Globalization: It's a small world afterall

I know there has been times where you have ran into someone from your past that you thought you never would see again. Today, at the Minnesota airport I thought I saw someone from college. It reminded me about how small the world is. This could possibly confirm the theory of Six Degrees of Separation. The more I travel around the world I realize that this is very much true. The wildest story that I have is when I was in Australia a few years back and I was walking across a random bridge in Brisbane and a girl passed by me and said “was you in Madrid, Spain two months ago”. I responded with a bewildered face “yes, how do you know that?” She answered that she had been in an Irish pub when I was introduced to her and one of her friends. This was amazing that half way around the world in another country I would run into someone for a second time that I met on the other side of the world. As technology increases and flight travel becomes second nature the world is becoming one big global village.

Dubai - a mix of Disneyworld and Vegas, but better

I was on the plane flying to North Carolina today and wish I had a 3 day layover in this city. Dubai is the next place in the world I want to visit. Check out this list.

• The worlds only 7-Star hotel (Burj al-Arab)
• Tiger Woods' first designed golf course
• Soon to be the tallest building in the world
• Worlds largest indoor ski resort

Top celebrities around the world are building their summer homes there. This is the hottest destination in the world and you never hear anything about it. This is a damn shame; sometimes I feel I am living in an American box without any kind of knowledge about the world outside of the CNN, MSNBC and FOX news wall. Google “Dubai” and see for yourself the greatest destination in the world you never hear about.

Hispanic is not a race

This is a misconception among many. There are black, white, native, and Asian Hispanics across all of Latin America. For example, the country of Peru is actually quite diverse. There are a mix of white Peruvians originating from Europe, Afro-Peruvians originating from African and Asian-Peruvians originating from Japan and China, and the native Peruvians that were there. This mix was a result of immigration throughout the history of the country to form the current demographics of Peru. The term Hispanic could be compared to the term “American”, which includes many races, cultures and subcultures. When we think of “Hispanic” this shouldn’t be any different then how we think of the term American.

Being multicultural

Being multicultural means having an understanding and appreciation for more than one culture. Many people have not taken the time to explore the history and ways of life of other cultures. This does not mean you have to travel to another country or look half way across the globe to find it. Right here in America there are a multitude of various cultures.

What do you know about the history and the cultural values of African-Americans or Hispanics? And just saying that you have a black or Latino friend does not count. It’s a feeling deep down, that you have a love and understanding of the underlying values and concepts of the culture. It’s an understanding of why and how they react to their environment and accepting these values and not simply tolerating them. Once this happens, a whole new world opens up and you are able to relate to many more people.

Alumnus offers a novel approach to learning languages

With an intense desire to learn Spanish and understanding the needs of the language-learning market, alumnus Archie Jeter (IMBA ’06) has created an innovative alternative to traditional Spanish lessons. In 2003, Jeter graduated from Northwest Missouri State University, where his interest in international cultures began. As an undergraduate, he studied in Madrid, Spain, and Brisbane, Australia. Click here to continue story.....