Perception of identity changed when I visited Pakistan.

[canadiandesigirl]

Re: Perception of identity changed when I visited Pakistan.

@CM

Personally what annoys me CDG is that people don’t need to define themselves as Pakistanis. Sure your parents are Pakistanis. But that doesn’t mean you have to be. Pakistani parents put way too much emphasis on back home when the kids group up all their lives abroad. That emphasis is unnatural and can lead to the ABCD syndrome. If you are born in the UK/US/Canada and only go to Pakistan for vacation you really aren’t Pakistani and you don’t have to prove yourself that you are one. Be happy with who you are and what you have.

I get what you are saying but I do think parents should keep their identity alive. They should teach their children urdu, punjabi, the positive aspects of culture. My sister was born here (Canada) and she most definitely identifies herself as someone whose family is from Pakistan and perhaps Pakistani herself. Yes, she has the green passport and the card and yes, she has barely been to Pakistan and yes Pakistani is not an ethnicity. But that is who she is, Pakistani culture in whatever way has been part of her life so she isn’t like a Caucasian Canadian. Pakistan is part of her in one way or another.