A vital lesson I learned in my course, COM 3461 “Intercultural/Interracial Communication”, is the importance of combatting ethnocentrism with open-mindedness and respect. Ethnocentrism, as defined by Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is the attitude that one's own group, ethnicity, or nationality is superior to others. I stand firmly against ethnocentrism because cross-cultural communication is not just an academic and professional interest of mine, but it is also one of my values in life. Open-mindedness and respect matter to me greatly, which is why I approach all of my cross-cultural interactions with these values.

Although it is heartbreaking to discuss, a current global issue is the Russo-Ukrainian war, which has impacted me as an observer and on a personal level. I try my best to keep up with the world by reading The New York Times newsletters I receive on a daily basis. From reading news articles, I know Putin will stop at nothing to conquer Ukraine, Russia has used medieval war tactics such as targeting civilians, and Ukraine is doing everything it can to fight back. I also learned that at first, the West was apprehensive about retaliating against Russia, but now it is in a full-fledged economic war with the invader. Seeing pictures of deceased soldiers and civilians makes me feel sad, but what causes me great pain is hearing from people firsthand how the war is impacting them. I have been a volunteer for the South Beach Wine and Food Festival for four years. During the first event I led this year, I met Roman, a Ukrainian who was anxiously checking the news on his phone every few minutes to learn about updates on the war. An event management team member brought to my attention Roman’s excessive phone usage, so I decided to ask him if everything was alright. That’s when I learned where Roman is from and why he was so distraught. We talked about the war, along with my other volunteers from Eastern Europe. At the end of the night, I wished to Roman that his family would stay safe. On my fourth day of volunteering, I met Emma, a girl whose family originates from Russia and Ukraine. As we were coloring in the Art Zone, she told me her mom cries about the war and their family members stuck in Ukraine. Emma is only eight years old. I told her I am sorry to hear that, but I did not push for us to discuss the topic more. 

Taking caution is needed when discussing sensitive topics, especially when your interpersonal communication partner is directly impacted by the topic. It is also important to factor in the person’s age and experience. The conversations I held with Roman and Emma, although two people from Ukraine, are incomparable. I cannot speak with a small child about the disasters of war, including assassination attempts, economic consequences, fear and panic. I also cannot overlook the severe impact a brutal war has on a young man. By conversing with Roman and Emma, I attempted to problem solve the war’s impact on them, albeit briefly. After wishing that Roman’s family would stay safe, he looked at me with hope and appreciation. After Emma and I finished our conversation about the war, we kept drawing in peace and decided to discuss other topics. There is large-scale impact, and there is small-scale impact. I’m grateful that I had the opportunity to effect small-scale impact by giving two kind but distraught people the chance to feel calm, even if just for a few moments.