The Challenge of Navigating Bicultural Identity

Bicultural identity, or being part of more than one cultural background, is a balancing act, and not always an easy one. As humans, we want to fit in. We want to see ourselves in our loved ones, neighbors, coworkers, and friends, at least some of the time. We want to belong.

A bicultural identity can leave you feeling like you belong somewhere some of the time, but don’t belong anywhere all the time, especially when you look outside yourself for cultural validation. 

So how can you rise to the challenge of navigating your bicultural identity? Understanding the pressures you’re facing and integrating your cultural backgrounds into a whole, blended identity is a great place to start.

Being multicultural isn’t easy, but that doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong

First things first. Give yourself a break by recognizing that since you are bicultural, you’ll probably feel some tension between your different cultures. You are facing a balancing act that can be pretty difficult sometimes, and you aren’t doing multiculturalism wrong when you feel that tension.

Your bicultural identity is uniquely yours, but not everyone in your life will understand or embrace that. The pressures can come from all around you.

• Your family may not understand that you’re part of more than one culture.
• Your friends may be judgmental or microaggressive.
• Your partner (and their family) may want you to conform to expectations.
• Your workplace may try to erase or emphasize your cultural identity without your input.
• You may struggle internally with clashing values and practices.

You’re probably asking yourself who you are, where you belong, or whether you are too much or not enough. You’ve probably got other people demanding answers to those questions, too. Your mental health can suffer when you don’t have support, and you aren’t sure where you fit in. You’re dealing with a lot!

You may feel pressured to “pick a side”

You may feel pressure from all sides to be one culture or another. Your family, friends, school, work, and even yourself can add to this pressure. So, you may feel pushed to embrace tradition, or do everything you can to fit into a more generic, “American” culture. You might even do both of these.

• As a child and teen, the social pressure to fit in can be too much to handle, even if you enjoy familial traditions.
• As you reach adulthood, you may struggle with the loss of one or more of your cultural identities and want to reclaim them. 

The one-or-the-other approach to cultural identity adds stress to the balancing act

This one-or-the-other cultural approach is called “compartmentalization”, where you put part of yourself in a box and hope it stays there. When you are part of more than one culture, compartmentalization doesn’t work. It fragments your sense of self, meaning you don’t get to feel like the real “you.” 

As a multicultural person, you aren’t one or the other; you’re both. But even more, you are your own unique blend of cultures. 

Acculturation, or the “salad bowl” approach, can make room for more than one culture

You’ve probably heard the term “melting pot” to describe American culture. And for a long time, it was fairly accurate. Conforming to the predominant culture was socially and economically mandatory to be considered “American” enough.

Now, a better image for how culture works in the US is a "salad bowl." It’s a jumble of different cultures, all making up parts of a broader culture. Different cultures don’t have to totally blend together, and the salad/society is better when there’s more variety. 

As a multicultural person, instead of compartmentalizing, you can become your own salad bowl.

• When you recognize, embrace, and blend your different cultural traditions, concepts, and practices into a mix that fits your own interests and values, you get to feel more like yourself.
• You free yourself from some of the pressure to conform in one direction or another because you’re embracing what speaks to you about your cultural backgrounds. 

You want to respect your family’s traditions, but feel a disconnect

Many bicultural people feel a disconnect from their family’s cultural background. Because of assimilation pressures, people in the US have (both voluntarily and by force) given up many cultural traditions, or have toned them down.

You may want to embrace the different cultures of your background, but you don’t have as strong a connection to cultural traditions as you’d like. Your family may have also let go of tradition to fit in, and you’re feeling that loss.

You’re not alone in this loss, but you’re also not alone in wanting to reconnect. More and more people are rediscovering traditions and reclaiming cultural practices that were lost to their families and communities.

Even if you feel awkward or like you’re butting in where you don’t belong, reclaiming your cultural traditions can be a great way to embrace your bicultural identity. If a practice, tradition, or belief is part of your cultural heritage, it’s yours to embrace if you want to.

You aren’t alone in navigating bicultural identity in Chicago

While your identity is uniquely yours, the experience of being bicultural isn’t something you’re stuck dealing with all on your own. More and more people in the US come from more than one cultural background. And understanding how to navigate that experience can be easier when you have support. 

Working with a therapist who really gets what biculturalism feels like, with support that doesn’t erase parts of who you are, can help you figure out how you want to embody your own bicultural identity. You can use therapy as a space to process the struggles and pressures you’re dealing with, and to embrace and celebrate your identities.

If you are looking for someone to talk to, we invite you to reach out. We’re here, ready to help you navigate your bicultural identity and to figure out how to embrace who you are!