What Does It Mean to be a Citizen of the World?

I'm half Mexican, half Southern white guy.  I'm a historian of US and Latin American history.  I grew up listening to hip hop, a beautiful culture created by black Americans.  My favorite video game genre is Japanese role playing game.  My favorite author is a queer black man, James Baldwin; my favorite director is Japanese director and legend of world cinema, Akira Kurosawa.  Some of my other favorite movies come from outside the US, from countries like Mexico, Sweden, Ireland, Korea, and Thailand.  My political philosophy is shaped by thinkers from all over the world. So is my fighting style, as I've trained martial arts from around the world.

I say this not to sound all worldly and special.  In fact, what I think is kind of cool is that I'm not that unique at all here.  We're all connected to the rest of the world in tons of ways.  There's a good chance that you, the reader, probably have a bunch of different connections to the rest of the world, too.  Which brings to mind the phrase "a citizen of the world", an idea I've always liked, but never thought about in depth until recently.

So, what does it mea to be a citizen of the world?

Usually when I make a post about some sort of question about society I have a concrete answer.  That answer then functions as a sort of thesis for my post, almost as if I'm writing a paper.  But this'll be a bit different.  I'm just going to reflect without any set answer.  I guess, if I have any thesis, it's that being a citizen of the world shouldn't mean just consuming goods, customs, and ideas from other parts of the world, but involve some sort of reciprocity.  Being a citizen of the world implies being part of a global human community, after all.  But what that means and what that looks like will be different for each of us.

What is a "Citizen of the World"?

Speaking of my favorite director Akira Kurosawa, in his "Something Like an Autobiography" memoir of his, there is a quote I really like:

"No matter where I go in the world, although I can't speak any foreign language, I don't feel out of place. I think of the earth as my home. If everyone thought this way, people might notice just how foolish international friction is, and they would put an end to it." 

Another quote I like is from Thomas Paine, one of the most fascinating founding fathers of the US (and, in my own personal view, perhaps the only one truly worth celebrating- but that is a different blog post).  It's short, sweet, and to the point:

"The world is my country, all mankind are my brethren, and to do good is my religion."

What stands out to me about these quotes is that they both provoke a call to action.  They're not just about appreciating other cultures, as neat and important as that is.  It's not only about what movies you watch, or what food you eat, or what languages you speak.  It's about how you relate to people around the world, how you're willing to connect to them, and why that matters.  For Kurosawa it matters to create a sense of global connectedness so we don't view each other with suspicion and hatred, while for Paine it matters that we do good to others, even if they're continents away.

A True Global Community

Above is a picture of Genki Sudo, a popular Japanese MMA star from the late '90s to mid '00s known for his flashy ring entrances.   Arguably his most famous moment, however, came neither during a walkout nor a fight.  It came right after.  After one of his victories in the early '00s, he help up a banner with all the world's flags saying "we are all one" in front of a cheering crowd with complete sincerity.  It's a sweet moment that is remembered fondly by many across the sport, even those whose entire worldview goes against what Sudo was saying.

MMA is a perfect microcosm of how much being a "global citizen" can matter, but often doesn't.  What I mean is: MMA is a sport that displays amazing martial art techniques from all over the world and celebrates "we are all one" signs.  Yet it also has a huge problem with racists and other far right hate figures, dating back to a forefather with ties to the Brazilian fascists in the 1930s.  So, what's the point of a "global" culture of it can create such close-minded, xenophobic views?  Is patting yourself on the back for being worldly worth anything if it can be twisted into something so rotten?  Is "global citizen" something even worth aspiring toward if you might end up with something that goes directly against those values?

I think it is worth it.  But we must approach it the right way.  Calling yourself a global citizen and creating a list of ways you're inspired by other cultures isn't enough.  What I said about myself at the beginning of this post isn't enough, because it's just me defining myself by how much I benefit from the rest of the world.  It's all about what I want, what I like.  By watching foreign films you like or training martial arts you find effective or befriending people from places you find interesting, you're only thinking of the world in terms of what it can offer you.  Which, to an extent, isn't bad!  There are many beautiful things, ideas, and people around the world.  Why not watch some Kurosawa films and read some James Baldwin books and strike up a conversation with someone from a different homeland than you?

But what about what we give back?  Genki Sudo is now a politician in Japan, a member of their House of Councillors (roughly the equivalent of our Senate).  His three main policy concerns are food safety, global environmental protection, and a foreign policy involved in peace.  Another self proclaimed citizen of the world, socialist politician and labor leader Eugene Debs, said "I have no country to fight for; my country is the earth, and I am a citizen of the world."  Aside from fighting for all the things you'd expect a socialist to fight for, like worker rights and economic democracy, he was also arrested for speaking out against World War 1 (the one where there were no clear bad guys, unlike World War 2).  He did so because he was willing to risk his freedom to oppose sending young men to die in vast numbers in a brutal, senseless war against the young men of Germany, Turkey, and elsewhere.

Closing Thoughts

So what does it mean to be a citizen of the world?  I don't know.  I'll probably never have an exact definition in my head.

What I do know, though, is that it can't just be a matter of what we like about other cultures.  It can't just be about us picking and choosing what we like, as if the world owes us everything while we owe it and the people in it nothing.  If it's to mean anything worthwhile at all, it should mean taking part in a way where there is both give and take.  I can watch Kurosawa movies and train Brazilian jiu-jitsu, but I also have to care about people from these places too.

Thanks for reading!