 attackers, for example, were successfully caught because Belgian and French forces worked together. On the other hand, conflict between nations (such as the U.S. and Iraq) was what contributed to the rise of terrorist groups such as ISIS. The current sub-par standard of collaboration among nations needs to be improved; it is the root and the solution to the problems facing our world today.

What, in your opinion, is the most pressing issue facing the United States today and why?

Beverly Tan, Singaporean, lived in Beijing in an international school setting for 11 years:

I feel that self-interest is the worst problem. Whether it comes in the form of intense patriotism, where people are caught up in their own superiority, or the issue with money in politics, where politicians change their views and decisions solely because of greed. Whether it comes in the form of veganism, where everyone’s thinking about temporary bliss rather than long-term impacts, or the environment, where resources are wasted because of convenience. When it comes to gun control or any rights, people tend to prioritize their wants over others’ needs. Of course there are many issues and this is just one of them, but I feel that self-interest is also the driving factor for many of the issues in the U.S., including racism.

How are you affected by world affairs in a way American teens may not be?

Watts: As a British citizen, Brexit will directly impact my life. My ability to study, work, and live in Europe has been dramatically cut in two. I’m also worried because Brexit is a symptom of a backlash against the liberal trends we’ve been seeing. It’s manifested in racism — for example, against Polish residents — and works against diversity rather than for it.

What sources influence your knowledge base and opinions and what biases may these sources have?

Watts: I tend to read more liberal newspapers and on top of that, I have a father who works as a journalist at one of the most (hippy) left-wing, liberal newspapers in the UK (The Guardian). So I think in general, the sources of knowledge in my life are very much overwhelmingly liberal. I’m very conscious of that.

Tan: I talk to my dad a lot when it comes to the news and he reads the Straits Times, a Singaporean-based publication. I feel that Singapore is one of the countries that tries to be as unbiased as possible. I also really like to watch John Oliver — he talks about a lot of issues that slip through the cracks. It’s a very liberal perspective, but I feel as though I am finding out the truth from his segments. I am exposed to a lot of different opinions so I feel that I can choose my own. In addition to the sources I talked about, I live in China where people have different views, and I’m a big part of the international community with friends from around the world, so I hear a variety of opinions. Of course, my opinion will never be as pure as the people who are truly experiencing whatever is happening, but I feel like I hear enough perspectives to make a generally well-informed decision.

How would you compare your perspective on world affairs to what you know of the youth in the U.S.?

Tan: I don’t think one perspective is never more inherently right than another, but I think that it’s incredibly important to be open minded and always ask questions — to question what is right. Whenever we’re comfortable with something (a situation, an answer to a certain question), we have the tendency of getting stuck in a certain mindset, of seeing the world in one way.

I feel that I can relate to different cultures more because of my background and history, but I don’t really know the experience of a typical American teenager. I think it’s important to admit our ignorance and acknowledge our naivety when speaking about cultures we don't know much about. It's okay to admit that you don’t know something or you aren’t as well-informed as you’d like to be.