Stereotypes Of Global Citizenship

Spanish-American philosopher George Santayana once said, “A man’s feet should be planted in his own country, but his eyes should survey the world.” To me, global citizenship is the outlook that I strive to possess, while American citizenship is the root from which I grow. Moreover, there is a misconception that a proper American stays in America, that it is somehow unpatriotic to spend anything more than a vacation away from this country. I believe differently; I believe that a global perspective is indispensable in making me both a good global and national citizen.

My generation is inheriting an increasingly globalized world, as well as a place where many people are, in certain cases, still coping with the lack of basic human necessities,
However, the people in the poor community did not fit the typical stereotype. Although they lived in appalling conditions, they did not let their lack of privilege define them, and they were more cheerful than Americans often are in our own circumstances. I learned through this experience that, to countless people in the world, success is not defined as it is in America, and we cannot judge those in another culture as if they were part of our own. These people did not let their poverty define them, and in the same way we should not let our privilege define us. Our global perspective that we gain by traveling abroad and learning about different cultures must be used with our national citizenship and loyalties in order to effectively engage the world.

Contrary to some beliefs, it is not a choice between global and national citizenship, rather, I believe that they can build off and improve one another. In fact, I believe these two ideas can, and often do, coexist in the same person. Unlike your national citizenship, global citizenship is earned, and for me, part of that is widening my worldview by pursuing higher