Borderless Map
Some people call us rootless. Us - whom Japanese people call "inter sodachi" - People who went to an international/American school. But I argue otherwise.
We are different. We are not Americans or Europeans. But we are not traditional Japanese who grew up in Japanese schools either (Our school doesn't even use Japanese and adopts the U.S./European curriculum). We are so used to being labeled as outsiders in both our home country and overseas.
Many of us have struggled with this question: Where do we belong? This question had nagged me for a long time until recently. Since my teenage years, I had been longing for a sense of belonging (Probably that's why I thought of joining Pi Beta Phi when I was a sophomore in college. I don’t know why I thought better of pledging at the last minute - the only regret I have in college). But strangely, I enjoy the independence.
Recently, I have realized the superpower that comes with my background. The ability to eliminate preconceptions. The ability to understand and empathize with people in the context of their backgrounds and life stories. My curiosity to understand the people and culture urges me to explore and interact with locals. At cafes and bars, I enjoy striking up a conversation with strangers (this feels so liberating when you live in Japan where people will look at you as if you are an exotic animal if you talk to strangers in public places).
When I’m on multiple international work trips, I sometimes lose sense of where I’m at. But strangely, it feels comfortable and liberating. Because no matter how the city, food, language, and culture are different, I see the commonalities. I often experience Déjà vu moments when talking with Uber/cab drivers and bartenders - I remember having the same conversation in Melbourne, Fremont, Barcelona, and Milan. We all complain about our country's politics and healthcare system, and the nature of our complaints is so similar. We cheer for our favorite teams (be it rugby, cricket, or football) at sports bars. We smile when someone likes our home country's culture. I'm looking at a borderless map.
Cultural awareness has helped me tremendously from healthcare to auditing in multiple countries. I have been able to establish rapport and adapt my work style without compromising my principles. You can't learn this by book reading or just traveling. You need to live it. The process is full of trials and errors, asking painful questions to myself, interpersonal conflicts, and self-awareness. You can't define normal because it's all relative. Normal compared to what? Being normal is boring anyway. This attitude has helped me stay true to what I value.
As my friend Rachel says, our discovery of superpower is a small chapter in our life that goes into our book of success and fulfillment. I'm not rootless. I’m resilient. I’m adaptable. My root is borderless with a strong pride in my heritage culture. And now I am writing a new chapter where I use my superpower to promote cross-cultural communication in health and science.
Good post! Do you think it's possible to form "communities" of rootless people? Or are rootless people always, at some level, without a community?