We all are one!

I came from China, one of the most ancient countries, to pursue an advanced education in United States like hundreds of thousands of other young people from all over the world. U.S. has always attracted plenty of young talent, because we all believe this is a land of freedom, diversity, modernization and dreams.

Today people talk about global unity. What is so-called global unity? Does it mean one political system for a world government, under which everyone speaks one language, adopts the same regulations, all the barriers of free economic trade are eliminated and the diversity of ethnicity and culture are dissolved? No! It is an attitude about how you treat other people. I am now 10,000 miles away from my hometown. Even though I am very clear where I am rooted, I never feel like a foreigner in the U.S. My nationality is Chinese, but I define myself as a world being.

I always believe we all are one — we live in “one” world, we experience the same happiness or sadness. We all cherish those most valuable things, like family and friendship. Therefore, when I meet a person, all I think about is how to know them more, regardless of nationality, ethnicity, gender, age, sexuality and wealth. I never set up a wall unless I feel offended. I believe everybody has an intriguing story. If they would like to open themselves up to me, I would feel very much honored and blessed to listen to them and try to understand their life journey.

Luckily, I have been able to meet a huge diversity of people. However, sometimes I go through hardships when people are close-minded or define themselves as a certain group. It may make me feel frustrated, but I never lose hope. I am very appreciative about my experiences, which make my life more fulfilled. And I have met so many nice and intelligent people, whom I learned a lot from. Thanks to this, I became who I am now. I try to be humble, curious and accepting.

Sometimes I am thinking that people shut the door to others because they don’t know what it is like outside the door or how to open the door. For example, I was in charge of a program named “Friendship International,” where we match an international student with a local American family. I vividly remember how curious and excited they were when they participated in the program, how expectant and exhilarated they were when they met each other. They approached each other, cautiously explored the other’s world and then a brand-new world was opened for them. What a nice moment! Actually, I was one of those international students, too. My husband and I connected with our host family very well. We care about our relationship and will carry it on. The program is a venue which connects people. This example, together with lots of other things, makes me feel that most people are very genuine and lovely, which proves me right — we are all one.

Xiaowen Guo is an international student at Iowa State. She is currently pursuing a Master of Accounting and minor in Master of Business Administration. Before she came to the U.S., she obtained a Bachelor of Engineering and a Master of Science in Shanghai, China.