4 ms·

Identity runs deep - this is an amazing story - and shows how much we still need to discover about identity. As a white person, born in Africa, issues of identi

by zakum1 8y ago

Identity runs deep - this is an amazing story - and shows how much we still need to discover about identity. As a white person, born in Africa, issues of identity loom large, and (in a way) it is a privilege to be exposed to many identity struggles play out day-to-day. An example that I have experienced is how strongly people retain certain African cultural characteristics in other lands (America, Europe, Asia), even when they are from families that have been in those countries for hundreds of years, and even when they probably feel fully assimilated. I don't think we really fully understand how culture passes down through generations, whether this is through stories, language, biology. Whatever drives it, it is a beautiful feature of being human.

executesorder66 8y ago
> As a white person, born in Africa As another white African, I feel similarly. I feel very African, and it is part of who I am. My family has been here for about 400 years, but I still also feel I have an additional "inherited" European culture. And this mixed culture is confusing but interesting at the same time. I lived in the UK for 18 months, and I adapted well there, but I still felt like an outsider. I'm thinking of moving to Germany for a while to see what that's like. I'll probably come back though. Home is home.
- _nalply 8y ago
  I'm afraid you'll find Germany even more different than UK.
  - executesorder66 8y ago
    I'm not looking for a place to feel at home. I'm looking for a place that's different, but not incompatible. And I like learning about the small differences in culture. And my family is originally from Germany, so it might not be more different.
- pjmlp 8y ago
  As someone that has moved a bit around, one eventually feels outsider everywhere, even at Home when among those that never traveled abroad.
  - nyhc99 8y ago
    Thomas Wolfe was right--You Can't Go Home Again.
kerbalspacepro 8y ago
I think you bring up a good point about how people carry their culture forwards without knowing it. There are some interesting statistics that show that wherever a white American's family members came from in Europe has an impact on them even now

by zakum1 8y ago

executesorder66 8y ago

> As a white person, born in Africa As another white African, I feel similarly. I feel very African, and it is part of who I am. My family has been here for about 400 years, but I still also feel I have an additional "inherited" European culture. And this mixed culture is confusing but interesting at the same time. I lived in the UK for 18 months, and I adapted well there, but I still felt like an outsider. I'm thinking of moving to Germany for a while to see what that's like. I'll probably come back though. Home is home.

_nalply 8y ago
I'm afraid you'll find Germany even more different than UK.
- executesorder66 8y ago
  I'm not looking for a place to feel at home. I'm looking for a place that's different, but not incompatible. And I like learning about the small differences in culture. And my family is originally from Germany, so it might not be more different.
pjmlp 8y ago
As someone that has moved a bit around, one eventually feels outsider everywhere, even at Home when among those that never traveled abroad.
- nyhc99 8y ago
  Thomas Wolfe was right--You Can't Go Home Again.

kerbalspacepro 8y ago

I think you bring up a good point about how people carry their culture forwards without knowing it. There are some interesting statistics that show that wherever a white American's family members came from in Europe has an impact on them even now