The Diaspora's Dilemma

Cultural identity is such an odd concept. It's fluid, it's ambiguous, it changes with time, it's often very subjective, and we seldom know exactly what we mean when we throw it around. In fact, these characteristics probably apply just the same to culture and identity, separately. While I doubt this entry will throw light on any of this, humor me for a second as there may be an interesting thought in here somewhere if you look close enough.

Through the 'tossing's and 'turning's of living and maturing, it becomes increasingly easier to lose this sense of cultural identity - or at least to feel like we have. We are stretched thin between pillars of roles, responsibilities, institutions, professions... whatever we allow to define us (be it completely or in part). For diaspora communities, our suspension across these pillars is coupled with the influence of our new environment. Those of us that stay long enough might even be more influenced by it than by whatever former dwelling we called home. As a member of a diaspora community myself, I've struggled to understand how to disentangle and reconcile this webbing of cultural identities. I'm not sure that I've achieved this entirely, but I'm certainly getting closer.

In my humble opinion, there are three general kinds of diaspora that exist on a spectrum of cultural immersion:

1. Diaspora in a bubble: Diaspora that exist completely oblivious to their new surrounding community
2. Diaspora in a melting pot: Diaspora who effectively let go of their old attachments and allow their new surrounding (or portions of it) to create their identity
3. Diaspora in a mixing salad: Diaspora who maintain their old attachments while entertaining the experience of their new community

Often times when we lose ourselves, we either a) search for and cling on to what we were, b) quickly acquire an identity from something/someone in close proximity, or c) keep one foot rooted in our past while using the other to test new waters. I think a case could be made for the benefits of each of the three (depending on the person and situation) so I wouldn't necessarily deem any one avenue superior to another... nor do I see any need to. It's not about where you are on the spectrum, but rather about finding a sense of cultural identity that you are happy with.