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How I got into International Cultures

  • fotaquest
  • Aug 20, 2024
  • 3 min read

Updated: Feb 4

How I Got Into International Cultures

By Lars Guo

Published: August 20, 2024


Opening Message:

Hi folks! I hope you’ve all been enjoying my blog posts! This one is about how I got into international cultures and how they have influenced me as a person. I’ll also touch on what I appreciate about them and what I hope society can learn from diverse cultures. These are simply my thoughts and feelings, and you’re welcome to share your own opinions. Please respect both my perspective and others’. Thank you!


Wix took this photo
Wix took this photo

Background and How It Influenced Me:

As a child, my brothers introduced me to a wide range of music in languages like Swedish, German, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, English, Korean, and more. Growing up, both my brothers and my mom gave me a head start in learning Spanish. Born in China and raised in America, I was also enrolled in Chinese lessons. From a young age, I had exposure to various languages and international cultures.

In school and college, my interest in languages continued to grow. I started taking Spanish in 3rd grade, took a break during my senior year of high school, and later picked up Japanese. In 2019, I returned to studying Spanish. Along the way, I also dabbled in Korean thanks to my interest in K-pop, though I haven’t retained as much of it compared to Japanese and Spanish.

During my Bachelor's degree, I majored in Cultural Anthropology because I was fascinated by languages, psychology, sociology, and history. Anthropology, the study of humans, perfectly matched my interests. For my future career, I plan to incorporate my knowledge of Japanese. Even today, I continue to learn Japanese, Spanish, and recently began studying German. To learn more about my language journey, feel free to check out my post: Learning Languages.


What I Like About International Cultures and What I Hope We Can Learn:

I truly enjoy learning about various cultures. Some cultures are similar to American culture, while others are vastly different. The way people live their lives creates a rich diversity that allows us to gain new perspectives and ideas to improve our own culture—rather than believing that our way is the only right way. Other cultures can broaden our horizons and make us more open-minded. Language learning plays a key role in unlocking this understanding.

Through exposure to international cultures, we can adopt new ideas, activities, material items, and ways of thinking. For example, I listen to a variety of music in different languages, which gives me practice in language learning while enjoying new sounds. Additionally, language influences thought. The way a language is structured shapes how its speakers perceive and express ideas. Museums, too, showcase art from across the globe, bringing international culture to life. For instance, the Museum of Fine Arts, despite being in America, displays Asian, European, and African art.

My hope is that we can learn to live in harmony by embracing and accepting different cultures. We can become more open to diverse ways of thinking and doing things. While some practices may seem strange or confusing, there’s always something to learn from viewing the world through the lens of another culture—and from being an insider in your own culture, too.


Closing Message:

I hope you enjoyed this blog and that it inspired you to learn more about international cultures. While pursuing anthropology might not be for everyone, I hope this blog encourages you to explore different cultures, even if it’s just one small aspect of something different from your own. You can apply what you’ve learned to enrich your understanding of the world. I look forward to sharing the next blog with you! Have a wonderful day!



 
 
 

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