I want to address Corwin's post. More specifically, the conversation between Corwin and Mimi in the comment section.
Corwin says that: "neither other people nor ourselves can truly judge us to be a foreigner from our home country or culture." Yet, the phenomenon of othering members of their own home country has been present throughout history, in worst case scenarios leading to fatal consequences, such as ethnic cleansing. The idea of nationality and culture are constructions, which people tend to adopt subconsciously. These constructions can be altered to the point where the otherness is so great that a member of the community is excluded and considered a foreigner from their own nation. Despite the existing possibility of cultural alienation, I do not believe that Mimi's statement, "many times when that cultural identity is so tangled they have no other choice than to admit to having no cultural identity," can be accurate. Yes, there is a growing sense of globalization and an unprecedented mixture of cultural elements worldwide. People who experience different backgrounds might never feel identified as part of a single community. Regardless, it is impossible to assume that an individual can relinquish every sense of having a cultural identity. Instead, considering that they have felt as foreigners their whole life, they manifest mixed cultural elements that make them appear foreign to the country they are residing in. Take for example myself. My house is decorated both for Día de Muertos and Thanksgiving at the same time. My family, which has lived both in the US and Mexico, has adopted cultural elements from the two countries. On one hand, many of my friends in Mexico consider my celebration of Thanksgiving as an American tradition. On the other, living here in the US I can't feel completely identified with the culture. This middle ground, one that Maxim and Alycia have experimented in more impactful ways, does not mean that we have no cultural identity. Its the exact opposite, our cultural identities are stronger because we can understand different cultures as if they are our own. Todorov said: "without becoming an Indian, Cabeza de Vaca was no longer quite a Spaniard." Here is the middle ground. One where an individual retains subconscious cultural elements while not considering himself as part of only that country. Where someone can seem as an outsider, while still being able to understand the culture as his own.
1 Comment
Kate
12/4/2018 10:19:03 pm
Alonso, after reading Corwin's blog, Mimi's response, and now your reflection, I find myself really agreeing with what you say. A lot of people would describe Maxim, Alycia, yourself, and my experiences as part of being a "third culture kid"; that is, being between two or more different cultures, thus creating a distinct "third" culture/identity that retains elements of both but also has a distinct feeling of "otherness"/"differentness". What do you think of this term? Do you think "third culture" is another way of saying "double consciousness"?
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AlonsoI'm from Mexico City. I love cooking and eating Mexican food. Archives
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