Defining yourself when you're multi-ethnic

[Lawrence of Arabia]

Since coming to europe, I've been learning more and more about myself, and my past, and its only making me more confused. I was wondering if other people who have recent multiple ethnicities are also as confused.
My parents are from finland and switzerland, i was born in new york, but ive lived most of my live in california. on the swiss side, i am affiliated officially with the swiss german canton of Appenzell Ausser Rhoden, even though I've never been there and dont speak german. that makes me swiss german. I am also affiliated with Geneva because thats where the last generation of swiss family was born (grandparents moved out of Appenzell) and I speak french (I guess with a little geneva accent too.)
on the finnish side, I don't speak finnish, but I spent most of my summers there, which means Ive been culturally immersed in Kharhu, Koskinkorva, Prisma, Lapin Kulta, Juuhanus, and saunas.

In america, im 'that european' in europe' im 'that american' in geneva im 'from appenzelle' but in appenzelle they dont understand what I say.

so i think ive decided that my country is the world and my religion is to do good, as tommy paine said a while ago.



thankfully, they keep me voting every two weeks so I dont have much time to think about it. Ive already voted four times since August.

[Asher]

Labels are for the insecure.

[Dis]

I'm french and german. I find one side of me surrendering to the evil side quite regularly. Annoying.

[lord of the mark]

Re: Defining yourself when you're multi-ethnic

Originally posted by Lawrence of Arabia
Since coming to europe, I've been learning more and more about myself, and my past, and its only making me more confused. I was wondering if other people who have recent multiple ethnicities are also as confused.
My parents are from finland and switzerland, i was born in new york, but ive lived most of my live in california. on the swiss side, i am affiliated officially with the swiss german canton of Appenzell Ausser Rhoden, even though I've never been there and dont speak german. that makes me swiss german. I am also affiliated with Geneva because thats where the last generation of swiss family was born (grandparents moved out of Appenzell) and I speak french (I guess with a little geneva accent too.)
on the finnish side, I don't speak finnish, but I spent most of my summers there, which means Ive been culturally immersed in Kharhu, Koskinkorva, Prisma, Lapin Kulta, Juuhanus, and saunas.

In america, im 'that european' in europe' im 'that american' in geneva im 'from appenzelle' but in appenzelle they dont understand what I say.

so i think ive decided that my country is the world and my religion is to do good, as tommy paine said a while ago.



thankfully, they keep me voting every two weeks so I dont have much time to think about it. Ive already voted four times since August.

quick answer - Youre goyish.

[Spiffor]

I'm french and german. I find one side of me surrendering to the evil side quite regularly. Annoying.

[Lawrence of Arabia]

i had to look that up in the dictionary

[VetLegion]

If your mom was female and your dad was male, then what does that make you?

[Lawrence of Arabia]

one or the other. why? thats mutually exclusive.

[Bosh]

You're not multi-ethnic you're just a whitey like me (Russian/German/Italian/Irish). Now my kids on the other hand (Korean/Russian/German/Italian/Irish) will be a fun combo...

[Dinner]

Yeah, you are different nationalities but only one ethnicity. I'm American but my family background is half Scottish, 3/8 English, and 1/8 French Canadian though I think my Scottish side has a bit of Irish mixed in there some where way back (paternal grandmother was Scottish from Scotland but had an Irish last name).

[phoenixcager]

I can totally identify with the feeling. I'm half Ethnic Indian and half Ethnic Chinese. In Singapore, that's pretty significant for the following reasons:

1) Your official 'race' has to follow your father's. Therefore I am officially "Indian". Then there's this thing about 'dialect group'. My Dad's dialect group is actually 'Telegu', but by some mistake, my Grandfather registered my Dad as a "Tamil' at birth, so I inherited that mistake.

2) Everyone in Singapore schools have to learn a second language that's usually according to your official race: Mandarin for Chinese, Malay for Malays, Tamil for Indians. My Dad actually wrote in to the Ministry of Education to allow me to learn Mandarin instead of Tamil (since he doesn't speak it himself).

3) I've never been accepted by members of either race in Singapore (I don't look Chinese, and I don't speak Tamil).

My daughter's going to have a worse version of this. She's 3/4 Chinese, but officially 'Indian'!