Article posted on Chinaexpat.com by Carolyn Vines, author of black and (A)broad: traveling beyond the limitations of identity
Identity is a slippery term that scholars, philosophers and psychologists have been grappling with for decades. When we hear the word “identity”, we know what it means but would find it difficult to answer the question who am I? To be sure, we all have an identity and all assume that we know who we are when, in reality, few of us regularly take time out to consider that all-important question.
“Our identity is construed in and by the contexts in which we live and breathe,” explains Doug Ota, expat psychologist. “Our friends and neighbors know us as a particular personality; we have track records at work and school that make our every move, gesture, and even joke somewhat predictable. We don’t ‘know our identity’ any more than we are ‘known as’ a certain person.”
“International relocation,” Ota argues, “confronts the individual with the absence of the latter, ripping from us the context that provided witness to who we are, much as a planet would be gasping for air if its atmosphere were removed.”
It’s that space in between how we see ourselves and how we’re seen that an expatriate lifestyle shines a bright light on. If we’re lucky, we can use international relocation as an opportunity to reflect upon who we are and to ground our identity in terms more meaningful than gender, race, ethnicity, nationality, etc.
While convenient, these superficial and obvious definitions carry serious limitations. Not only do they prescribe how we behave, how we speak, what we believe and what we value in a particular cultural context, they leave little room for individual input.
Janneke Pulleman is a sparkling example of how the expatriate lifestyle challenges who we think we are. Before leaving her native Netherlands for a four-year assignment in Guangzhou, China, Pulleman had reflected little about her identity. Rather than considering who she was, she was more worried about being able to deal with the extreme heat and isolation in a culture so different than the Dutch one.
Moving away from her cultural context, she learned to see herself with different eyes.
“I thought I was an easy eater,” she reflects. “Guess what? I’m not! I was too afraid to try chicken feet, pig’s legs and other Chinese delicacies.”
Dutch culture teaches children to eat what is served to them. Even more fascinating is that it allows one or two foods that children don’t have to like! It’s no wonder that Pulleman might answer who am I? with I’m an easy eater!
Pulleman also saw herself as adventurous perhaps because Dutch culture places a high value on travel. As a result of living and working in China, she’s discovered that she’s not as adventurous as she thought she was. “Living abroad is a big adventure, but traveling a lot just to see every city is not me anymore. It’s taught me that Rotterdam is not a big city, but a small town. I’ve learned to be more patient.”
Even for those who have reflected on their identity, international relocation, especially from the West to a country like China, can shake one’s foundations. “Staying true to yourself can be a challenge when you move to a new culture. You may find yourself trying hard to fit in or you may feel misplaced and uncomfortable within your new environment,” maintains Kama Frankling, English relocation counselor now residing in Australia. Continue reading “What Is Identity and Why Is It Important for Expats? Carolyn Vines via China Expat” »
