Iām just curious as to whether anybody else here feels the same way as I doā¦
The one thing which has always confused me about who I am is my nationality and Iām never quite sure who to identify myself as.
I was born in Taiwan to Taiwanese parents so ethnically, I am a Taiwaneseā¦ however I moved overseas at a very young age and hold citizenship in both Australia and New Zealand (I think my Kiwi citizenship has been given up through as my passport expired a few years back and I never renewed it).
Iām in Australia now and have been for the past 10 odd yearsā¦ I even speak with an Aussie accent (I really hate it sometimes though )ā¦ but I donāt think Iāll ever see myself as an Australianā¦ and even with other people, they still identify me as a foreigner.
When I am in Taiwan, I experience similar problems there tooā¦ I speak mandarin and I look asian but for whatever reason, strangers I encounter (whether it be taxi drivers or shop assistants)ā¦ they can always tell that I am not exactly a native (some even ask if I am an ABC)ā¦ and they always like to make the point that thereās a difference between āthemā and āusā. And a lot of the time, I feel as if I am being looked down upon :s
I know I shouldnt care what others think but Iām just confusedā¦ and especially at the age Iām at nowā¦ having to deal with the whole āfinding yourself, figuring out who you areā stuffā¦ i dunno :neutral:
Strange thing. I remember reading a Joseph OāConnor book where he talks about how Irish who live abroad permanently feel when they go home for Christmas, and then go back to wherever it is they came from. I donāt really belong in England, Hong Kong, Taiwan or China, but I kind of feel I donāt really fit in at āhomeā either (wherever that is).
No one can answer the question but you. But does it really need answering? Ireland (and Tawian to a certain extend) has been torn to bits with people constantly wondering who the fuck they are. I have given up. I use the trite answer āIām a man of the world, manā but in a way itās kind of true. Iām just a white, English speaking European. Who likes the drink a bit too much. I honestly donāt know if finding a label for yourself will help much.
wow, I wasnāt aware there was such a thing as a TCK (I only know about ABCās, etc). It was interesting to read what that website had to say and it does make sense I guess
You are Australian and Kiwi. Your citizenship, if you did become a citizen and not just a resident, does not expire when your passport does. You are a citizen that wouldnāt get back in without a new passport, waitā¦ you can use the Aussie one and live in NZ anyway.
What other people identify you as a foreigner? You donāt see yourself as an Australian, so you probably tell people your Taiwanese.
When youāre back in Taiwan you just tell people youāre Taiwanese but have lived overseas for some time. Nothing new here with meeting ROC nationals like that.
My son was born in Taiwan, lived here until he was 7, when to school in Brisbane, moved back here when he was 11. He had no problems with telling people he was Australian. But he did tell me that some of his Taiwanese born friends and Korean born students would hang out in their own little groups and not play with the other Aussies. He would hangout with either aussies or other friends if they were doing something interesting.
He came back and did 5th 6th grade up here in Alishan with the Aboriginal kids and reckons this has been the best school time heās had so far. Heās at the Lincoln American School in Taichung but spends holidays back in Alishan with his buddies. But if you people here ask him where heās from itās Australia, mate.
I guess I had the same problems as a young adult on Taiwan. Since being born in Taiwan and growing up mostly overseas, you miss out on the cultural and social cues that cements your identity as being local.
Well my only advise is enjoy the uniqueness of being you and it gets better as you get older because youāll understand the nuiances of what each identity expects of you. Hence, you will be able to manage other peopleās perception of you to your advantage.
She, there are more TCKs out there than you know. Hopefully, someday the world will be full of us that there will be no need to explain everything that really isnāt too complicated to begin with. Some of my friendsā backgrounds will take about 20 minutes to explain ā and most people still donāt get it.
Incidentally, in dealing with people, I tailor my answer to the question. Sometimes they ask āAre you Japanese or Korean?ā (Chinese), āAre you an ABC/CBC?ā (No), āWhere are you from?ā (Canada). I never offer more unless they ask more.
You will encounter condescending remarks but you will also encounter praise. Take both in stride and accept yourself as what you are ā a very lucky person.
I think a lot of āTCKsā get really screwed up on the murky seperation of ethnicity and identity, it takes about a hour to explain that I was born in HK but spent all my early years between Boston, Mass., Taiwan and Switzerlandā¦ and 2 hours if you want me to explain my Russian great-grandmother on my mumās side and my Indian one on my Dadās. I wouldnāt bother with the labels and get on with exploiting your cultural and symbolic capital for all its worth, heh.
The people I meet from Mainland China are most interested in questioning my identity and its often the 1st thing they ask upon meeting me, as to whether I āfeelā Chinese despite the ethnic blood that apparently binds me to a place Iāve never been to for more than 3 weeks. But I usually cope by saying that the Queen reckons Iām a British citizen of the realm of the United Kingdom and that if theyāre really that bothered they can thrash it out with HRH.
Also daasgrl, thatās a great link. Iāve never heard the term either and identify with bits of itā¦However, āglobal nomadā doesnāt have the same ring as my own invention: āInternational vagrantā
Q: Why do TCKs not ālookā Chinese? So many people have approached me speaking Japanese and Korean assuming Iām a native of places Iāve never set foot in. Also, the majority of ABCs/TCKs Iāve met are HOT!
Iāve found that its not to do with dress senseā¦ body language maybe?
Doesnāt matter where youāre from! We are all on this great big sinking ship together. You donāt have a dilemma as far as I can tell. I think you are actually happy to stand out as being different or special. You seem to be anyways. I would be too if I had multiple passeports from such countries. So just donāt worry about it because what really matters is where you are going and where you want to be. Cheer up and have a bite at the pie while thereās some left.
[quote=āSheā]The one thing which has always confused me about who I am is my nationality and Iām never quite sure who to identify myself as.
Iām in Australia now and have been for the past 10 odd yearsā¦ I even speak with an Aussie accent (I really hate it sometimes though )ā¦ but I donāt think Iāll ever see myself as an Australianā¦ and even with other people, they still identify me as a foreigner.[/quote]
Thereās nothing wrong with an Aussie accent! Why do you hate it? What would you prefer?
But judging from your avatar, I suspect youāre actually Japanese. If your name is Sadako then please do not send me any videotapes.
Iām not in this world
To live up to your expectations
Neither are you here to live up to mine, yeah
I donāt owe no one
No obligation
No I donāt mean none
So everything is fine, fine
CHORUS
I said I am that I am
I am I am Iam
(4x)
Donāt underestimate
My ability
Donāt definate my character
Donāt belittle
My authority
It is time you recognized my quality
CHORUS
Learn to love
To love your brother
Donāt covet your neighbor
Flee from the city
Itās getting shitty
It is full of out-a-quity(Inequity)
CHORUS
I am the rock of the ages
You cannot move I at all
I am the son of lightining
You cannot move I at all
Son of Jacob
Cannot move me at all
I am the son of Moses
You canāt move I at all
I am the son of David
You cannot move I at all
I am a firm ripe diamond
You cannot move I at all
You could a shed more tears
You cannot move I at all
You could a full of evil
You cannot move I at all
You could a try more nuttinā
You cannot move I at all
And you can try make a something
That canāt move I at all
And could a come with ism
You canāt move I at all
And could come with skism
That canāt move I at all [/quote]
Iām just curious as to whether anybody else here feels the same way as I doā¦
The one thing which has always confused me about who I am is my nationality and Iām never quite sure who to identify myself as.
[/quote]
Youāre currently an Australian citizen, so I guess youāre Australian. If your ancestors are mostly Han Chinese, you could call yourself Chinese-Australian.
I was born in the UK to American citizen parents, and moved to the US when I was a baby. I consider myself American. 49% of my ancestors were Danish, so ethnically I could consider myself Danish-American. However, my Danish ancestors came to the US between 1872 and 1905, so it is a few generations removed.
[quote=āChrisā]
Youāre currently an Australian citizen, so I guess youāre Australian. [/quote]
Sheās also Kiwi and Taiwanese because she holds citizenship to those countries as well. As the world gets smaller, there will be more and more people that cannot be defined by their passports.
For example, I have a friend born in Malaysia to a Cdn father and a HK (BNO-British National Overseas) mother. He was raised in the US and his mom became US citizen. He considers himself a US citizen HOWEVER he only has a US green card. He travels with a Cdn passport despite never having lived or visited Canada before. Another friend is Japanese, her husband is Cdn and her son is American. Her son will be raised in Japan and Canada, not the US. Which identity will the child most likely identify with once he gets older?
Citizenship is just a method to make sure we all pay taxes (some of us pay more due to multiple citizenships). Identity cannot be so easily contained.
Hereās the thingā¦why do you feel the need to explain your life story in order to identify yourself? Why not pick one place with which you identify the most? I have been in Taiwan for 1/8 of my life as well as in France, but thereās no doubt that despite how I feel about going back in the near future, I am Americanā¦simply because a) thatās where I spent the majority of my life and b) itās where my passport is from. I understand you have a different situation since you have three passports but surely you must have a stronger connection to one of those three countries.
Itās almost as if you are justifying your skin color and accent by producing a big long story about where you have lived. If people care that much about it, they probably arenāt going to change their opinions much no matter how much you explain to them.
)ā¦ but I donāt think Iāll ever see myself as an Australianā¦ and even with other people, they still identify me as a foreigner.
