Responsibility of a Citizen-Final Blog

Born and raised in the east bay area, in a loving, nurturing family, I know I have had a great upbringing that not all people can say they were blessed to have. Americans are a lucky bunch of people. We have rights and opportunities, aside from numerous other things, that many people around the world can only dream about. Even as close as Mexico is to us, many Mexican citizens run across the border to the states with the hopes of succeeding and building a good home for a family with rights and opportunities for them and their children. They are not criminals, they are not bad people, they seek a good life.

Being born in America doesn’t just give us access to making money, education and diversity. Being American citizens gives us the freedom of speech, press and religion, the right to bear arms, the freedom of assembly, the freedom to petition and so much more. This is why we, as American citizens, with all the advantages at our finger tips, should take on the responsibility of helping those without similar opportunities, with the hope of helping them gain equal rights.

I truly can’t wait for the chance to study or travel abroad. I have been told some many great things about such opportunities. Flying overseas to a new land and a new culture, where nothing is familiar and where something so important such as language might be completely foreign is an indescribable, important opportunity, yet at the same time scary, that everyone has to experience—so I’ve been told. Not being able to get around because of something such as a language barrier can be a horrific experience. To make matters worse, when the natives don’t take the time to help you or blow you off in an inconsiderate manner, it makes you realize how people might feel when they are new to America, innocently seeking a better life. It is in our power to break down the feeling of alienation and as a responsible human being each of us should try to make this world compatible for everyone.

In Kazuo Ishiguro’s an Artist of the Floating World the character Ono is a citizen of Japan and shows us through his life before and after World War II. Ono was an artist that when the war began, he was forced to work for the government creating propaganda. The propaganda was a way to alienate people and put them into a situation that made them feel they had to conform. After the war you can tell that Ono is floating between worlds. He is a cultured and “old fashioned” man that is resisting the change in his society. He knows what he was doing for the government, yet would probably never tell another soul.

As Rob Burton explains in his book, Artist of the Floating World, “Firstly, to be a citizen of the floating world is to recognize and acknowledge the narratives that constitute our identity; furthermore, it is understood that these narratives are constantly in the process of being reshaped and rewritten” (Burton, 131). Ono, in Ishiguro’s novel, demonstrates that such process “is neither easy nor painless” (Burton, 131).

“Secondly, to be a citizen of the floating world is to make ethical choices when framing our understanding of the world, to be aware that while a frame can afford an important structuring device for understanding the world, it can also prove to be severely limiting and restrictive” (Burton, 131). Bessie Head’s character, Elizabeth, in the novel, A Question of Power, lives a frameless life. Being born in a mental hospital and never knowing her mother or father, other than the fact that mom was white and dad was black (something not excepted in their society), made her think she had no identity. Elizabeth lacked reason for doing anything and found the surrounding environment very scary and lonely. This character explained to me that we all need to do our part as responsible human beings. Helping others out will bring good Karma and they in return will help us out.  

So amid the narratives of hope and despair that surround us, to be a good citizen to our world, acceptance is key. Diversity is what makes an environment special and gives it depth and character. We can learn from people that hold different beliefs from us and alienation is no way to solve fights, arguments or wars. This is why we need to watch out for actions that will affect locally and eventually globally and break down the barriers that stand between humans.