A Distant Home

Belonging to a culture, a country, and its customs is different from hearing about it. I finally had the opportunity to immerse myself in the part of my culture I was never able to belong to. I captured this moment by taking a photo of the restaurant, the people in it, the children and parents ice skating just outside, and most importantly, the significance of my personal experience there. With its current president, Hungary is now becoming a communist state. Since my family may not be able to go back to Hungary while it still has a stable government for quite some time, this was our opportunity to explore the culture of my great grandma and the lost culture of my grandpa.

Community is crucial to everyone’s lives. Each person should feel that they belong to some type of community, not only as a support system, but also as a way to live freely. Religion, nationality, country, and experience are just a few of the communities that many people of color and/or immigrants in the United States are a part of. However, when immigrants move to the United States, they often feel the pressure to conform to American society.

Why would people feel the need to hide the fact they are an immigrant? The discrimination, or fear thereof, that people of color and immigrants face often results in them attempting to assimilate to American culture. In the case of my great grandmother, she never taught my grandpa how to speak Hungarian and little about Hungary because she felt they wouldn’t be safe. She did not want people to think they were associated with Germany, an enemy of the U.S. during World War II because she feared the discrimination they faced. As a result, my grandpa, dad, and now I have never learned about that culture. We missed out on the family trips, holidays, language, and customs of our culture due to the fear my great grandmother had of discrimination. In less severe cases not involving war, people may feel the need to hide that they are from a different country because of how they would be perceived. 

Sometimes, people try to hide the fact that they belong to a culture other than that of America entirely due to the fear of how they will be perceived. However, the richness and vibrance of people’s cultures is so important! In the photos that I took in Hungary, I was attempting to reconnect with the culture I was never able to experience. I learned about the food, people, customs, and language of Hungary and I was given the opportunity to immerse myself in it. Not everyone has this opportunity, but connecting with one’s culture in some way is important. Whether that means a local event, religious gathering, club, social group, etc., anyone can try to stay in touch with their culture. 

The different customs, beliefs, and food that different communities of color have are what make them unique. Appreciating that and embracing it is crucial in people of colors and immigrants’ sense of belonging. Not all Americans will see people of color as part of their community, and that is okay. But no one should ever try to erase part of their identity due to someone else’s opinion.