The first thing I want to say is "Thank you". This video has been extremely helpful to me. I related to many different points in this video. I come from a Chinese (Hong Kong) family but I have lived all my life in the UK, over the last couple of years I have become conflicted with my identity. I completely understand Ammar when he says he doesn't relate to being American or Egyptian. I personally don't think I'm British nor do I feel that I'm from Hong Kong. I think the way Western media portrays China as a bad place and a threat is the main source of my conflicts. Although, I haven't yet met anyone through the Yes Family. I feel part of the Yes Theory ethos more than any other label above. Thank you for creating a truly wonderful community.
This podcast episode was one that really hit close to home. I am a TCK. I am half Australian (white) and half Malaysian (Chinese and Indian). I grew up living in Bangladesh, Thailand, Malaysia going to international schools with people from all over the world; and then had to move to australia for my last years of highschool (and I’m still here going to university). I don’t speak bahasa or cantonese. I only fluently speak English. I feel Australian in the sense that it’s a place that represents my western side of ideologies and on a language level I fit in and most of my family are here etc, but I don’t feel at home here, and on an identity level I gravitate towards immigrants when it comes to interactions. I didn’t grow up here, I don’t have the same childhood and teen experiences to relate to locals with, I dont have a childhood friendship group or even a highschool one. I am studying International Relations and I love what I study because it encompasses so much of my first hand lived experience. But having moved so much growing up, and now not having an idea of the next time I’ll move countries is extremely daunting. The idea that a place which I have felt the least sense of belonging (despite nationality, language, ideologies and family ties) will overtake the other places I’ve lived as the place I’ve lived longest is scary. It’s almost like to feel a sense of belonging I need to be in a place which is foreign to me because that is my identity. I am a citizen of the world, not to one place.
I can do much relate to Omar’s point. - I grew up in a Muslim Arabic / Persian family, but… - my dad is of Jewish, Ukrainian and Swedish background. - and most of my friends were of Central Asian, Korean or Slavic background So through that crazy mix, I ended up identifying as a “child of the world” 😅 but that self-identity came from spending time thinking what each part of my background means to me. Practicing different parts of culture to learn more about my background. And eventually realizing - there is SO much beauty in the cultural diversity!! Why identify as one? If you can learn many!
this is so interesting! i am a chinese-born canadian-naturalized young man. i lived 7 years in china, 11 in canada, 10 in america, and now im living in france. I speak english french and chinese. while i find it to be a tremendous blessing to have experienced so much of the world, i have a worry that the more cultures and cities i experience, the harder and harder it will become for me to choose a place to settle down in. since i'll have seen the best of many cultures.
why should you settle down? maybe you will travel most of your life and keep on experiencing new places! you dont have to "seek" a place you will want to call "home" but just enjoy your journeys and exporing all thease cultures and your diversity
Stumbled on this podcast at 4:30am (UK time) and boy did it get me thinking! I also had my identity crisis when I started school! Me and my cousin were the only Indian kids there and it was hard and it was awkward.
As a white American that was born and raised in the USA, my ethnicity is extremely European diverse like English, Scottish, Swedish, etc. However, many Americans like myself have never visited these countries where our ancestors and many generations of the family lineage spent most of their time living before coming to America. Many Americans say things like “I’m Irish” but we don’t really know what being that identity is like because we live in America. Something I thought would be an interesting point of view to provide regarding identity. These 3 guys have been to their home and native lands but many Americans have not.
Very interesting conversation. I was born and raised in the same country, and I never found myself completely related to a specific identity. I'm from Mexico, an I have lived my whole life in a city just on the border between Mexico and the US, and that gives me a lot of influence from both countries. All that I know is that I'm what I want to be right now, and I'm sure that tomorrow I'll going to be a different person, so to me, my identity is changing over time. LOVE ❤YES FAM!
22:50 yea the way I understood it is that identity provides a value framework that ultimately gives you purposes when you're grounded by it bc you feel content 55:50 great point that you capture identity through story telling 58:40 some people would regard to the thing that allowed them to get to these places is god which is interesting 1:01:10 and this is why authenticity is powerful in being a creator 1:25:38 and this is ultimately what brings you meaning in life
I was just having the same conversation with a friend and we both could relate so much to your experiences! So enriching to listen to your thoughts as well. I resonated so much with Ammar's viewpoint! 😊
I know this doesn't relate to cultural differences, but I felt extremely alienated as a child with severe ADHD in the forms of executive paralysis and time blindness. I felt like a foreigner to everyone else. Even around the other ADHD kids because to me they seemed normal. They could brush their teeth, eat their food, etc. without it feeling like it was a million steps to accomplish this huge overarching goal that was just in the way of everything else I always had to think about doing. You guys have influenced me so much over the past 3 years. I have gotten properly diagnosed as an adult with ADHD (I know that doesn't sound like much but ask someone with severe ADHD how long it took them. It took me 4 years after having the first intention of doing so). I've gone skydiving, I've done random challenges with strangers and made a few cool friends. I've branched out into new areas of self expression in general. As a 30 year old leaving his nice childhood life back in Texas to pursue a career here in Minnesota for the past 5 years. I cannot thank you guys enough. I can feel like this is home now and I'm proud of that. Thankfully, being a software engineer by trade REALLY suits an ADHD brain in the transition to a new space lol. Otherwise, I would have been F***ED
23:56 I think we are in this age where we have a lot more luxuries which allow us time to think deeper about ...everything. This can definitely be negative - I think it has a lot to do with modern anxiety and depression etc. But I think that wanting a cultural identity and wanting to fit in has evolved as time goes on, but that it fundamentally originates from evolution - and needing to feel a part of something, identifying with something. Because humans are stronger in packs, and being (and STAYING) a part of a group heavily increases chances of survival. So those who felt a belonging to their tribe, stayed together and thus people will that feeling of identity and togetherness survived more.
this was super interesting thanks! i actually asked myself the same questions you were aksing eachother during this conversation!:) i have a multicultural background too: born in france but moved to Scotland when i was only 15 days old, spent 6 years there, then 4 years in Ireland, and both my parents were also born and raised in foreign countries different than mine. I think the only people i truely identify too are those who also have this kind of multicultural background, we always kindda get eachother! not having one specific identity and background, or one place we really consider as "home" Home and identity are really those place we just feel good and choose for our selfs with time, especially when we dont fit into the "usual" boxes society makes for us and i think we also manage to identity alot to other yes fam members because alot of us have multiple backgrounds or the will to travel and become citizens of the world! big shoutout to all of the other multicultural people who are out there and those who are creating identities they feel more deeply connected too
Growing up in a Norwegian household in California, I also could understand Norwegian fluently, but I couldn't for the life of me speak it (or write it). I also wonder if I was made fun of and that just made me stop wanting to speak the language. Apparently before preschool I mostly spoke Norwegian at home, but once I started going to school, I quickly stopped speaking it.
Thank you so much for talking about this. I’m sick of monolithic identities being the norm as a Bangladeshi American. We need more conversations like this in the world!
You can live in your own country and still feel like an outsider. I lived in my home country for 40 years before moving to the US and feel more at home here than I ever felt there. The freedom that you have as an adult in the US to be whoever you want to be is extremely valuable.
I have ADHD and dyslexia and didn't know I had either most of my life and none of my childhood. Not one single teacher, administrator, therapist nothing ever brought that up as maybe the root of my problems and all of my symptoms were basically textbook ADHD and dyslexia and no one thought maybe this is what you're experiencing. Teachers would actually say to my mom that when I want to learn I will, as an explanation for my bad grades instead of them just being piece of shit teachers! And this was the 90s in california, not a time frame before ADHD and dyslexia were known
![ARGENTINA vs. CHILE [3-0] | RESUMEN | ELIMINATORIAS SUDAMERICANAS | FECHA 7](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/De3AWmXzhuA/mqdefault.jpg)
Oh this is a good one 👀
The first thing I want to say is "Thank you". This video has been extremely helpful to me. I related to many different points in this video. I come from a Chinese (Hong Kong) family but I have lived all my life in the UK, over the last couple of years I have become conflicted with my identity. I completely understand Ammar when he says he doesn't relate to being American or Egyptian. I personally don't think I'm British nor do I feel that I'm from Hong Kong. I think the way Western media portrays China as a bad place and a threat is the main source of my conflicts.
Although, I haven't yet met anyone through the Yes Family. I feel part of the Yes Theory ethos more than any other label above. Thank you for creating a truly wonderful community.
This podcast episode was one that really hit close to home. I am a TCK. I am half Australian (white) and half Malaysian (Chinese and Indian). I grew up living in Bangladesh, Thailand, Malaysia going to international schools with people from all over the world; and then had to move to australia for my last years of highschool (and I’m still here going to university). I don’t speak bahasa or cantonese. I only fluently speak English. I feel Australian in the sense that it’s a place that represents my western side of ideologies and on a language level I fit in and most of my family are here etc, but I don’t feel at home here, and on an identity level I gravitate towards immigrants when it comes to interactions. I didn’t grow up here, I don’t have the same childhood and teen experiences to relate to locals with, I dont have a childhood friendship group or even a highschool one. I am studying International Relations and I love what I study because it encompasses so much of my first hand lived experience. But having moved so much growing up, and now not having an idea of the next time I’ll move countries is extremely daunting. The idea that a place which I have felt the least sense of belonging (despite nationality, language, ideologies and family ties) will overtake the other places I’ve lived as the place I’ve lived longest is scary. It’s almost like to feel a sense of belonging I need to be in a place which is foreign to me because that is my identity. I am a citizen of the world, not to one place.
I can do much relate to Omar’s point.
- I grew up in a Muslim Arabic / Persian family, but…
- my dad is of Jewish, Ukrainian and Swedish background.
- and most of my friends were of Central Asian, Korean or Slavic background
So through that crazy mix, I ended up identifying as a “child of the world” 😅 but that self-identity came from spending time thinking what each part of my background means to me. Practicing different parts of culture to learn more about my background.
And eventually realizing - there is SO much beauty in the cultural diversity!! Why identify as one? If you can learn many!
Fun fact - I also ended up marrying a Jamaican / Indian girl. 🤣
Me too I could pretty much relate to Ammar's
this is so interesting! i am a chinese-born canadian-naturalized young man. i lived 7 years in china, 11 in canada, 10 in america, and now im living in france. I speak english french and chinese. while i find it to be a tremendous blessing to have experienced so much of the world, i have a worry that the more cultures and cities i experience, the harder and harder it will become for me to choose a place to settle down in. since i'll have seen the best of many cultures.
why should you settle down? maybe you will travel most of your life and keep on experiencing new places! you dont have to "seek" a place you will want to call "home" but just enjoy your journeys and exporing all thease cultures and your diversity
Stumbled on this podcast at 4:30am (UK time) and boy did it get me thinking! I also had my identity crisis when I started school! Me and my cousin were the only Indian kids there and it was hard and it was awkward.
As a white American that was born and raised in the USA, my ethnicity is extremely European diverse like English, Scottish, Swedish, etc. However, many Americans like myself have never visited these countries where our ancestors and many generations of the family lineage spent most of their time living before coming to America. Many Americans say things like “I’m Irish” but we don’t really know what being that identity is like because we live in America. Something I thought would be an interesting point of view to provide regarding identity.
These 3 guys have been to their home and native lands but many Americans have not.
Very interesting conversation. I was born and raised in the same country, and I never found myself completely related to a specific identity. I'm from Mexico, an I have lived my whole life in a city just on the border between Mexico and the US, and that gives me a lot of influence from both countries. All that I know is that I'm what I want to be right now, and I'm sure that tomorrow I'll going to be a different person, so to me, my identity is changing over time. LOVE ❤YES FAM!
22:50 yea the way I understood it is that identity provides a value framework that ultimately gives you purposes when you're grounded by it bc you feel content
55:50 great point that you capture identity through story telling
58:40 some people would regard to the thing that allowed them to get to these places is god which is interesting
1:01:10 and this is why authenticity is powerful in being a creator
1:25:38 and this is ultimately what brings you meaning in life
Such an interesting, honest and open intellectual conversation ❤❤❤
The collab we’ve all needed
Great discussion. I'm glad you are updating this channel. Please do more of these.
I was just having the same conversation with a friend and we both could relate so much to your experiences! So enriching to listen to your thoughts as well. I resonated so much with Ammar's viewpoint! 😊
I know this doesn't relate to cultural differences, but I felt extremely alienated as a child with severe ADHD in the forms of executive paralysis and time blindness. I felt like a foreigner to everyone else. Even around the other ADHD kids because to me they seemed normal. They could brush their teeth, eat their food, etc. without it feeling like it was a million steps to accomplish this huge overarching goal that was just in the way of everything else I always had to think about doing. You guys have influenced me so much over the past 3 years. I have gotten properly diagnosed as an adult with ADHD (I know that doesn't sound like much but ask someone with severe ADHD how long it took them. It took me 4 years after having the first intention of doing so). I've gone skydiving, I've done random challenges with strangers and made a few cool friends. I've branched out into new areas of self expression in general.
As a 30 year old leaving his nice childhood life back in Texas to pursue a career here in Minnesota for the past 5 years. I cannot thank you guys enough. I can feel like this is home now and I'm proud of that. Thankfully, being a software engineer by trade REALLY suits an ADHD brain in the transition to a new space lol. Otherwise, I would have been F***ED
Just found this channel
This is much needed conversation, thank you for talking about this.
This was a comforting conversation. I have been having similar conversations with a friend about my identity
this is a super group. been waiting for this one!
Put the podcast to Spotify pleaseee 🥺
23:56 I think we are in this age where we have a lot more luxuries which allow us time to think deeper about ...everything. This can definitely be negative - I think it has a lot to do with modern anxiety and depression etc. But I think that wanting a cultural identity and wanting to fit in has evolved as time goes on, but that it fundamentally originates from evolution - and needing to feel a part of something, identifying with something. Because humans are stronger in packs, and being (and STAYING) a part of a group heavily increases chances of survival. So those who felt a belonging to their tribe, stayed together and thus people will that feeling of identity and togetherness survived more.
this was super interesting thanks! i actually asked myself the same questions you were aksing eachother during this conversation!:) i have a multicultural background too: born in france but moved to Scotland when i was only 15 days old, spent 6 years there, then 4 years in Ireland, and both my parents were also born and raised in foreign countries different than mine.
I think the only people i truely identify too are those who also have this kind of multicultural background, we always kindda get eachother! not having one specific identity and background, or one place we really consider as "home"
Home and identity are really those place we just feel good and choose for our selfs with time, especially when we dont fit into the "usual" boxes society makes for us
and i think we also manage to identity alot to other yes fam members because alot of us have multiple backgrounds or the will to travel and become citizens of the world!
big shoutout to all of the other multicultural people who are out there and those who are creating identities they feel more deeply connected too
an amazing conversation
Growing up in a Norwegian household in California, I also could understand Norwegian fluently, but I couldn't for the life of me speak it (or write it). I also wonder if I was made fun of and that just made me stop wanting to speak the language. Apparently before preschool I mostly spoke Norwegian at home, but once I started going to school, I quickly stopped speaking it.
5 mins in and I can completly relate....
Thank you so much for talking about this. I’m sick of monolithic identities being the norm as a Bangladeshi American. We need more conversations like this in the world!
But also Indian McDonalds is truly the best lol
You can live in your own country and still feel like an outsider. I lived in my home country for 40 years before moving to the US and feel more at home here than I ever felt there. The freedom that you have as an adult in the US to be whoever you want to be is extremely valuable.
Identidy is a process... i mean it changes over time...
I Don't think you guys will see this but I have journey that will change your view on special needs kids for life would be a great documentary
Waiting for the "johnny Harris" podcast
I have ADHD and dyslexia and didn't know I had either most of my life and none of my childhood. Not one single teacher, administrator, therapist nothing ever brought that up as maybe the root of my problems and all of my symptoms were basically textbook ADHD and dyslexia and no one thought maybe this is what you're experiencing. Teachers would actually say to my mom that when I want to learn I will, as an explanation for my bad grades instead of them just being piece of shit teachers! And this was the 90s in california, not a time frame before ADHD and dyslexia were known
First
Interesting time I've never heard of that! Being able to understand the language but you can't speak it. I don't even get how that's possible