You have to go through a mental and emotional process to recognize who you really are. I finally recognized that I cannot be defined by one country.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
I was born in Belgium. I went to school in England and in Switzerland, then I came to America, so I really feel like I am a citizen of the world.
You know, I've just about got used to the fact that people in Britain know who I am on some level, but the notion that there's any kind of international recognition is still slightly bizarre to me.
You see a lot of people out there that say they're country, and they do their little things that are stereotypical country things, but being country is a way of life.
Just because I believe in the identity and integrity of my country doesn't make a xenophobe or a nationalist.
Others will always seek to define you based on what they think you represent or who they think you are. But you have to be the one to control what you do and what you say and how you present yourself.
I consider myself to be a citizen of the world.
I always remember that I am a representative of my country, and I always think about the culture I'm bringing to people.
The world can't tell you who you are. You've just got to figure out who you are and be there, for better or worse.
After all, you're not exactly a nation like all the other nations. You are unique, if only because you are such an ancient people, and because of the way you are spread all over the world and your obvious success in many fields.
My identity is not based on performance; it's based on something that's pre-determined by someone else, and I don't even understand what that is because I'm an African who came to America.