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HERE, by Doug McGill

A Book Review

by Geri Critchley

If anyone wants a deep insight into the life and mind of a cross cultural human being situated in a small town in the USA, HERE by Douglas McGill is the book.
 
After 10 years living and working abroad as bureau chief for Bloomberg News and as a journalist for the New York Times, Mr. McGill brought the world back home by observing his own hometown of Rochester, MN through a global context. He had material with which to work as the population of Rochester has increasingly originated from countries around the world. In addition, the local and world-famous Mayo Clinic boasts an extraordinary set of international clientele. Mr. McGill clearly shows his readers how “local is global” and “global is local” and that Rochester is a microcosm of the macro-globalization in which we live throughout America. To be an involved citizen anywhere is to appreciate and interact with our neighbors whose cultures are different from our own - the benefit of this interaction goes both ways.
 
Mr. McGill not only shared his observations with his community through a weekly column in his local newspaper and with his blogs and website, he also translated this awareness into action. He cared enough to listen and give a voice to his fellow citizens in Southern Minnesota (specifically, the indigenous Anuak from Ethiopia) and was the first to communicate through the internet about a genocide. Mr. McGill traveled to Ethiopia and met with key government officials and the Anuak refugees, which brought much-needed international attention to the genocide and put the once remote and unknown Anuak tribe on the political map.  He translates his cross cultural perspective to issues, goes behind the scenes to see what is really going on, and then takes action. He notes, “Here in Rochester, we can be an early warning system for crimes and atrocities committed all over the world, which would never receive the cleansing light of international attention if not for us. We are free; most of the world is not; therefore it’s our opportunity and our responsibility to be such a watchdog. We can do this simply by being open to what our immigrant neighbors say.”
 
Mr. McGill emphasizes that with the United States’ present unfavorable global image, we need more citizen diplomacy. “Hospitality is a critical part of homeland security.  By engaging in hospitality, we befriend others before they become our enemies. My theory is that hospitality is the greatest of all the human virtues and the one that’s most needed in today’s world.” Mr. McGill quotes not only Jesus, (“I was a stranger and you took me in,”) but also the Good Samaritan, the Golden Rule, the Hindu sage Kabir and Immanuel Kant. He encourages us all to “invite the world into your home.”  In the chapter Teaching Beyond Arrogance, McGill quotes Jerry Hrabe, a local teacher who learned as a Peace Corps volunteer that the citizens of his host country (“they”) aren’t any different from “us”. “ We need to get past the American arrogance that we are the most important people in the world. We have a lot to learn from other countries and other people.”

In one particularly illustrative example, Mr. McGill gives his students an assignment: to look at everything in their homes to see where they were made, scour the newspapers for international stories and influences and interview owners of companies to find out foreign sales, parts bought abroad, specialized positions they’ve hired from abroad and low-wage jobs they have sent abroad. “If you took away the foreign products and personal connections, many Rochester companies would fold.” McGill adds, “not to mention without our foreign-made clothing we’d be mighty cold in the winter. And if every ‘Made in China’ item magically disappeared we’d be late to work (no alarm clock), unhygienic (no toothbrush), grumpy (no electric coffee grinder) and out of touch (no telephone).”
  
HERE illuminates the concept that developing a cross cultural perspective is a way of being in this world. It expands awareness and appreciation of national cultures and ethnic identity to any one of many myriad issues in our communities and on our planet that need attention. This ranges from Minnesota gun control laws to agribusiness and the local farmers (food is a pillar of life and national security) to innumerable ecological issues, including the health of communal waters and our environment in general.
 
Like Garrison Keillor (American author and radio personality), Mr. McGill universalizes the local human predicament in a clear and poignant way. He shows us that we can all make a difference by being observant and responsive to our local communities. He has concretely illustrated what civic responsibility and being a caring global citizen are all about. Moreover, he shows us that one doesn’t need to travel around the world; it is right in front of you. HERE is a record of how one person can make a positive difference in his community, which inevitably impacts outside the community and around the world - while inevitably expanding as a person.

Geri Critchley, an individual member of NCIV, has worked in the international field for more than 25 years and her experience is vast and varied. She founded and directed an international community center in Rochester, MN in 1980 and 10,000 residents participated in twelve programs in the first year, including hosting visitors coming to the United States on the International Visitor Leadership Program. She has traveled from Timbuktu to the North Pole to China while writing travel articles. She is a career advisor/coach, organizer, fundraiser, networker and writer. She is presently on a self-directed sabbatical to travel and recycle her life while writing a book on life designs.

Ordering information for HERE, by Doug McGill, can be found here.

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