European Identity and perks!

I must say that traveling to different countries within the European continent has allowed me to have a deeper understanding of the many varying cultures within the E.U. Although most E.U countries share the same currency, the Euro, they differ in their own cultural identity: different customs, different mannerisms, different language, different beliefs, etc…They take pride of whom they are and they know their history like the palm of their hand. I also noticed that unlike Americans they don’t say automatically that they’re European. I feel that the European identity is not really used by the Europeans. While in Dublin, Ireland, an Anglo speaking country, the Irish proudly adorned their city with proud to be Irish logos rather then stating, “proud to be European”. The same occurred in Milano, Barcelona, and other cities, which our group visited. The term  “European “is too vague.  

Although there is some sense of unity among the E.U, all member countries still safeguard their identity by stating their country of origin versus simply stating that they are European. Over the three months living in Paris, I noticed the many advantages that E.U members have. They have free access to most museums and attractions. Unlike the U.S, we don’t have this kind of incentives when it comes to museums. The most exciting kind of perks offered to Americans are discounts at amusement parks like Disneyland, which by the way only benefits Southern Californians. Being a citizen of a country that belongs to the EU, entitles you have the choice to study at any university within the E.U without paying additional fees. In the U.S, there is no such system in higher education. If a U.S citizen decides to study outside of their home state they must pay an additional out of state fee, which can cost a lot of money.

Living in Paris has allowed me to notice the many perks that a citizen of the E.U has.  I have also come to conclude that although the French are pro European Union, they have more pride in saying “Je suis Français”.