What’s your identity?
Live the authentic self on every aspect in life.
People often ask me one question, “Do you think you are Chinese or Korean deep within?”
At the graduate school, I studied Anthropology and my subject of research was “Do people have to choose one identity?”. (They’ve asked a right question to a right person!)
Have you thought about why people identify themselves by a single “identity”, such as Chinese?
In fact to be accurate, they are not identifying their identities, but their nationalities written on their passports.
The definition of Identity according to https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/identity:
a. the distinguishing character or personality of an individual
b. the condition of being the same with something described or asserted
c. sameness of essential or generic character in different instances
Identity is the distinguishing character or personality or some thing that describes an individual. It never says you can only have ONE identity, does it?
The reason why people introduce themselves or ask others which ONE identity they have is affected by the concept of nation. And the concept of nation and nationality were born to put people who never known each other together to share same beliefs so to achieve the nation’s goals. (Refer to “Imagined Communities” by Benedict Anderson)
The concept of “community” and “nation” is only human being’s imagination, it didn’t exist before.
China is a great example, look at China’s boundary on the map, it’s surrounded by people with Korean, Mongolian, Tibetan roots along with all of those ethinicity groups who were orginally not Chinese but hold Chinese passports. Ask them, what identity do they have?
If you ask my grandparents, they will tell you 100% that they are Korean not Chinese even they hold Chinese passports. Interesting isn’t it?
But if you ask me, the 3rd and 4th generation, my answer to you is I have both identities in me. On our dining table, we always have Kimchi and Chinese food at the same time, always.
I went to Korean school, there were both Korean and Chinese classes and tests as mendatory.
So it’s probably more accurate to ask, “What’s your nationality?” or “What passport do you own?” if you are expecting them to answer only ONE.
Now that I’ve been living in Japan for 14 years, and been working for English speaking companies for many years, it is even more complicated. (Such as my Japanese is better than my Korean now.)
I choose to absorb many cultural elements, it helps me to learn and grow myself in this life journey.
I believe there are many many people who are just like me and have been through confusing times in their lives because we are DIFFERENT.
But the fact is that everyone is different, so say it, be it, then you will also encourage others to do the same.
Don’t let the concepts define you, you are you.
Even if you are a pure Japanese never lived overseas, you can still have multiple identities in you. It is ok to be and to feel like that.
We do not need to simplify ourselves. Identity doesn’t equal to passport.
Live the authentic self! Be yourself! 🫶🏽
