Hello! I’m sorry I’m not great at leaving comments but substack feels so private that I’ve decide to give it a try.
I just want you to know your writing made me feel incredibly seen! I grew up across different cultures as well and I agree that it’s an interesting problem to have especially since many people wouldn’t consider it one but alhamdullilah because I feel it really shapes who you become.
Also on wanting to relate with everyone, I honestly attributed this to my personality but seeing you identify with it as well makes me wonder if it is at all related to identities crisis implicit in leaving your “homeland”
All this to say thank you for sharing a small part of your story, you are absolutely not alone!
Thank you for leaving this comment! It was a joy to read.
It really does shape who you become, your entire identity. But the reality is that we are not alone. So many people are from similarly mixed backgrounds. We just have to learn to navigate it in a healthy, beneficial way, Insha Allah.
Anyway, thanks again. Hope you have a wonderful Ramadan. The last ten nights are almost here ❤️
Men O'zbekistondanman) Ammo millatimda aralashlik bor (qirg'iz)
Men ham qachondir vatanni tark etishimni bilaman qandaydir sabab bilandir (o'qish yoki ish)
Lekin men O'zbekistondan ketayotgan ketgan va lekin umuman yashamagan vatandoshlarni ochiq yuz bilan baxtli, o'zgacha intiqlik bilan qayta olish mumkin bo'lgan davrlar kelishini judayam istayman...
hi Khadija! I am Korean-American, also in my 20s and the eldest daughter in an immigrant household(!) so I completely resonate with your sentiments about feeling clumsy in other languages / feeling divorced from your homeland / envying your cousins for not knowing the turmoil of such identity crises / having to deal with the expectations from your immigrant parents vs the culture of where you grew up / knowing that you live in privileged environment but coping with the bitterness of not knowing your homeland as well as you want / etc etc. lots of baggage but that's our burden, LOL
my husband is Uzbek (!!!) and immigrated from Tashkent to attend uni in the US, where we met. we've had a lot of talks about the things you discuss in your post, about citizenship (the American green card process is a TRIP), what cultural aspects we want to impart to our future kids, maintaining a connection to both South Korea and Uzbekistan whilst living in a completely different country. of course, our situations are not the same, but for myself, it's sobering to think that our future children will go through their own version of what we have experienced, especially when we haven't quite yet figured that out for ourselves. we just know that it's important that our future children know both our cultures equally.
let me know if my thoughts make sense! I would love to hear more about your experiences as an Uzbek woman in the UK, and now the UAE, especially from a diasporic woman's perspective.
Hello! I’m sorry I’m not great at leaving comments but substack feels so private that I’ve decide to give it a try.
I just want you to know your writing made me feel incredibly seen! I grew up across different cultures as well and I agree that it’s an interesting problem to have especially since many people wouldn’t consider it one but alhamdullilah because I feel it really shapes who you become.
Also on wanting to relate with everyone, I honestly attributed this to my personality but seeing you identify with it as well makes me wonder if it is at all related to identities crisis implicit in leaving your “homeland”
All this to say thank you for sharing a small part of your story, you are absolutely not alone!
- another Khadijah :)
Thank you for leaving this comment! It was a joy to read.
It really does shape who you become, your entire identity. But the reality is that we are not alone. So many people are from similarly mixed backgrounds. We just have to learn to navigate it in a healthy, beneficial way, Insha Allah.
Anyway, thanks again. Hope you have a wonderful Ramadan. The last ten nights are almost here ❤️
Men O'zbekistondanman) Ammo millatimda aralashlik bor (qirg'iz)
Men ham qachondir vatanni tark etishimni bilaman qandaydir sabab bilandir (o'qish yoki ish)
Lekin men O'zbekistondan ketayotgan ketgan va lekin umuman yashamagan vatandoshlarni ochiq yuz bilan baxtli, o'zgacha intiqlik bilan qayta olish mumkin bo'lgan davrlar kelishini judayam istayman...
hi Khadija! I am Korean-American, also in my 20s and the eldest daughter in an immigrant household(!) so I completely resonate with your sentiments about feeling clumsy in other languages / feeling divorced from your homeland / envying your cousins for not knowing the turmoil of such identity crises / having to deal with the expectations from your immigrant parents vs the culture of where you grew up / knowing that you live in privileged environment but coping with the bitterness of not knowing your homeland as well as you want / etc etc. lots of baggage but that's our burden, LOL
my husband is Uzbek (!!!) and immigrated from Tashkent to attend uni in the US, where we met. we've had a lot of talks about the things you discuss in your post, about citizenship (the American green card process is a TRIP), what cultural aspects we want to impart to our future kids, maintaining a connection to both South Korea and Uzbekistan whilst living in a completely different country. of course, our situations are not the same, but for myself, it's sobering to think that our future children will go through their own version of what we have experienced, especially when we haven't quite yet figured that out for ourselves. we just know that it's important that our future children know both our cultures equally.
let me know if my thoughts make sense! I would love to hear more about your experiences as an Uzbek woman in the UK, and now the UAE, especially from a diasporic woman's perspective.
I also freaking love Babel by RF Kuang xx