Have you ever felt that you were the only one who was sticking out like a sore thumb in a crowd? Heard your parents yell at you in a different language that isn't the same as the language spoken in a country where you stay? Or eaten your grandma's best recipe and realized you don't know how it's pronounced?
Welcome to some of the side-effects of immigration and loss of heritage and how we can overcome them!
For immigrants, preserving their heritage becomes an important task to maintain when distanced away from your homeland. Some may or may not be open to adapting to another culture. Whatever the case, there is no denying the changes that occur in their culture, even though they may not realize it.
Refugees and minor communities often face difficulties in all four corners; not just preserving their heritage but also simply leading their lives peacefully. Problems arise when the host country is not willing to accept their culture which often leads to subsequent problems like discrimination, poverty and loneliness. Their children often grow up speaking the language of their home country to ‘fit in’ .
Studies show that it's quite common to see many immigrants use their culture as a defense mechanism towards any changes or a hostile environment. Where their culture is comforting and familiar, the desire to preserve their heritage in a foreign land forces them to make it rigid. This creates stagnation, where the origin country continues to advance and adapt the culture while the immigrants lose out on their culture’s current evolution.
The most common loss of culture is the food and values that are easily forgotten in the process of adaptation. After all, the host country would be their home for the foreseeable future making it difficult to preserve them due to shared and learned experiences in the home country that often lead to a changed mindset. Before long you realize that the curries or soups that were your daily meals have changed to food like pizza or mac and cheese.
So the question is, what can we do to preserve these cultures across ‘worlds’?
Many of us genuinely love to try out new cuisines and appreciate the same. It's never an issue to adapt to a new place and enjoy their cuisine…it's just that we shouldn't forget our own! In the rush to ‘fit in’ with people we don’t even know, we start thinking of their comfort instead of our own. Don't be afraid to cook your native food and enjoy it before others. Be bold and share your culture around. You’ll be surprised at how much they might actually end up liking it!
It's quite frightening how easy it is to forget one’s mother tongue when we’re not actively using it. Simple phrases and replies that were used daily seem like a blank now in conversations with family. The influence of language is quite prominent in order for smooth and effortless communication. In order to do this, it's easy to acquire that accent for simpler transmission. To prevent fallout with your language, find people from your native place that you can still speak your language with and make sure the family speaks it as well so that the usage of it ensures continuity to the next generation.
Community events like celebrations of traditional festivals like ‘Diwali’ or ‘Lunar New Year’ of China, family reunions, even while abroad, promotes one's identity, giving glimpses of that unique culture while preserving it. Stories from the origin country give the next generation their roots to stay connected to. Older people from the family should continue to impart wisdom and values that were passed onto them to the next.
So this holiday season, in lands where parallels can converge, remember that your heritage can remain alive with your help. Let's find new and fascinating ways to blend our heritage and culture even while immigrating. Laugh and be happy wherever you are with your breathtaking heritage.
-Ann C Koshy
Volunteer, Editorial Committee, 24-25
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