Wednesday 23 July 2014
Being “you” is easier said than done especially when you are adjusting into a culture that you are unfamiliar with. As a young
migrant, it can be tough to adjust to cultural differences between your adopted country and home country while you are trying to map out your identity as an individual.
As an immigrant, it is common that you are first identified
by your racial background – a part of a greater whole – a culture with its own
ways and tradition. But aside from that, you are also an individual molded by
experiences and stories strengthened through time. All of these can be a lot more complicated
when you are parachuted into a new life – a new culture that may be different
from what you are used to together with new experiences that shapes your new
personality. And even then, there is a bigger question:
How are you going to fit yourself in this new culture
or society with their own ways? How will you find a way to keep ties to your
roots, fit into this newly introduced culture all while you keep on growing and
mold yourself as your own person or as an individual?
It is fairly easy to get lost with these questions as it is
a lot to take it all in at once. But each individual has their own ways of
dealing with it. Some just go with the flow; some manage to paint it all
together in one canvas – a mosaic with vibrant colours clashed together as an
art. Sometimes it is a tug of war. It is a battle between keeping your identity
and losing it in order to fit in and even then, there is no assurance or
certainty that you win the game.
Finding balance is the key to answer the question. It is
important to realize that being in a new place or country does not necessarily
mean forgetting your roots nor does it require you to completely ignore the new
ways of living and continue your old ways. Your roots, culture and tradition
will always be yours and there is no shame of being proud of it. The same goes
for trying out new things and exploring this new culture in front you for it
expands your horizon and will let you explore greater things and experiences
that will later on help you to become your own person and become a part of a
larger community that is molded by individuals just like yourself – each with
their own experiences and stories to share.
Trying to fit in does not mean forgetting. Embracing your adopted country does not mean
turning your back from your home country. Sometimes it is a matter of putting
pieces together to create a bigger picture. It is a way of building bridges and
opening a door to new possibilities and vital connections that put both aspects
of old roots and new ties into a well-rounded individual with the capacity of
living in the best of both worlds.
As far as individuality goes, it is a story with an endless
possibility and the course of its progress is entirely up to the person holding
the pen: you. So let your pen find its way to your paper because sometimes,
being ‘you’ is a story written one page at a time.
Janine
