Throughout my journey, I had different experiences with people who made it clear that they disliked the United States. In Vietnam, my friends and I were seated at a table close to a group of travelers who we learned were from Australia, South America and various parts of Europe. After we sat down, they stated, "Oh, you guys aren't from America are you?" and when we said yes, each person at the table put their hands on their head and groaned. One said, "We've avoided Americans up until now." It made us uncomfortable that we had to sit next to them for the night. We were embarrassed and confused as to how they could dislike us without ever meeting us. But no matter how I might have felt in that situation, it is nothing compared to how minorities and people of color may feel every day. I had friends who were refused service from a restaurant in Japan. Because there was a language barrier, they couldn't understand why they were being kicked out of a restaurant, even though it was dinner hours and there were empty tables inside. The only difference that they could tell between the people that were allowed to eat at the restaurant and themselves was that they were black.
Understanding and recognizing different perspectives is crucial to be a global citizen.
