I see the experience of writing this essay as a chance to explore something I am personally related to and passionate about. As an international student myself, I have been struggling with the ambivalent impulse to fit in this westernized society and, at the same time, to maintain my original identity. As a student minoring in psychology, I have always been interested in human nature and instinct and how they determine people’s behaviors on a daily basis. Therefore, I was caught by Marcelo Gleiser’s point of view that the evolved and ingrained tribal tendency of human nature makes globalization unattainable. However, the contradictory cases I read in Julie Traves’s essay “The Church of Please and Thank You” and in Jhumpa Lahiri’s novel The Namesake resonated with me and inspired my decision to base my final paper on the debate about whether cultural homogenization can realistically occur and whether minority cultures will eventually die out without any intervention. Although I initially found the tribalism perspective plausible in every case, it occurred to me that our consciousness and rationality play a significant role in the possibility of cultural assimilation. During the writing process, I came to realize that to achieve globalization and cultural unification in a favorable way, it is important to remain aware and respectful of one’s heritage, but also critical, to discern the most effective path for progress.
YUN LI is an international student born and raised in Shanghai, China. As a rising sophomore, she was just accepted to the Questrom School of Business but has not yet decided on her concentration. Despite her pursuit of business, which is mostly what her parents expect from her, her true passion lies in literature and psychology, which she has declared as her minor. Writing is a big part of Yun’s life. Fascinated by what words can communicate and how they can heal and comfort, she takes up writing as a source of relief and as a way of expressing herself. Coming to the United States for college, away from her family and hometown, has been a giant leap for her and is a path full of unexpected challenges and hurdles. Yun is still adjusting to the foreign environment and struggling with the transition, but she is optimistic about the adventure ahead. Yun would like to offer great gratitude to her WR 098 professor, Lesley Yoder, for her patience and significant help on her papers. Only with her help could Yun achieve great improvement in her writing skills and get this opportunity to have her essay published. Thanks to Professor Yoder’s warm and encouraging class environment, Yun has learned to get fully involved in class discussions and to express her thoughts with confidence.