On July 21, exchange visitors from Asia in the Cross Cultural Internship Program (www.theccip.com) visited prominent government organizations throughout New York City. Led by five members of the program's Student Advisory Board, the group's Government Day taught them about the political culture of the United States.

Starting in the morning, the first stop for the students was the United Nation, the international organization that currently includes 193 Member States from around the globe. They met with international leaders and were able to hear different points of view.

"One of the main reasons I wanted to do this program was to know more about international politics," said Sifan Jiang (Yolanda), a student from the University of Hong Kong. "It's important to not have a limited perspective."

Following the UN, the students continued on to the Consulate-General of Indonesia on 68th Street where they met with Yomi Eka Putra, the Vice Consul for Information and Cultural Affairs. While discussing the operations of the consulate, the students were given traditional Indonesian food to snack on.

University of Hong Kong student, Chun Wei Cheung (Matthew), found the consulate visit very thought provoking. "We talked about what it was like to work and live internationally. There are a lot of challenges. I've enjoyed the time I've been here, but it's only for a short time. It would be very different to move away from home."

The day continued with visits to two US senator's office. The group split at 2 pm, with some of the group touring the office of Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and other visiting Senator Chuck Schumer. Representatives from the offices spoke with the students about operations, daily challenges, and their governing goals.

"The United States government involves so many poeple" said Hei Yin Man (Angela), a student from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. "Hearing about all the work that goes into even small projects was a good reminder that governing requires bringing together people from very different backgrounds."

With the presidential election occurring, the students enjoyed the chance to gain a better understanding of the United States' political system. "We hear about the election all the time," Angela said, "but meeting people in government gives those news stories more context."

The final stop for the Government Day was an afternoon visit to the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in New York. HKETO-NY is one of three offices of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government (HKSARG) in the United States.

"The world is changing a great deal, and we need to embrace the way politics and cultures can blend together," Yifei Xue (Sandra), who studies at Macau University of Science and Technology, said.

After a full day of seeing how different government organizations operate, the students felt like they had a better appreciation for international politics.

"We live in a global society," Sandra added. "I want to take every opportunity I can to experience as much of it as possible. That's why I joined CCIP."