Citizenship and Identity

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by Clare Langley-Hawthorne

After the Fourth of July weekend and having just passed my American citizenship test, I thought it fitting to address an issue close to my heart and my writing – the concept of cultural identity. As the daughter of a Lancastrian and a Londoner, born in Canada and raised in Australia, I think I am a veritable nomadic ‘mutt’ of no fixed cultural identity.

Growing up in Australia there was little in the way of patriotic feeling. On Australia Day (January 26th) it was rare to see an Australian flag fly and most people treated the day as little more than a public holiday. Few of my friends could even sing the Australian national anthem (Advance Australia Fair) beyond the first few lines. I think that times have changed and now the concept of being an ‘Australian’ has started to take greater shape – moulded by generations of emigrants as well as the plight of the indigenous peoples of Australia but in my mind, however, the concept of cultural ‘Australian-ness’ is still hard to pin down. A sharp contrast (to me at least) to the concept of being an American.

My first Fourth of July party I was literally stunned when friends toasted the Constitution and declared they were proud to be Americans. As an outsider it was fascinating to watch – for everyone had such a strong sense of what being an American meant. Australians would have laughed that kind of patriotism off. When I was growing up if you asked what it meant to be an ‘Australian’ people would have looked at you funny – here in America people can answer this without equivocation. Enshrined within the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence Americans know what it means to be an ‘American’. Australians can’t even pass a referendum to become a republic so we still have (nominally) the Queen of England as head of state…kind of shows you our own cultural indecision!
I have just passed the final hurdle to becoming an American citizen and I was amazed that I was expected to pass a civics test to show that I understood what it meant to ‘be American’. Being a natural worrier I studied hard for the test, fearful lest I be asked about the 13 original colonies or the founding fathers. It was pretty pathetic really as I have studied US law, first for my LLM and second for the New York Bar (which I passed – horrific though it was). I confess to having retained no knowledge of US law whatsoever – so it was a good thing I studied for the citizenship test! As it turned out the questions I was asked were very straightforward, but the questions and material they expected you to cover was illuminating in and of itself. For example, one of the question I was asked was ‘what was the US concerned about during the cold war’- (answer the spread of communism)…

I like creating characters who are, as my family were in Australia, outsiders. My parents are still ‘British’ through and through – no matter the years spent in Australia or in America. Their cultural identity is set in stone. It’s through them that I have an affinity for all the quaintness of Britain – the BBC period piece version of history and identity. People often ask me if I will ever write about Australia and I answer that I’m still not sure I can do that -I’m worried I’m not able to capture the culture properly yet. If I did set a novel there I think my character would have to be an outsider. I would face a similar dilemma writing about America – for though I have a strong affinity with the culture I still remain (despite my civics prowess) a cultural ‘mutt’.

So how does your background and sense of cultural identity shape what you write? How do you think a writer’s sense of citizenship – be it inclusion or exclusion – affects their work?

As writers are we, perhaps, always ‘outsiders’ and ‘cultural mutts’?

12 thoughts on “Citizenship and Identity”

  1. Interesting point you bring up Clare. Being Alaskan has been an interesting mix of patriotism and marginalization. We in Alaska, when outside, typically refer to ourselves as Alaskans as opposed to Americans, even though Alaska is a state in the union.

    Until the recent national attention toward Sarah Palin a significant number of Americans were not even sure Alaska was part of the USA, or they thought we were a territory like Puerto Rico and Samoa. It still stuns me when American tourists ask local shops if we take US Money, or what is the exchange rate. When I travel to cities in the lower 48 I find it to be not too much like where I live.

    Alaskans are like the child born of an affair. Mommy loves us, but Dad kind of ignores us. Even though 75% of Alaskans are military veterans, expressions of patriotism are moderate. Maybe its just our understated temperment. Maybe its the fact that most of us are of mixed ancestry within the past few generations.

    So from an Alaskan of Irish, English, Polish, Swedish, Danish, Sioux and Cherokee descent married to a Korean woman who most people assume to be Mongolian….God Bless America.

  2. First of all, congratulations, Clare! Welcome to citizenship!

    Basil, I grew up in New Mexico, and we had similar issues except that we’re part of the 48 contiguous. “Do I need a passport?”, “Will I need an interpreter?”, “Can I drink the water”, and “Cool! Indoor plumbing!” were sadly typical.

    I think there are some cultural stereotypes that we all fall into, especially in fiction. Americans are going to be blunt, British understated, Australians brash, Italians passionate, Japanese deliberate. None of them are completely true, but none are entirely false.

    And if you as a writer take us outside our comfort zones in cultural awareness, I think somehow it creates a dissonance for us as a reader.

    Boy, that was a long 2 cents!

  3. Thanks Basil and Fran – amazing the ignorance of some people especially regarding geography! I have been asked where in Europe is Australia – I’m assuming they thought I was from Austria! I think cultural identity issues are fasinating and part of being a writer for me is exploring all the cointradictions that come from being a hybrid/mutt like me! Though I don’t think I have anywhere near as glamorous a combination as you Basil!

  4. I grew up in a small town in Western Pennsylvania. I moved away when I joined the army in 1980, but still consider myself to be a Pennsylvanian, specifically a Pittsburgher, and I know it colrs many of my attitudes. Enough of that kept creeping into my writing that I finally gave up and set my WIP in a fictional Pittsburgh suburb so I could not have to worry about it anymore.

    Basil, I don;t want to make this too much of a generalization, but I find that those most inclined to overt displays of patriotism today are those who didn;t serve. Those who did put their money where their mouth was, and don’t feel the need to impress others with their love of country as much. Like I said, that’s not true of all, but that’s my impression over the past 10 years or so.

  6. You’re right, Clare–we Americans do get misty-eyed over our national identity. Congrats on becoming a USA’er! To round out your introduction, you might consider watching Patton a couple of times, followed by Independence Day.
    There are a few people who aren’t so patriotic these days, such as governors of southwestern states who want to secede, and heads of corporations that offshore US jobs and sell out US interests. Their patriotism stops at the shores of the bottom line. Maybe we could trade them for some more great folks from Australia!

  7. Thanks Dana and Katherine – I know a number of Aussies who would love to become Americans and a number of others who are downright anti-American. Sigh…it’s always tricky navigating the patriotic shores!

  8. Congratulations, Clare. Thanks for feeling so strongly about America that you want to be a citizen. We’re honored to have you.

  9. Aw thanks Joe…though if you ever met my wild four and a half year olds you might wish we emigrated back to Australia!

  10. Clare,

    This was to read. Like you, I’m an outsider and an insider in this country. Sometimes, it’s hard to know where to stand.

    Let me know how your “swearing in” goes. Mine was a hoot.

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