Being foreign: the Asturian diaspora

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Here is an article in this week's issue of The Economist (Dec. 17, 2009) on the idea of 'foreignness' in the 21st century:

http://www.economist.com/world/internat ... extfeature

It's full of insights like the fact that being decontextualized is often an interesting lifestyle choice. Most people in this forum, whether Asturian-American, Asturian-Argentinean, Asturian-Thai or Asturian-Breton, deal with issues of identity. There are many facets to explore, here is an excerpt:

"Even so, all other things being equal, foreignness is intrinsically stimulating. Like a good game of bridge, the condition of being foreign engages the mind constantly without ever tiring it. John Lechte, an Australian professor of social theory, characterises foreignness as “an escape from the boredom and banality of the everyday”. The mundane becomes “super-real”, and experienced “with an intensity evocative of the events of a true biography”.

An American child psychologist, Alison Gopnik, when reaching for an analogy to illuminate the world as experienced by a baby, compared it to Paris as experienced for the first time by an adult American: a pageant of novelty, colour, excitement. Reverse the analogy and you see that living in a foreign country can evoke many of the emotions of childhood: novelty, surprise, anxiety, relief, powerlessness, frustration, irresponsibility.

It may be this sense of a return to childhood, consciously or not, that gives the pleasure of foreignness its edge of embarrassment. Narcissism may also play a part. While abroad, one imagines being missed by friends and enemies at home. Beneath it all there is the guilt of betrayal. To choose foreignness is an act of disloyalty to one’s native country."

[Raquel M]

Well...it depends....

Cuban born are now American Citizens and Spanish Citizens....the
three countries are in our hearts, in our soul and blood.
We are proud to be born in Cuba, we are proud of our Madre Patria,
we are proud to be in our Uncle Sam's family...sooooo....
Peace, love and happiness to everybody !!!! Raquel