多年前大女儿参加了一个女生课外活动小组。在学期结束前老师召集了一次家长会。会上总共来了六位家长。一位是来自德国，刚刚入美籍的美德双籍日耳曼女士。第二位是来自海地的第一代非裔移民妈妈。第三位是第二代韩国后裔妈妈，她的先生是祖上来自欧洲的后代。第四位是美国生美国长的欧裔女士。第五位也是美国生美国长的欧裔女士，她先生是荷兰人，全家将很快搬到荷兰居住。我是第六位，来自中国的移民。
主持会议的Jim博士来自麻省西部。他家里人和他背景差不多，应该是祖籍欧洲的后代。Jim的女儿嫁给了一位柬埔寨移民。当天是他第二个外孙出生。他很愉悦地和大家分享了孩子的照片。照片里是一个漂亮的混血小男孩。
一个七个人参与的家长会，却可以轻松地直接联系到6、7个国家和相应的6、7种语言。这也是很有美国特色的事情。大家或多或少地都有一些多元文化背景。在大家探讨一个话题时，不同的文化背景和经历会带来不同的理念，观点和思路。而很多时候，在充分考虑多元文化背景后大家仍然可以得出一致的见解。这对所有参与者都是一种跨越种族和文化的国际观教育学习过程。
据美国人口普查局2010年人口统计，美国的注册姓氏有151671个。又据美国海关统计，每年进出美国（包括过境）的游客的姓氏有近3百万个。可能地球上没有哪个国家比美国更能体现国际化了。可以说在规模上美国是地球上唯一一个在从事如此大规模多种族多文化融合实验的国家。这要求在社会生活的各个领域都要有很强的国际观理念。在公共教育方面需要努力做到开放、包容、平等和接纳。
21世纪人才培养特别需要注重国际文化观培养。跨文化学习（是通过对其它国家和地区语言文化的学习，人文社会的了解而所拥有的心态。在地球村日渐成形的时代，跨文化学习不仅能帮助学生更全面地认识和体验外在世界，从其它文化中汲取精神营养，成为21世纪所需要的全球公民，而且可以加深对自身文化的理解和认同， 有效地交流和传播本国文化的精华，成为新一代的文化大使。
一次一小时的家长会，体验感受了一次国际观教育。那些在海外留学或计划赴海外留学的华夏年轻学子们每天也在身体力行着跨文化教育和成长。他们在吸收消化其他文化的同时也传播分享中华文化，并努力将两者中的精华部分融会贯通为己所用，这应该是学习们留学经历带来的最大收获。
A Parents Meeting with a Global Taste
Several years ago, I signed up my older daughter for an after-school activity. Before the end of the school year a parent- teacher meeting was called. When I entered the meeting room there were host Dr. Jim and five other parents (moms). The first mom is from Germany, she is dual citizenship of Germany and the United States. The second mom is the first generation Haitian American. She is a nurse, and she speaks French and English. The third mom is the second generation Korean American. Her husband has European background. The fourth mom is a European American from the Midwest of the US. The fifth mom is an American, her husband is from Holland, and her family will move to Holland soon. I am a Chinese American.
Dr. Jim is from western part of Massachusetts. His ancestors are from Europe. His daughter married a Cambodian immigrant. Dr. Jim just got his second grandson. He joyfully showed us his grandson’s picture. A beautiful multiracial boy.
The meeting participants have remarkably diverse backgrounds; we are from 4 countries and speak at least 6 native languages. And we can easily relate to at least 3 other countries. This is common in the United States. Based on the 2010 US census, there are over 150 thousand family names in the US. Each year there are tens of millions of tourists and visitors who cross the US border. The United States is the only country that is exercising multi-race multicultural immersion in terms of very large population scale.
Cross-cultural learning and development are a crucial part of 21st century international education. In the time of the global village, it requires a global perspective mindset. For Chinese international students it is especially important to take initiatives to learn in a global environment. It will help Chinese students to learn the core values of other cultures, understand others from their unique perspectives, establish the concept of global citizen, think critically to solve both domestic and global issues, better preserve and present Chinese culture to the world, build confidence and positively experience the joy of cross-cultural learning.
A seven-people one hour meeting gave me a very vivid and informative cross cultural learning opportunity. For those Chinese students who are undertaking and plan to take international education, try to absorb and distill the essence from other cultures, integrate with the essence of Chinese culture, and contribute to the prosperity of mankind.