Integration, Identity, Migration

The question of nationality versus ethnicity has always been puzzling for me to answer for a variety of reasons. I am a citizen of the United States- I was born and raised here, so I believe that means my nationality is American. However, my parents are both of Indian descent, which makes my ethnicity Indian.

If you were to ask me about the definitions of ethnic identities, especially in the Middle East and Asia/South Asia, I would cite my South Asian Diaspora DWA class and say that what we define as ethnic identities, like Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, etc, are all constructs representing a neo-colonialistic world. The majority of boundaries and ethnic definitions were created by white people who did not understand the region accurately. In learning about this through the DWA class, I have really struggled in understanding how I identify myself given this complex history.

Beyond checking boxes on forms, the juxtaposition of my nationality and ethnicity has been difficult for me to navigate because I essentially lived two separate lives- one life filled with South Indian culture, Telugu language and Hinduism at home, and American culture and English at school and everywhere else. Though I am able to appreciate this unique background as an adult, I often felt out of place growing up. I was often asked rude questions like whether I could speak English just because I did not look white, which created a lot of difficult emotions for me in regards to my Indian identity.

I think the experiences of ‘new Germans’, or descendants of immigrants who were raised in Germany, is likely similar to mine. I think they may also feel this split of worlds where they belong to a different identity in terms of their nationality versus their ethnicity, and this makes it hard to feel a strong sense of belonging and sense of place in Germany, though it is their home.