The Great Divide

Throughout history, we've fought to support people of our cultures, to stick together and find strength in numbers. However, what happens when we take this too far? When we look out for our own, and only our own?

Simple: we become divided as a people. We cave in, sticking only with those who are similar to us. We tell ourselves that it's simply easier this way, although we have no prejudices against other cultures or sorts of people. Still, today, as much as it pains us to admit it, we often separate ourselves like this. I was able to see this happen right in front of me when I switched schools at the start of high school, moving to a private school that had a partnership with a school in China. They continuously worked to send students from the Chinese school to our New Jersey based one, and occasionally sent some of our students there for visits.

Seeing it In Action

I'd always loved the Chinese culture, for its traditions, food, attire, history, you name it. Upon meeting many of the students that had come from a few different parts of China including Shanghai, I was immediately intrigued. I wanted to be close friends with them, and form bonds like those I had with my other friends. However, this proved to be a bit more difficult.

Understandably so, the students from China preferred to speak Chinese among themselves rather than English with us, as it was simply easier. Thus, they preferred to stick together, because as I said previously, it simply was easier. Understanding our nuances, behaviors and such simply wasn't easy- but nothing worth doing ever is.

Making Change

See, we make these separations without even intending to do so. The students I previously referred to stuck together only because they had a common language and culture that made it more convenient and easy to understand one another. In our vastly multicultural world, however, there always has to be one person to step forth and break down the walls that divide our cultures. Last year, I chose to be that person.

I continued to talk with a few particular international students, sat with them at lunch, and even enrolled in Chinese classes to try and understand them better, or at least show them that I am making a conscious effort to do so. She reciprocated as one should try to, inviting me out or perhaps sending me the occasional photo. With time, the cultural gaps that divided us closed, leaving only the humans that we were behind all of it for us to see, and leaving me and one girl in particular inseparable. Today, I do not call her my friend. I call her my family.

Branching out in such a way is certainly a lot of give and take, I will admit. However, there can be no taking if no one ever takes the chance to give a little. With that, I must thank my best friend, Jessie, for taking when I took the chance to give, and taking the chance to give it right back to me. I'm truly blessed to have met you, and whether we're a few miles away or an entire world apart, our hearts shall always remain together.