What aspects of your cultural heritage are you most proud of or interested in?
Although I’m a 6th generation Canadian on the paternal side, I’m also German and Swiss on the maternal side . I’m not proud of any of it because I don’t think that people should have pride in something that they had nothing to do with. I’m happy that I live in Canada because it’s a good place in which to live, although I’m also ashamed of Canada and the way we’ve both historically and recently treated the people of our First nations. I’m sure you’ll understand why I’m also ashamed of my German heritage . As for my Swiss heritage, it’s the one that carries the least shame, but suffice it to say that I hold quite a bit of white/ gentile guilt. But I am the most curious about my Swiss line. It’s the one that I know the least about, but I must say that learning more about it really scares me because I really don’t want or need to feel even more guilty in this world regardless of the fact that I wasn’t born when those things that I feel guilt over happened. This is partly why I refuse to follow tradition, religion, and why I have a tendency to trust other cultures over my own. It’s probably why I’m always on the side of the underdog and am overly generous. If you don’t learn from history’s lessons, you’re dooming them to happen again. Not on my watch.
You’re not responsible for what other people do or have done. Cheers!
I know.