Bicultural Identity: Balancing Home Culture and Adopted Culture
Travelling the world gives you insights into different ways people live, and different cultures. You might find a place or a person that makes you want to stay there, and not move on. Loving a place, or loving a person, means also adopting that new culture and learning how to live with new people. Communication is important when you are learning about new cultures and places.
Many of us who live abroad experience the joys and difficulties of having a second cultural identity as we try to adapt into a new home. It’s a rollercoaster to balance our home culture with our adoptive culture. In this article, let’s discuss how bicultural identity changes an expat or exchange student’s lives and how to balance it.
The Perks of Bicultural Identity
Cultural diversity provides us a distinct perspective. It’s about blending the best of both worlds, not choosing sides or feeling split. This blending of culture helps us grow, empathise, and be more open-minded as we adapt to varied circumstances and accept diverse ideas and opinions, enriching our lives.
Balancing Home Culture and Adopted Culture
Embracing our adoptive culture is exciting, but we must keep linked to our origins. Our heritage anchors us and reminds us of who we are. Its culture is held together by its customs, holidays, and language. While living abroad allows us to embrace new cultures. Our identity is expanded, not lost. We feel more connected to our new town by attending local festivals, learning about its customs, and studying its history.
Bicultural identity isn’t easy. Sometimes we feel lost or conflicted. But identity is like a river—constantly changing. Thus, with the help of technology, connecting with family back home is one way to stay rooted. No matter the distance, communications providers like Overseas Calling connect us to family and friends seamlessly so we can share our experiences and maintain strong bonds with our family and loved ones back home.
A bicultural identity is a treasure mine of recollections from two worlds. It’s about cherishing and sharing our individuality, not simply traditions. Challenges as we adapt in a foreign land come and go, but empathy, understanding, and a global perspective are worth experiencing for. So, embrace other cultures while cherishing your own heritage.
