Globalization and the Politics of Belonging

With globalization are associated the questions of Who are you and Where are you from? In the following are two anecdotes (First, A definition of globalization... and Second, how a Canadian-born became a Pakistani?):

Extracts: Courtesy: southbros.blogspot.com

A definition of globalization that I can understand and to which I now can relate:

Question:

What is the truest definition of Globalization?

Answer:

Princess

Diana's

death.

Question:

How come?

Answer :

An

English princess

with an

Egyptian boyfriend

crashes

in a French tunnel,

riding in a

German

car

with a

Dutch engine,

driven

by a Belgian

who was

drunk

on

Scottish whisky,

(check the bottle before you

change the spelling),

followed

closely by

Italian

Paparazzi,

on

Japanese motorcycles,

treated

by an American doctor,

using

Brazilian

medicines.

This is

sent to you by

a

Canadian,

using

American

Bill Gates' technology,

and

you're probably reading

this on your computer,

that

uses Taiwanese chips,

and

a

Korean

monitor,

assembled

by

Bangladeshi

workers

in a

Singapore plant,

transported

by Indian

truck drivers,

hijacked

by Indonesians,

unloaded by

Sicilian longshoremen,

and

trucked to you by Mexican illegals.....

That, my friends,

is Globalization !

Where are you from? Or, how I became a Pakistani?
Extract: chapatimystery.com

“What is your nationality?”
“Canadian.”
“You are Canadian?”
“My passport says so.”
“But where are you really from?”
“You mean, where do I live?”
“You don’t live in Canada?”
“No.”
“Oh, so where do you live?”
“Dhahran.”
“Tehran? You’re from Iran?”
“No, DHA-HA-RAN.”
“Where is that?”
“In Saudi Arabia.”
“Oh, you are Saudi Arabian?”
“No, I live there.”
“If you are not Saudi, so, where are you really from? I mean, originally.”
“You mean, where was I born?”
“Yes.”
“I was born in Calgary, Canada.”
“No, I mean, where is your family from? Where were they born?”
“They are from Hyderabad.”
“Where is that?”
“India.”
“Oh, you are Indian! So, why do you speak English with no accent?”
“What do you mean?”
“You speak American English.”
“I have gone to American schools.”
“In India?”
“No, in Saudi Arabia.”
“But you are Indian?”
“Yes, my family is from India.”
“India! I love India! The Hindus are such a beautiful religion of peace! But why do you have a Christian name, Sarah? Are you Christian?”
“No. Sarah is also a Muslim name.”
“Oh. You are Muslim? I thought you said you are Indian?”
“There are Muslims in India.”
“But you don’t look like a Muslim!”
“What does a Muslim look like?”
“I don’t know. Like an Arab?”
“Not all Muslims are Arab. Most Muslims aren’t Arab.”
“But you live in Saudi Arabia?”
“Yes.”
“Do you speak Arabic?”
“No.”
“Why not? I thought you said you live in Saudi Arabia.”
“We don’t live with Saudis in Saudi Arabia. It is not permitted by the Company my father works for. And, the American school in Saudi Arabia I go to—it doesn’t allow for Arabic to be taught there.”
“What language do you speak at home?”
“Urdu.”
“But Urdu is the language of Pakistan, not India.”
“Urdu is spoken in India.”
“Yes, yes, but if you are Urdu speaking that means you really belong to Pakistan.”
“But, my relatives live in India.”
“Did any of your parents live in Pakistan?”
“Yes. My father did, for a few years.”
“Then, that means you are Pakistani.”
“But I’ve never lived in Pakistan. I’ve only been there once.”
“That doesn’t matter. You are not Indian. You should say you are Pakistani.”

On the same shelf:

• Diversity Resources - Accommodation, Tolerance and Coexistence
• "Where are you from?" by Amelia