Do you sometimes feel stuck between two cultures..?

Question

You might know what i'm talking about If you were born elsewhere, but moved to your current country/society early on in childhood..or you were born in your current society but was brought up carrying the values of another culture as well.
Sometimes it's very difficult trying to balance the cultural values because they clash. it's not just that the cultures clash (the social culture, and family/background culture)...we clash internally. we understand both sides and perspectives, but that does not help clear anything at all...it just helps in creating a feeling of...being stuck.
It's not only that..there are many other issues to consider. for example, the issue of belonging. We belong in both cultural worlds...but at the same time we are foreign to both...we never feel 100% accepted in either. we're a bit of a foreigner in both realms and that's a harsh reality to accept.
Anyone else gone through this balancing dance of cultures?any experiences/solutions/advice for others?

By the way,I'm not really "worried" about this whole thing or anything...I'm sort of used to it.It used to be harder on me years ago when i was still trying to 'find myself'. i'm totaly comfortable in my own skin now,which is my home- eventhough sometimes it CAN be frustrating having to balance cultures. My whole angle at asking for others to give expereiences and advice and solutions is really to try and support other younger people who are having a hard time with double cultures NOW. so thanks for comments! my own personal advice is thise: try to find who you are even with having to balance cultures..find a middle ground within yourself. when there are situations that clash emensly with one another (example: wanting to be independant when your other culture requires you to be dependant and tied to family)...well...then i have no idea cuz i think thats the hardest thing to balance..the middleground is sometims har dto find and depends on every situation...i dunno.thanks 4 expanding

Answer 1

i read somewhere that the people who feel like they don't properly fit in any one culture are the ones who really fit in anywhere. imagine how boring it would be to have only one place/role where you fit in perfectly, and you can never be comfortable anywhere else...

Answer 2

Oh boy,that's the situation I'm in.

I was born in HK but migrated to Singapore. I have been living in Singapore for 15 years and I'm still there. I am familiar with its culture and history but I know nothing about HK. Not even its presidents, history or flag. Although I'm a chinese,I'm more fluent in English than Chinese. Whenever I converse with my relatives in chinese, they would laugh at the way I speak. On top of that,I would never understand the jokes that they crack. My relatives regard as a foreigner and so do my friends in Singapore. However,over the years, I've gotten used to it. Who cares about what others think of me? I have greater problems to worry about ( keeping my grades up etc.)

To top it off, I have 3 passports. Everytime I travel, I have to bring all 3. How troublesome can that be?

My advice for you is to deal with it. You've greater things to worry about. I rather think about how to get a ticket to good charlotte's concert than to ponder over this issue daily.

Answer 3

I did, and I believe alot of people do in this multicultural society. It pretty much ended after high school though. You see I was raised in a white neigborhood and had pretty much all white friends until high school. The high school environment was a little more diverse, and to many black kids, I acted "white." It sounds trivial now, but it was a huge deal back then, and I tried to act more "black" and hang out with more black people, the same people who didn't want to accept me for who I am. In the end, me and my white friends just kind of drifted apart as I hung out with more black people, but once I got to college I got all new friends who pretty much accepted me for who I am. All in all I am much more aware of race and culture and what they mean to me. I'm now somewhat uncomfortable in both all white environments and all black environments, and like diverse crowds. Also using the internet I've found blacks who don't necesarily act "black" and I know I'm not alone. Chances are you aren't either. All I can say is be yourself and be confident. I was not confident and changed myself to try to fit some stereotype.

Answer 4

yes, very often, being born in Belgium from an english father and an italian mother... and being married to an Indian man! but it's all good! ;)

Answer 5

no