Hello! Let’s talk about cultures today, or rather cultural dilemma.
I grew up in Turkey and moved to the US when I was 25. I am Turkish at my core, but now when I go back to Turkey, people notice I don’t live there anymore. I do not even need to speak. They can tell even from posture or gestures. I was even told that it sounded like I had an accent in Turkish (by which, I think, they meant my pauses were different -not the actual sounds-, which leads to some unnatural sounding sentences). I still eat Turkish food; that is what I cook. I also kind of dress in more Turkish-style than American. But other than this, I feel like most of the cultural association is not there. The way I approach most things in life is not Turkish anymore. This means approach to social issues as well as future concerns. I don’t mind traditional ceremonies as much. I am more like, it would be nice to have them but we do not have to have them. I have zero idea about Turkish dramas (and believe me, people ask a lot). But fair enough, I did not watch them even in Turkey. Is this all bad? I do not know. I like being able to navigate between cultures and had a cross-cultural vision in mind even as a kid. So, this mix actually makes me happy. But when I see people from other cultures really hanging onto their traditional ceremonies or expectations, I feel weird. Granted, this is partly due to the fact that I did not find a Turkish community here; you assimilate more when you are not within a cultural unit. But now I am thinking, where do we cut the line on adaptation and assimilation? Where do I stand?
Let’s discuss this today. Also make sure to share your experiences if you have any.