Do you identify with your nationality?

Well, I was born and raised in the US, so I can't really deny that I identify with it. I'm not a patriot though, and I don't really have any national pride.

Now ethnicity, that's a different story. I'm mixed and don't really feel welcomed by either culture...
 
Royal said:
The arabics seem to put a lot of value in their family. They're always asking "how are you yeah and your mom she's good yeah and your dad and your brothers", often having big family meetings, etc. I'm not much like that. However I like soccer and I'm a terrorist.

I live in Quebec now, but idk what the nationality is about other than hating the rest of Canada and USA and eating poutine all day.
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@Royal 's posts are always pure gold.
lulz
 
A little bit. Canada isn't a super nationalistic place though, and it's not like we have a lot of distinct things about our culture to identify with. During things like the olympics I identify with Canada and China generally I guess, even though Chinese is not my nationality but part of my ethnicity.
 
Sloe Djinn said:
Well, I was born and raised in the US, so I can't really deny that I identify with it. I'm not a patriot though, and I don't really have any national pride.

Now ethnicity, that's a different story. I'm mixed and don't really feel welcomed by either culture...
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Same here. I was born and raised here in the US, but my parents are both from different countries. I feel like I don't fit in anywhere. And my mom's side doesn't like me because I am too dark-skinned, my dad's side doesn't like me because I am a heathen. lol.
 
I'm disappointed that I cannot identify well with my cultural/racial heritage (Bavarian/Austrian, with a smattering of mediterranean).

However, I do identify well with my nationality - Australian -. I only realised this after having travelled overseas.
 
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I identify with being an Earthling.

I don't believe in nationalism.

However...I was raised in this American culture and as much as I would like to deny it being like me, I am sure it is by nature of exposure. It is all I know, really.
 
IndigoSensor said:
I think I fit being an american well. I can't really see myself fitting in with another culture as well. Perhaps canada, but even then I am unsure as I have never been there.

America gets a bad rap. But depending on where you go, some areas are great. In the places that are great, I fit in perfectly, and I do identify with it.
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[MENTION=387]IndigoSensor[/MENTION] I could see you fitting in as a Canadian from B.C. or the prairie provinces, just from my observations, that is.

Personally, I don't really feel like Canada fits me too well. I mean, it really has many different identities depending on where you're from, but collectively, I just can't identify with it. I actually think the UK is more 'me,' based on the kind of lifestyle I idealize, but I don't know if I'd really want to live there. But I guess no matter where I am I always feel a little out of place.
 
Res said:
We're all from different parts of the world and so i'm curious, do you feel connected to your nationality or nation's identity? Or do you feel as if it doesn't quite fit you?

Which national or cultural aspects do you relate to and which ones seem at odds with who you are?
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To a certain part, yes; I feel Indonesian as much as I feel myself an Earthling, but I sure as hell think that my country. Sucks. Ass. And I'd be glad to move out ASAP. But it's not that they are the epitome of everything that's bad for a country, Indonesia also have its good, but they are by far outnumbered by the bad.

I think the effect of my nation's identity will be shown every now and then (especially in comparison with, say, people of other nationality and culture), but it doesn't quite fit me either. So I'm not exactly the perfect Indonesian....blah. /brr Nor am I the perfect Chinese-Indonesian or whatever.

As per the aspects...I relate with (East?) Asian's importance on perseverance, and not relate with their defeatist attitude. I relate with Indonesian's importance on politeness, not on their importance on submission (but I guess I'm still far more submissive compared to your ordinary Westerners.), not on their passive-aggresiveness. I relate with Indonesian's etiquette, not so much to their behaviour and beliefs. I relate to the class prejudice (not proud, but alas.) within Indonesia, not so much to the racial or religious prejudice.
And I don't relate to; their conservatist attitude, their heteronormativity, the extremely religious YET often hypocritical culture, their 'asal bapak senang' attitude (read : sucking up to the superiors), most of the artistic sensibilities, and the way people drove.
 
Trifoilum said:
As per the aspects...I relate with (East?) Asian's importance on perseverance, and not relate with their defeatist attitude. I relate with Indonesian's importance on politeness, not on their importance on submission (but I guess I'm still far more submissive compared to your ordinary Westerners.), not on their passive-aggresiveness. I relate with Indonesian's etiquette, not so much to their behaviour and beliefs. I relate to the class prejudice (not proud, but alas.) within Indonesia, not so much to the racial or religious prejudice.
And I don't relate to; their conservatist attitude, their heteronormativity, the extremely religious YET often hypocritical culture, their 'asal bapak senang' attitude (read : sucking up to the superiors), most of the artistic sensibilities, and the way people drove.
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Lol I relate.
 
Yuh I guess I do :) There has been a lot going on in the Philippines and I guess majority of the events that happened and are happening here.. are not something to be proud of really but I still like our culture and tradition :).. I guess we are used to being really friendly to new people and all that.

I don't really think I could fit with the western culture. We're more conservative here :) And I'd fit well being conservative :)
 
Great thread [MENTION=1669]Res[/MENTION] ! I was born and raised American, and have not spent a ton of time outside the USA. My exposure to other cultures is mostly the people from other places I have met here. That being said, I guess I am strongly American and strongly identified with that in the past. While I am still proud of some of the things Americans are and represent (pretty accepting of others that are different, desire and curiosity for change), I find myself more frustrated with our culture and society as I get older. I don't really identify very much as an American anymore. I could write a whole thread/rant on what's wrong in this country, so I will leave it at that.

I am primarily Irish and Slavic in heritage and identify with those culture a lot. Grandma spoke Slavic and was from the old country. I love that food. My moms side, The Keely's, are a super fun bunch and get together often. I also feel a strong pull towards the Oriental and Native American (1/32 Blackfoot Indian here!) too. The have a spirituality that appeals very much to me.
 
I wish my great grandparents hadn't passed away when I was so young. I would have loved to have heard their stories of Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia before they married and moved here. I only know what my mom tells me about them. I think I'm similar to my great grandma.. from the stubborn compulsive optimism right down to the compulsive flea market treasure hunting and cataloging of finds. I'd have loved to have learned the languages they spoke. It seems like when they passed, their customs went with them. I'm sure I'd have identified with their cultures had I grown up under their influence.

My dad's side of the family is Irish and Polish and it was never really celebrated or anything. My Paternal grandfather changed the last name to fit in better. (The original was very long and filled with strings of consonants almost no one outside of their country could pronounce.) The only thing that distinguished them as Polish was a coagulated South Side Chicago/Polish dialect that caused them say 'wash' as 'warsh' and 'sandwich' as 'sammich.' lol

I see American culture as consisting of a consumer culture, and a long embarrassing history of exploiting others.. Not really my bag.
But we're still a very young country.. hopefully America will redeem itself. I think with each successive generation it is doing that.
 
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I used to not identify wih my French nationality at all until I travelled abroad and started living with people from other cultures.

Then I slowly started realising just how French I was. I don't know if I'm happy or not about it, but it's a fact, my culture has shaped me so much. And with current globalisation, I must say I feel quite attached to it now that I've understood I wasn't only myself, I was also.. French.

Still some of the aspects of French "culture" really really annoy me. Mainly regarding people's mentality. Yet I'm a bit like them, I have to admit. We're quite NFish in our own annoying way.

Stuff like cooking and folklore, music, litterature, things like that I'm very attached to.
 
I like that I am American and I like being American. I think it is neat to see where my family tree leads but I'm not ignorant enough to think that they would accept me if I decided to live there.
 
No, I don't. In my perfect dream world it would be a stateless society. Excessive nationalism scares me, and I don't understand how arbitrary boarders make people two miles away from each other "completely different".
 
Going through immigration at an international airport is a good way to come to terms with national identity (racial too for that matter).
 
I am Australia [zen moment].
 
Majesty said:
The arabics seem to put a lot of value in their family. They're always asking "how are you yeah and your mom she's good yeah and your dad and your brothers", often having big family meetings, etc. I'm not much like that. However I like soccer and I'm a terrorist.

I live in Quebec now, but idk what the nationality is about other than hating the rest of Canada and USA and eating poutine all day.
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on a visit to montreal, the arab family/entourage was sickening, I could never spend a minute away from some 15 to 30 other arabs hovering around me. luckily I fell ill the last couple of days, so I could spend some time on my own.
 
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