Does Your Identity Change When You Move Abroad?
When you move to another country or even another state, you can feel a little out of sorts. You might notice that you’re developing new habits or hobbies centred around your new city, your views or opinions might develop, and maybe your accent will change.
If you’ve moved to a country that doesn’t speak your language, you might start learning the local lingo so you can better integrate, or perhaps you take part in new-to-you traditions.
Whether it’s adapting to the stores being closed on Sundays, or learning to enjoy local cuisine, can your cultural identity change when you become an expat?
Wait, what is cultural identity anyway?
Whether you’ve grown up in the Australian outback, Japan, or upstate New York, your cultural identity is formed by a sense of belonging to the place where you’re from.
Cultural identity is what makes us who we are! It’s formed by your traditions, the language you speak, your religion, where you were born, your socio-economic background, and what music or art you’re into.
When you move to a new country, you’ll find these identifiers might not be so present in your day-to-day life, which might make you question yourself.
