When you immigrate into a foreign country and you put your roots down there, you are sometimes caught in a dilemma. I am firmly of the opinion that when one has emigrated from a country, that person should not think of himself or herself as keeping one foot in the old country and the other in the new.
With the easy flow of information across the globe, if one has relatives or friends in the old country, it’s likely one will be well aware of conditions there. When the economic, political or cultural situation there seems to be headed in the wrong direction, what does the expat do? Do you offer your insights in the many ways now available: e-mail letters to the Editor of the online local newspapers, blogs, social networks?
Or are you now an outsider, who should not be meddling in affairs that are no longer your own?
For many years I steered clear of making any public comment on the state of affairs of my native country, although I was keenly aware of it sliding into deeper and deeper problems.
That country has now become mired in numerous serious problems with no solutions in sight and I have found myself writing letters and comments to local newspapers. Because some of my contacts there feel uneasy about this I have deferred to their sensibilties and I often ask for a pseudonym to be used if my letters are published. I would rather not, but there again is another dilemma: I stand by my opinions and I am comfortable with being identified as their author, but then again I don’t have to live there so I am spared any fallout, unlikely as that is.
At times I question whether I should get involved at all.
What would you do, if you were an expat?
15 comments:
Louis, the reason we all like to make suggestion to improve the quality of life in a faraway land is because we are concerned and know that things could improve if only they have good leadership.
Why is that folks in the west and the other parts of the world having a better quality of life? It is just because their leader thinks more of the society then themselves. And if the leadership deviated from the way of democracy it is our right to jolt them to reality, in that it is the people who elected them and they want a better quality of life.
As can been seen the best way toward a better quality of life is through education and there are nothing difficult to giving good education to the people. Once they get a good education the rest would follow.
Of course there are folks out there who do not want us to interfere it their affair but then it is the nature of our species that we have that caring value in our heart. We care.
Have a nice day.
Hi Idrus,
You summed up my situation so elegantly: "We care," you said and hit the nail on the head.
I also agree that education is the way forward for a developing country. There is a problem though when that "education," coming from abroad, is perceived by the locals as a case of the expat thinking he or she "knows better" than the local. That perception may be entirely wrong, and usually is but it often exists, to the detriment of those who could benefit from the expat's knowledge or insight.
Hi Louis,
Have you been away again?
I don't want to comment about the issue here.
The little map of Trinidad on the top right corner attracted my attention. The island looks like a Raku pot - so individualistic and having a character of its own! So unique :) Nice colours too!
Love looking at maps - Nazli
Nazli,
Good to hear from you. I have been reading your posts: I haven't been away. This beautiful summer weather has made me very indolent and I haven't even been posting much to my blog.
May I ask: what is a Raku pot?
Thanks for your compliment about Trinidad. Yes, it used to be a lovely place. The scene I used in the map is the view from a bridge just a short walk from my childhood home. Used to swim in that river. Now it is a debris choked sewer.
I'm sorry - I thought you knew about Raku. Well 'Raku' is a special technique of producing pottery, originated in Japan. The making, glazing and firing of the pot is unique whereby the hot glazing pot is taken out from the kiln and dipped then and there in cold water. Thus you can see the reaction of heat and cold, producing fantastic results. The Japanese use raku pots in their tea ceremony. I did several raku pots before. Maybe I'll write about it in my post.
Bye for now.
Thanks, Nazli, for increasing my cultural and scientific knowledge.
Looking forward to your post about Raku, hopefully, with pictures of your Raku pottery.
It is difficult, perhaps impossible, to remove the former self from the current one so it is not hard to understand the urge to comment on what happens back "home." But caution may be necessary, not to cause unease to friends and relatives there.
Fact is, I am a different person in Show Low than when I am in Trinidad, as I discovered from my latest trip. There I was tense, under some duress, here I am more relaxed, easier to relate to Janice. I had to resist the returning Trini syndrome of finding it easy to criticize and thus risking being a bore to those around you. I must say, I have resist so far the urge for letters to the editor, but I can see a need to write them from the relative protection of this little country town.
But I well remember, and appreciate, your letters on my behalf!
You can't easily remove yourself from your past, in another place, when you put down roots elsewhere.
That other part of you is often moved to worry and agonize at what happens at "home" and the feeling to comment is therefore reasonable. It is also reasonable to wonder if your comments, as an "outsider" will prove awkward to friends and family in the old country.
But your new perspective, where you are relatively un-hypnotized by being on the spot, can prove valuable, and be a support for people with similar ideas.
I realize, from my recent visit and return to my new home, I am actually a different person in Trinidad from who I am in Arizona so an opinion from here might be useful. One must try to avoid, though, the sin of the returning native, exempt from the local pressures, to appear to be patronizingly too critical.
Ric,
Thanks for your very clear analysis of what I called "the emigrant's dilemma". It has helped my perspective very much.
I am looking forward to your posts reflecting on your recent visit to Trinidad.
Hello Louis,
The emigrant’s dilemma is perfectly understandable. Does the emigrant have a right to comment on issues in the ‘old country’? Absolutely! And for the following reasons:
1. As a former resident, you have a different perspective on issues that could contribute to a solution
2. No country is an island by itself (even if Trinidad is a series of islands). The world has become so interconnected that the health of a nation is every nations’ business e.g. the breakdown of civil government in Somalia affects international shipping. AIDS, Ebola, SARS or Swine Flu affects the rest of the world. Pollution, drugs and international crime knows no international borders.
For that reason, I believe the day is approaching (hopefully one lifetime away) when we all should have a say in who gets elected in countries like US, Britain, China, India etc. These are countries whose actions affect the rest of the world because they are either so powerful or so huge, we have a vested interest in who governs these countries. Shouldn’t other countries have a say if the US is about to elect a maniac, or about to introduce legislations that will hurt the rest of the world?
Commenting on issues in Trinidad is just part of the evolution towards that day when we all have a say how other countries are run.
Because how they are managed affects us in our totally interdependent world.
regards
Adirya,
I appreciate your reasoned response to the issue of the "emigrant's dilemma" that I posed.
Your concept of an interconnected world has moved forward a quantum leap with the recent US Presidential election. Under the Bush Administration, the idea of us being "world citizens" would have been considered almost treasonable, given the unfounded association of that term with Communism. But those were the days when slogans had replaced thought anyway. Europeans have been moving along in the direction of "world citizenship" since at least the 1950's and are not uncomfortable with that concept.
Louis,
Despite the country's backwardness, Trinidad and Tobaggo still manage to produce world beaters in athletics. Malaysia has been dreaming to produce one despite her comparative affluence.
Hi Zawi,
Trinidad is far from being backward. In fact the reason why I have become very concerned is precisely because until about 50 years ago it was a very developed country in terms of its economy, culture, education and quality of life.
It has been badly mismanaged since its Independence and has retreated from its former excellence. That is to be lamented. But the potential is there for its former standard of living.
In many significant ways it is very much like Malaysia.
Hi Louis,
I like the idea of "world citizenship." I think it is inevitable, especially with the world coming together increasingly as one seamless whole. The younger generations are more connected to each other across national boundaries compared to the older generations, thanks to technology and growing affluence (ability to travel, connect etc). They have less regard for international boundaries, compared to the older generation.
Unfortunately, one of the costs of world citizenship will be the difficult birthing process, no thanks in part to the disparity in standards of living, educational levels and political maturity. In some ways, the wars that flared up during Bush's times are symptoms of that birth. Whole societies are being dragged (kicking & screaming) into the 22nd century because their idea of 'national sovereignty' is still sacred, even though that is so 18th century. They believe 'national sovereignty' means the right to do whatever they want within their national boundary without regard to the rest of humanities' concerns.
We live in interesting times.
Thanks for the opportunity to express myself.
regards
Adirya,
The "world citizenship" I referred to isn't a political/bureaucratic status. The countries of the EU still maintain their national and cultural identities and political sovereignty even though their citizens can cross their borders freely. There's not the slightest inclination to change that, and that's fine.
It refers to a mindset, to knowledge, awareness and genuine concern for each other as fellow human beings even across political boundaries and cultural differences.
That may seem so obvious and easily attainable in this Information Age. But look at all the ignorance, the willing ignorance, even of basic geographical knowledge. Even while the war in Iraq was being waged, a lot of people couldn't locate Iraq on a map.
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