From Americans Abroad to the US at Home: It's Time for Dialogue

Below is an opinion piece written by Annie Wang, Iris Kim, and Lyssa Freese who are stationed in China, looking at the US from the outside.

Seven-thousand miles from Washington, DC, we stared open-mouthed as the results of the US Presidential Election unfolded. As young professionals and students living in Beijing, and as millennials who voted for Hillary Clinton, we were disappointed. As Americans living abroad, we have witnessed the consequences of our nation’s polarization from afar. The ability to watch the election from a both removed yet invested point of view has lent us a unique perspective on this event. We have watched in horror as large segments of our population grow further apart and isolated from each other. This distance has made one thing alarmingly clear: we need to reach out, talk to each other, and really listen. Our country needs an open dialogue, much like the one that took place in a recent interview between Trevor Noah and Tomi Lahren. But one conversation alone will not alleviate the difficulties present in our country. There must be many conversations in conjunction with actions over the course of years in order for our country to truly heal. In writing this letter, we hope to reach out to Americans at home and abroad and begin an open-minded and honest dialogue. We want more than anything to understand each other, no matter how great the differences, and to become partners moving forward so that more people’s needs are met. 

This divisive presidential election has shown that we have ignored and alienated each other for too long. But this unbalanced focus on the election of our leaders indicates that we as Americans have forgotten one major facet of our democracy. Ultimately America is defined not by our leaders, or by our President, but by us, the citizens living across the country and around the world. Too often, this responsibility is diminished to one day – the Presidential election. But democracy cannot start and end on election days; it should be a sustained process of political engagement and citizen education. 

Many liberals are fearful right now. They are worried that what they see as progress made in these past eight years will be destroyed within months. But those who supported the President-Elect have also expressed fear and outrage over the past eight years, and liberals have not listened. President-Elect Trump will govern an America with deep divides, divides that have festered over many years. Without an avenue to heal these divides, we cannot progress as a nation. We will only continue to spar pointlessly until we take the time to really understand each other. 

The first step to opening this dialogue is to accept and respect the outcome of this election. Freedom of speech and the right to protest are rights that we should cherish and protect. These fundamental human rights have allowed us to create and sustain a peaceful Democracy. It is appropriate to protest, grieve, and help friends through the aftermath of the election. However, when the shock of this election subsides, we must be ready to take part in the hard work of finding common ground.

After accepting the outcome of this election, we must all reach out on an individual and community level to those that have views wholly different from our own. The process of reaching out can include individual and group conversations as well such activities as seeking out news from media outlets with opposing viewpoints, attending a spectrum of community events, or seeking out different types of community organizations

While interacting with our diverse set of international colleagues in China, it is apparent that the world is watching this election in large part to see how our democracy withstands this shock. At the moment, the future of America looks cloudier than ever and as young people, we understand that the America that we left may not be the America to which we return. But this change does not have to be perilous. By living so far away from home, we have realized the privilege of democracy, but also the responsibility that comes with it. The greatest responsibility that comes with the privilege of a democracy is the acknowledgement and consideration of all views in order to create effective policies and actions. If we are not willing to grow and learn from this election, we will only continue to drive our country apart. 

Americans, regardless of party affiliation or ideology, need to renew their capacities for open, honest, and accepting conversation. Not dialogue solely for the sake of changing hearts and minds, but foremost for greater understanding and community building. Reach out to those different from yourself and understand each other. Acknowledge each other’s humanity. Only through listening to the concerns of many people from different backgrounds, those who feel they are not heard,can we begin to move forward and work towards our common goal of making America the best it can be.

Annie Wang is a writer and copy editor at our sister site and magazine beijingkids as well as a Princeton in Asia Fellow at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). Iris Kim is a Master's student at Peking University's School of International Studies. Lyssa Freese is an au pair and intern at Rock Environment and Energy Initiative. All three authors are graduates of Georgetown University.

Image: officerhush.com