Perception of identity changed when I visited Pakistan.

[diwana]

Re: Perception of identity changed when I visited Pakistan.

@EDAL

This is a question for those people born or raised in the West, whose parents/grandparents are from Pakistan or perhaps some other Muslim country (if we have such members here).

Do you consider yourself an American/Canadian etc..or do you identify more with Pakistan?

For me I didn’t realize how American I was until I actually visited Pakistan for the first time at age 25,** I have never felt more out of place and more like a foreigner in my life. Even though I had cousins and uncles there, I surely didn’t share their way of thinking and doing things. I just felt totally lost and out of place. **

Now I deeply feel like an American, I feel like a person who is Muslim but in terms of identifying with a nation I would identify more with America than Pakistan, in essence my loyalties are with America.

What about the rest of you, do other Pakistanis/Muslims feel that way?

Thanks

I am not sure what OP meant by this post.

Differences of opinion can be present even among people who live in same country.

Also, if someone lives for many years outside Pakistan, that person may not be able feel same when goes back to Pakistan.

Time changes thoughts of people and relatives/cousins etc. grow up and have their own priorities.

There is no such thing as being American, Pakistani, Canadian, British etc. by ideas.

Like CM said it all boils down to what yo have on paper.

Following religion is a different matter. It is largely a personal matter, partly a collective matter.