Ethnic Diversity

Ethnic identity is an interesting thing here in Georgia. The Caucusus are not known for their peaceful dealings with each other, and there is a history of clashes and genocides, and there is also a great number of elasticities that cross the borders. Ethnicity is part of life here, and it isn't a bad thing all the time. Georgians are proud of their culture and history, and their language, which has somehow survived intact despite all outside influences. So, here are just a few of my experiences involving it.

One of the questions I get asked most is where are you from? I always start out with I am from America, and about half of the time this leads down other tangents like how much things cost there. The other half of the time it leads to the follow up question of no, really, where are you from? Because me being American is not a good enough answer for them. We know you are American, but what is your ethnicity? After a few times of trying to explain that I don't really identify myself by that and nor do most Americans, I learned that that is not the answer they want to hear so I answer "well, I am Norwegian." It is an interesting conversation to have, and it has taught me that one of the number one things people know about America is that is a country of immigrants; but it has also taught me that it is almost an incomprehensible thing to a lot of people in the world that Americans don't identify themselves by ethnicity. (yes, its a generalization that race doesn't matter there, but overall I think most of us would answer I am American to the question before we answered our ethnicity.)

The next step in the conversation is what has become my biggest pet peeve here. No, you must be Russian, you speak it, and you look Russian. Believe me, I lived in Russia and I do not think I look like the typical Russian, and even if i did I definitely look more like the typical Scandinavian. No, I learned Russian for fun, I am really only Norwegian. It is not being called Russian that makes me angry, it's the insinuation that I don't know what I'm talking about and it happens all the time. No, you must just be mistaken, you have Russian blood and no one in your family knows it.

I have also had some other interesting conversations about race here. One weekend I was at another volunteers site and the topic of blacks in America came up with her family. She pulled out pictures of her friends from home and her family was surprised that she had such diverse friends. We were then told that Georgia is just as ethnically diverse, they have Megrelians, and Kakhetians, and Gurians after all! (these are the different regions of Georgia) But all of these people are Georgians, and it is interesting to see that their ethnic diversity is something that we wouldn't even distinguish in the States. (those Wisconsinites are so crazy compared to Minnesotans!)

I was also asked once by a student what Americans look like. He knew that I was from the Southwestern portion, and he had met two other volunteers who were both dark haired and from the Northeast, so he had assumed that those in the south were blonde, and those in the north were darker haired. I told him not at all, and that I was really the only blonde I was even friends with in Arizona (except you Trisha!). The next week I was showing his class pictures of my friends and I at Halloween, and the entire class was completely aghast at what my friends looked like. That girl is from Arizona, but she is Japanese! ... Nope, she's American! ... And that one, she is Arab, yes? ...Sort of, her mom is from Ireland though. ....WHAT?!?!? (ps, thanks to all my friends who unknowingly have contributed to the ethnic enlightenment of my 11th grade class)