Questioning and Redefining My American Identity Abroad in the Post-American World

No matter where you are in life, have you ever encountered a dilemma where you didn't know what happened? Or how you came to an awkward conclusion? Sometimes, we'd rather take the easy way out and just ignore the confusion. However, in the back of your head, you're thinking, "I know it's going to bite me in the near future." It may be a little thought but you did think about it.

I studied abroad at Bangor University in Bangor, a small, northwestern town in Wales in Spring semester of this year. Although my courses were in film and ethical and global journalism, I wasn't anticipating on questioning my identity in an international setting.

At orientation in January in London, the staff indicated that most of our perspectives about America and the world would change. I already knew the differences between American and global journalism in the 21st century, but this information was known from an American perspective, not a British perspective.

We started classes in February and was asked to introduce myself to one of my journalism classes. "Hello everyone, My name is Viral and I am a senior International Studies major from Arcadia University in America," I said in my first class. "Cool," a student said, "so how does it feel to be an American in Britain?"

I thought, in America, "I am and always have known that I was an Indian-American. Now that I am abroad, I am known only as an American?" I was very confused and nervous because I didn't know how to respond except, "It's good, I enjoy it." This is one of those situations where I did all of the research I could about my journey but identity and cross-cultural communications just wasn't in my guidebook.

After my first day of classes, I went to my apartment and pondered upon these questions: What is my identity in Wales? How about the entire United Kingdom? Am I an American? An Indian? An Indian-American? Can I choose which one? Or will my new society redefine my personal definition of home and identity based on their perspectives of where I come from?

Wow...that's too much to think about when keeping up with classes and extracurricular excursions since the process was non-stop!

It was so amazing that the first day of class just makes you think about how others view your identity, but sometimes it takes time to know the difference between race and nationality. Although identity relations and issues occur in educational settings, what about social experiences such as grabbing ice cream or going out for lunch? How can us Americans deal with cross-cultural dilemmas abroad if, sometimes, we have little experience in our own country?

In contrast, this question reminds me of two books I started to read by John Kao, Innovation Nation, and Fareed Zakharia's book, The Post-American World. To summarize, John Kao's book provides an in-depth analysis of America's direction in innovative thinking, its downfall and how our nation can get it back. Similarly, Zakharia describes the economies of India and China and how those two countries are and will be shaping tomorrow's economic perspectives, hence the book is called The Post-American World.

Rhetorically, the arms race has been replaced by an innovative race or a cranial race. Instead of who can get there the fastest, the competition has increased to who can get from point A to B with the most innovative engine or machine?

These two books relate to my experience because I did not anticipate my new environment to assume an identity for me. Also, whilst studying abroad, not only in Wales, but around the UK, I was living in a Post-American World because American innovations were rare. Although McDonald's did exist, culture and heritage thrived among every street and corner that arised a balance to tradition versus modern. The first day of class was more of a wake up call to be alert of questioning my identity abroad.

In the Preface of Innovation Nation, author John Kao writes about his experience as a medical student at Yale University where one of his cases represented America's direction in the 21st century. Anosognosia is when the patient denies he/she has had a stroke and is paralyzed in the left arm and leg. The only way to revive the truth, mentally, is squirting ice water in the patient's left ear. John Kao attempts to squirt ice water in America's ear, whereas my first day of class was shocking from my environment squirting ice water in both of my ears.

My question to you, my fellow colleagues, is does it really matter to step back, question, and redefine our American identity in various settings and places? Do you agree or disagree? Why?