As a Southeast Asian male studying in a foreign country, I find my positionality to be one of inquisitiveness, respect, and acknowledgment of privilege. Coming to the US, I find that one thing I frequently see myself subconsciously doing is learning and absorbing from different cultures I find around me. This is something I expect to be doing all throughout my three-more years here at Wesleyan, which is something I am extremely grateful for. That said, this has shaped my standpoint because it has allowed me to find the beauty and uniqueness in the cultures of those who are different from me. This is something I find to be very beautiful, but it is also something I acknowledge has been granted to me as a privilege – learning from the world is a lesson not many have. That said, this has provided me with a new take on why inquisitiveness, respect, and acknowledgment of privilege are important in studying intercultural communication – it emphasizes that the world is big and there does not exist only a single type of cultural identity. Through this new perspective, I find that I am able to study intercultural communication with an open mind and heart, breeding a culture of acceptance within my community.
