As a first generation American-born citizen, I’ve had the privilege to grow up in an environment where my cross-cultural experiences have shaped me and influenced my perspectives on the things that define me.
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Growing up, I was always fascinated observing Russia and America engage in a power struggle within the world. As someone who grew up with an American upbringing in a Russian household, I could not understand why these two cultures were always exchanging various undiplomatic tit-for-tats. If the Russian and American parts of me were able to peacefully coexist, why was that not mirrored in the real world?
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It often seems to me that people in the 21st Century are both closer and farther apart. People nowadays are more aware of societies and cultures detached from their own, both geographically and culturally. However, there’s also a certain comprehension that can only be achieved through immersing yourself in unknown situations and places. It’s true that through pictures, one can discover and recognize foreign cultures. However, pictures are only a snapshot in time.
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I decided to apply for this RGLP because I thought it would allow me the opportunity to eliminate culture shock when immersed in a foreign environment. Exposure of this nature would be beneficial both to my personal and career goals. Initially, I thought that the means to accomplish this goal would be to amend the way I was thinking about foreign cultural practices. In reality, RGLP showed me that the most significant obstacle in my path to international understanding was the way I viewed my own culture.
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When reflecting upon comedy and its role in facilitating cross-cultural conversations, Sadhana shared that humor depends ultimately on trust; jokes can serve to challenge our comfort zones and engage us in meaningful conversations as long they are made in good faith. Comedians fill a unique position in society as they are expected to push the boundary and direct attention to issues in a way that does not attack any single group of people but invites us all to think and reflect more deeply upon our own experiences.
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