Reflections on American Society from Georgetown University

Graduation is just around the corner. In one week’s time, I will be in possession of a degree from Georgetown University, one of the oldest Jesuit schools in the United States. It marks a transition in my life, as I will be moving to a new city, a new university, in order to continue my studies at the graduate level.

My time at Georgetown was valuable. I’m not the sort of person to show much school spirit. I’m not a party-person. Being a cheapskate, I like to stay home and save money. Nevertheless, I have to thank Georgetown for opening my eyes to the world. When I came into the school as a freshman, I was rather clueless about the way things worked in this part of the world. Four years later, I won’t pretend that I know it all, or that I am properly mature and grown up yet; far from it, I have a lot more to learn. However, I do like to think that me having come into contact with a bunch of interesting people has helped me along this path. Do note that these are “reflections”, and do not constitute an essay with a “point”, so there will be an element of rambling to it. The purpose of this piece is to paint a portrait, no matter how fuzzy, of my impressions of America as seen from Georgetown.

At the risk of over-generalizing, American undergraduates tend to be exuberant and full of energy. Despite the bad economy, the United States is still chock-full of opportunities for those who are willing to seek it out, and many indeed do. Students here (or at least the ones I tend to mix with) are always up to something, and are forever looking for and finding opportunity. I am always astounded by the sheer brightness and intelligence of some young people here. Uptight old-Worlders may sneer, but the fact remains that if you have a good idea and want to test it, you need to go to an American university and bounce it off other bright folk, who will tear it apart, put it back together, and present you with a new, improved version of your thought.

For further reference, look up what the Singaporean leadership, those ever practical, hard-headed individuals, have to say about America. They recognize that America’s freewheeling culture lends itself to an atmosphere of innovation and ambition, the “secret weapon” of the United States that pushed it above its European peers in the 20^th century and will help it remain a major power in the 21^st. The myth of the “lazy American” is one perpetuated by Hollywood (which never shows people working; who wants to watch a movie about people working in an office?). The reality is different; this is a hard-working country, and hard work brings results.

It has helped that for my four years in the university, I never lived alone. I always had roommates and was been surrounded by neighbors living to my left and right. This brought me in contact with an interesting mix of people whom I don’t think you can easily find in the “normal destinations” where my countrymen go to school. I’ve shared my living quarters with one soldier, two bankers, one triathlon runner, a Burmese and a food-loving Hong Konger. Living with wannabe investment bankers is an experience in itself, as you can feel their heat, their intensity, their burning drive to succeed and to strike it rich. Such individuals are very rare in the world, and us non-bankers could do worse than to learn from their drive and ambition. Another group of people with whom I am intrigued are American Sinophiles and Asiaphiles. It is always fun to hear someone else who is not from your culture describe it. You realize that what is familiar and humdrum to you is fun, intriguing and exotic to other people. It makes you realize that everyone is always foreign to someone else.

I also fell in with a crowd of Latin Americans. They’re an interesting bunch of people, and I always felt like I understood what they are talking about, despite not understanding Spanish; it’s all about the gestures and the context. It’s a culture and a part of the world which most Southeast Asians know nothing about. They remind me of folk back home, tropical people who are generally fun to be around.

Another thing which I have observed is the presence of immigrants. America is a magnet for bright, ambitious people from all over the world. They have the “immigrant drive” to succeed, which they pass down to their children who subsequently end up attending some of the top universities in the nation. These young bright things have their feet in both worlds. A typical story goes like this: A baby is born in China and moves with her parents to several European countries before finally settling in America and living an all-American life (with occasional trips back to her grandparents’ farm in China), then going on to attend college and becoming a high-powered banking or corporate executive. Is she American? Is she Chinese? The answer is both. These hyphenated-Americans are totally comfortable in a Western environment and can very well fight and thrive in the rough-and-tumble world that is corporate America. They are also fully rooted in their native cultures, and speak their mother tongues with absolutely no problems. These people help ensure that America remains the “nerve center” of this globalized world.

My time at Georgetown has given me much food for thought. I understand that it may be a rather narrow view, as college life is a bubble. Furthermore, Georgetown is an “elite” university. I imagine that if I went to somewhere else, my view would be quite different. Nonetheless, if this is the world in which the American elites live in, I can say that they have a lot going for them.

So goodbye Georgetown. It’s been a pleasure, and I’ve learnt a lot about how the world (or at least America) works. Next stop, grad school, at an even more “elite” university. Far more lessons to learn, and far more people to meet. Who knows how I will see the world from Boston? Watch this space.