So, recently I've really noticed the phenomenon of becoming "more" or your own culture when in a foreign country. Basically, I've never felt particularly American (or German, or Argentinean). Even when I was at Kansai Gaidai in 2007/08, it was hard to place myself culturally. When I first arrived her at IUJ, I just had to laugh and explain how nope, I wasn't really American.
But these past two months, I've started hanging out with other Americans on campus (they're in a different program, I hadn't really talked to them much before). And suddenly, I feel so completely American. The people I hung out with before have commented on it, and I can't help but both feel a bit bad and feel really happy that I've found people with whom I "click" so well -- the "click" being the shared cultural values and backgrounds, the same sense of humor.
I mean, it helps that they're the type of people I would have hung out with anyway. But I feel like I've shifted closer to "American" than I ever was before, and I'm not sure that would have happened if I'd met these two in the States.
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chiming
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Date: 2011-04-01 01:49 am (UTC)From:But these past two months, I've started hanging out with other Americans on campus (they're in a different program, I hadn't really talked to them much before). And suddenly, I feel so completely American. The people I hung out with before have commented on it, and I can't help but both feel a bit bad and feel really happy that I've found people with whom I "click" so well -- the "click" being the shared cultural values and backgrounds, the same sense of humor.
I mean, it helps that they're the type of people I would have hung out with anyway. But I feel like I've shifted closer to "American" than I ever was before, and I'm not sure that would have happened if I'd met these two in the States.
Oh cultural identity, you are so complicated.