how do you identify yourself as?

[Zauriel]

I heard of some sentiments like "I am English before I'm British" or "I am a Cebuano before I'm a Filipino before I'm an Asian."

It seems to me that sometimes ethnic identity comes before national identity or before religious identity and national identity comes before continental or racial identity.

How do you define your cultural identity? Okay, I have many heritages, so I have a lot of identities but I'll put them in order of rank. First I'll tell you about my heritage. I'm a Deaf Chinese-Filipino with dual U.S.-Filipino citizenship. So here is how I define myself as.

I am Filipino before I'm Chinese before I'm Deaf before I'm an Asian before I'm a human.

Being Filipino is the first and foremost identity for me because I came to love this Philippines after living for residing there almost two decades. I absolutely love the Filipino food and sweets, Filipino martial arts (Arnis/Escrima) and Philippine places. Besides Filipino culture is a rich and beautiful culture. I embrace it with pride.

I am an ethnic Chinese and I have a Chinese surname. I look more Far East Asian/Oriental than I look Southeast Asian. So many people assume I'm Japanese or Chinese. But I recognize myself as Chinese as my secondary identity because I accept my Chinese blood with pride as almost as I accept my Filipino upbringing, even though I can't speak Chinese nor read Chinese kanji.

I consider myself as Deaf and accept it in third place because it is what I am and I appreciate this identity.

I am an Asian because I am very proud of being an Asian.

Even though I was born in Hawaii and have American citizenship, I rarely identify myself as an American.

 

[Limonette]

Humanoid first, Washingtonion or American next, (when the subject of nationality or where I'm from comes up), then limon (that pic in my avatar is misleading as I'm actually more green than yellow), then my ethic background, since I'm so mixed up and don't have direct ties to those countries: Irish, German, English, Norwegian, Welsh. So that only comes up when the topic of background comes up.

I think being from Washington, and from Utah and Colorado before, is more important about me than that I'm American. I'm not very patriotic, but I like America alot anyway, it's where I'm from. Not our administration tho. Though I prefer to think of myself as a citizen of the world first. I was only taught pride in being Irish, we do have more of that, and growing up one reason I liked green is because we're Irish, but then I found out we're not green Irish, we're orange Irish (protestant). Go figure.

It's interesting reading about your identy Zauriel. Good topic.

 

[Kara_Nari]

Yeah I agree, this is interesting!

Well I was born in New Zealand, and hold New Zealand citizenship. My mother is Caucasian and my great grandparents on her side came from England.
My real father (who I have never met, therefore I dont embrace that side of my ethnicity) was/is Maori. Native New Zealander. Who knows where his ancestors came from. Supposedly Hawaiki (sp).

So basically im just a white girl with dark features, who would rather be asian

 

[Sensuikan San]

I think in various ways ... we may have touched on this before - but it's always fascinating isn't it - and one of those "personal" things that often helps you explain your own character to yourself !

So ...

I'm Anglo-Irish ("Me mother -sheeeeee was Orange .... me fader ... he was green!") - at least, that's how I think of myself ...!

But my paternal grandmother was from Orkney - that's (sort of) Scottish ! I use the words "sort of" advisedly - because Granny would never, never ever, described herself as being a Scot. She was always "Norse"! (Her words - not mine.) Since her family name was probably originally spelt "Haalcrø" - or something like that - I can sympathise! (Grandpa was Irish - all the way!)

...so ... I'm very proud of being, just a little .... Viking, too!

Similiarly - my maternal grandparents were of pretty pure Saxon(Grandpa)/Norman French (Grandma) stock ... so ...

I'm Anglo/Irish/Nowegian/German/French......? (Archetypical Modern British?)

No ... I confess ... that having spent more than half my life over here, now ... I have sloooowly become ...

North American.

I don't differentiate between Canada and the US for one simple reason ... I dont have any heredity in either country, and do not feel particularly swayed in the differences of point of view that frequently arise. I look at and judge those differences on their merits.

But my own general outlook on life is indisputably North American. And ... it's almost unavoidable that that is what I have come to see myself as .... regardless of citizenship, race, religion, cultural roots etc. etc. etc.

...I'm a troubled mutt!

Good topic!

ﾆ淡ﾆ停?｡ﾆ停?

 

[Duo]

Albanian and European.

 

[Tsuyoiko]

Earthling, Jewish extraction, European, British, in that order.

 

[hebiichigo]

Australian, Australian, and Australian.

 

[Grandpa Frank]

Like Many Older Men.....

I always think of myself in terms of my job. Nurse's aid,American, Mainer, senior citizen, white heinz 57 breed. Any futher would probably use my hobbies & interests, such as gun lover/nut.

Frank

 

[Flashjeff]

Yo! I'm a Philadelphian!!! Got a problem with that? Didn't think so!

 

[Doc]

An ungodly spawn that was given the title "Gift of God", and does nothing better in life than scare people with his Postal Dude persona.

Doc