Differently Beautiful- The Identity

In the study about Social Identities in Globalized World; Challenges and opportunities for collective action, Amir et al, noted that Globalization has a psychological effect with respect to identity, culture, and collective action. Globalization of Western culture makes a basis for an exclusive globalized identity which privileges some cultures and ways of life. We may want to unify many things especially “the media of communication” (language) but we remain uniquely different and that is the beauty in the world.  Without identity, humanity is lost. One needs to feel recognized by those around him/her for who they are. This paper begins with my personal history with a “snapshot” from my childhood. You will see a life of a typical Ugandan child and the struggles families go through to survive. Followed by identity and its life impact. Uganda being a British Colony, there are some effects on cultural identity especially in language whereby presently it is hard to find someone speaking clear indigenous Luganda. However, in life there are things you cannot change about yourself. Consequently, it explores a few identities that one cannot change.

Lydia Nakyeyune, the last born of 12 children,5 of whom are deceased. I grew up in a small village called “Katikamu” found in Luwero district in Uganda. This district is also known as “the Luwero Triangle” which includes many other districts but the main one being Luwero. This was the center of the guerrilla war that brought President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to Power. My Father died during this war, so I did not get a chance to see him. I have grown up in a “humble” family. Mother being a widow with many children to look after, it was really a struggle to have a luxurious life but since we were farmers, we always had food to eat. It was a struggle for mum to take all the children to school. When I started working, I paid for my own studies and till I finished graduate school. It has not been an easy journey but by God’s grace I have made it this far. I remember during my childhood that my mother would take me with her as she went to sell food produce to the market.  I would enjoy seeing people buy our produce and would be waiting for something good on our way back home. Mama would always buy something special for us to enjoy as a family. It would be my best moment. From that day I learnt that when you work so hard you need to appreciate yourself in one way or the other. Mama always said, my children have worked so hard in the previous season, they need something to make them happy. I would carry these items with a big smile and when we got home my elder sisters and brothers would welcome us back with joy. It is a practice I do even today. When I work so hard, I say thank you to myself, It would be different today, but I got sick and have spent a year in hospital, that has affected my progress somehow. BUT I cannot complain because am still living and I still have a chance to stand up and pursue my goals.

There are many things about my identity that I cannot change; One is the fact that I am a Black African woman, born in Uganda East Africa. Second is the fact that my father died when I was a child, I have been an orphan all my life.  Being a woman is not easy in some societies for example down in Africa. Women are seen as the weaker sex, slow at thinking, no energy, stupid and ideally, they are meant to be in the kitchen and cook for the family. Many women have studied, became professionals, and proved these stereotypes wrong however at the back of some men’s brain, the stereotypes still hold. If a woman is assertive, they would look at her as someone threatening their position. So being a woman worst of all an African woman, it puts me almost at the bottom of the power scale. The challenge is that as you struggle to come up, the negative forces of those who feel that their positions are threatened keep pushing you down. Growing up without a father has put me in an “identity crisis”. Only those who saw him and probably have a memory of him can relate but I must identify myself with the extended family for people to know me. When they ask my origin, for a better reference, I begin with people who are living today and most likely relatives who are not bothered about my wellbeing. It is not easy when you say your father’s name and people cannot identify you easily until you talk about a relative. It puts you at a lower societal status and somehow it affects your confidence, especially in Africa where culture and origin are greatly considered.

Where one is born matters, if you come from a humble village like me, not having a lot of exposure, just because you do not know something due to limited exposure, people sometimes think you are not wise. It is a struggle in society to prove that irrespective of where you come from, given a chance you can perform to their expectation. Academically I found a challenge when I came to the US, and I thought I had studied and then I realized that my academic credentials are not considered until they are taken through an assessment. Even after that, they are not trusted until I have gone through the US education system.  It put me down in matter of academic authority. I felt like what I had studied before was trash! Like I wasted time going to school. Personal identity can be a challenge or a blessing. When your personality places you in a position of power, remember that we are all human beings. Most of the time people do not choose their identity like you cannot choose who your parents are but you learn to leave and appreciate them for who they are. Likewise, when your identity makes you attract privileges, remember other humanity that are not in the same positions, advocate and support them accordingly. That is humane. There is a reason why you are who you are so that we can have a powerful building called “the world” because every building block and material in the world is equally important. The roof is not better than the foundation, we all contribute to the strength and beauty of the world.

Work Cited

Amir Rosenmann, Gerhard Reese, James E. Cameron . Social Identities in Globalized World; Challenges and opportunities for collective action(2016). Association for Psychological science(APS). https://www.jstor.org/stable/26358609  accessed on 1/28/2024