A bit about myself
Other than some elementary school years spent in China, I’ve spent my entire life living in Canada. Though my parents are Chinese, I see myself as Canadian and resonate more with Western ideology because of my upbringing. Therefore, I’ll be discussing the viewpoints I had internalized from North American society.
Main takeaway
Before this trip, I believed that the world revolved around North America, specifically the United States and Canada. However, after making friends from Belgium, South Africa, Lithuania, and Latvia during my two-week stay in Romania, I see clearer now.
The European and African chess players introduced their countries after saying where they were from. They deconstructed cultural stereotypes; for example, the white South Africans explained the racial makeup of their country. I needed their introductions because I knew very little about my new friends’ countries. However, I didn’t explain much about Canada because I assumed that everyone was familiar with Canada’s culture. I believed that only “positive” Canadian stereotypes existed, for example, the belief that Canadians are very polite.
I don’t blame my school education for my ignorance about other countries and my self-centeredness about my own. I blame my lack of awareness and self-education. The ugly truth is, as a Canadian, all the conversations I had, the news I consumed, and the entertainment I watched made me think that North America is the most influential continent. My skewed perception prevented me from seeking common knowledge about the languages, politics, and climates of the rest of the world.
Before chess matches, I didn’t recognize many of my opponents’ country flags nor the abbreviations of their countries’ names beside their name tags. I thought many kids in every country owned Apple products, which are ubiquitous in Canada and the US. During discussions, I was surprised by the differences between the education systems and economies in North America versus Europe or Africa, but I shouldn’t be – why should they be the same in the first place? I learned that North America is not the center of the universe. It is only one of the seven equally-important continents we have.
The conversations I had during the WYCC enabled me to acknowledge my personal biases. Although my previous ignorance is not something I’m proud of, examining it is required to become a more educated individual. In the short term, I am beginning to read Global news rather than only US & Canadian news; I’m subscribing to more International travel channels on Youtube instead of watching 20 “Paris travel vlogs” like before. A new long-term goal of mine is to save up for traveling: not the superficial type of traveling where people stay in five-star hotels and devour Americanized cuisines, but the type of traveling where people visit local villages and immerse into the non-touristy, authentic traditions of a place. This way, I can understand more about how I can make more contributions to the world rather than only taking pleasure in tourism.
Final Reflection
I returned to Toronto more than two months ago, and I still have a lot about internationalism and multiculturalism to discover and reflect upon. To become a true global citizen, I want to at least know basic information about the country someone’s from the next time I make international friends. If we all strive to learn more about other countries and cultures, the world might become less divided and fragmented.
Be authentic, be vulnerable
Elena 💓
If you’re interested in seeing what A day in my life at the World Youth Chess Championship looked like, feel free to check it out!