The Longing for Belonging
'Why can't I be just me?'
"Culture, nationality, gender, are all boxes we've been asked to tick at some point or another. But what happens if none of the categories fit?" —Samira Mohyeddin
Robert Diaz is an assistant professor at the University of Toronto. He says our identity is formed through a messy combination of historical, social and personal contexts. Each are rooted in power and politics and turns out, fitting in may not be the key to belonging.
Journalist Alex Wagner never really identified with any particular group. Then, one fateful day in 1993, she saw herself in Time Magazine's cover "The New Face of America." It was a vague avatar of nationalities staring back at her, reflecting her own mixed-race roots.
But being the Futureface of the U.S. didn't quell her need to find her tribe. So, Wagner went on a quest to answer to the question: who are my people? Her journey is documented in the book Futureface: A Family Mystery, an Epic Quest, and the Secret to Belonging
A special thanks to Dennis Baron for a Brief History of Failed Gender Pronouns.
Want to keep up with Tapestry? Download the CBC Radio app (IOS or Android) and subscribe on Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
You can also join the listener community on Facebook and Twitter.