here is woody expressing how i feel sometimes "D'you do it?"

this is what happens when you try to change your identity...

"I'll dye some easter eggs if it helps"

the thought came to me as well ..

Identity is a big part of who you are and it influences you as a person.

Unfortunately the concept of cultural identity is starting to die out very quickly, the world is getting smaller.

Some argue that 21st century concept of multiculturalism is managing to turn us all into a very homogeneous bunch without much of an identity.

As far as my identity, I don't have one because I feel I lived in way too many places and know way too many people from different countries and origins to really feel like I belong to one specific group of people.

Hi zoltan

you mean the world is a global village still ..

you mean eventually there is a cyber space melting pot and all shall be one ?

what ? 

interesting 

i guess i too feel this way till someone starts a political discussion 

.....still it is nice to be citizen of the world or try to 

tonight on my way home an old Italian guy with a dog asked me if i was from 

sweden, i just dyed my hair  and saw it as a huge compliment for some reason, 

maybe because i am a huge ingmar bergman fan --

"Third Culture Kids" known as TCK's addressess these very issues, a very interesting read. I heard the author Ruth Van-Reken speak about this topic twice a few months ago, excellent speaker and made all of those who have travelled and have multiple identities feel OK, kind of like finally getting a diagnosis LOL!

Its a sign of the times, I am trying to embrace it. I get the same question about where I am from also every time  and people don't accept my answer, saying you look like my people and I am not blonde with blue eyes AT ALL..........its the same thing.....kinda nice to feel invited in to someone elses "People" though. I think it is a common question here as there are people from all over the world here and I think/hope it is celebrated.

Interesting thread.

yes similar things happen to me..... I get confused with all kind of things...

I had muslims think I am Arab, I had Jewish speak to me in Hebrew, south americans assuming I am south american, italian asking me if I am italian, greeks, spanish, portuguese... I even got things like half black, half white.

In reality I take all of this as a compliment.

I really don't want to identify with any nationality in particular, rather with people, foods, customs that make me feel pleased and happy and at ease.

I don't agree with the concept of race, I believe we all come from the same origin and the same ancestry and evolution just played a part in shaping our diverse physical appearances, but to me to divide people by race is very offensive, perhaps because I like cultures and languages a lot.

sterotypes are so funny

there are certain nationalities that for some reason have a positive image 

in switzerland, for exemple , the Dutch, the french 

i love to see the way some old swiss lady smiles to me, saying , french?

when i answer israel, the smiles sometimes disappears

or i get these religious christians trying to get me to  back up their messiah 

a long time ago i had someone, i think drunk, say to me, go home yogo 

and for a while when american were disliked i got *Ami* thrown in my face

There is a great book written by an American journalist who hid his white identity and made himself to look african american, he went down south and wrote a book about that

and i read sometime about a German journalist who did the same, dressed as a Turk etc and wrote a book too

I think it is facinating to consider life from another person^s point of view like that 

so i sometimes wonder what my life would be like if i were Dutch or French or 

anything else people think i am ...i think probobly a lot less complicated 

a lot less woody Allenish

I totally agree about race

I just had a talk about that issue with a swiss person as the swiss always want to know your religion

when you go  to the hospital  etc

which reminds me of a friend of mine, portugese with an African mother who decided to declare himself catholic as not to be thought as moslem and suffer from that sterotype, he ended up having to pay the church for that decision...

John Lenon sang about an ideal situation in "imagine"

imagine there's no countries and no religion too

I kind of wish that yes, we could all be appreciated for who we are and not the land of origin

but who are we? a big question, i suppose everything that has nothing to do with national identity and sterotypes

The best answer i guess to those stirring up the sterotype soup is to say

i am an international person, or inational ,above national definition ¨

which brings me to the soccer games where national identity comes up every time and suddenly my kids discover their european roots, wear the national flag and go mad if the team loses

that i think is a shame, why cant people just do sport bob against johnny for exemple?

isnt that more honest? after all it is really about this or that athlete and not a country but of course the prestige of a country goes up with the winnings and vice versa..

thanks for sharing andy, i think race is silly when you consider dogs for exemple

the mixed ones are the best genetically and yet so many people seek pure bred 

why=? same idea, people find security in a so called label 

in the x ray machines we are all the same right?

john lennon singing 

"Imagine there's no countries

nothing to kill or die for 

and no religion too 

imagine all the people living life in peace"

an interesting short film about identity 

"what you are escapes your eximination like you cant look into your own eyes"

very philosophical 

¨remember zelig? the man who changes identities like a chameleon`?

now that is interesting 

sometimes i feel too i am becoming swiss 

i actually arrive  on time  for appointments(sometime)

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