Moreover, TCKs and immigrants sometimes struggle with the question, “Where are you from?” Because the countries we should call home are more relatable when they are called passport countries. We’ve lost our sense of connection with places we should call home.
It’s a question that is brought up because of the way you look, the way you speak, or if you are a hidden immigrant, it’s your behavior. It’s a question that makes it obvious you’re not one of them.
But this is not just about being separated from home. Feeling out of place even in our homes is a story for many BIPOC born in their country.
And honestly, being forced to move is not something that happened long ago because of colonizers. Every day people are forced to move because the rent went up, because they want their kids to have a better education, because no matter how hard they work they are still poor, etc.
And then what are the effects? You go to work or out in your new communities, and you have to put on an act, whether it’s because you have to “be professional” or for other reasons.
And for some of us, we come home and it’s another act, always being outside of ourselves. Because that’s how parents, spouses, whatever the role, are supposed to behave.
But it is now time to gently hug yourself and create that sense of belonging at least in our homes. It’s time to create a place that nurtures us and helps our true selves thrive. It is time to pass down generational joy instead of trauma!