Review:
In our globalized
world many of us are involved in cross-cultural living. Interacting intentionally with those of
another culture is an opportunity to broaden our own perspectives and become
genuine “world Christians’ –i.e, Christians who have God’s heart for the world
at their core.
David
Augsburger has said: Anyone who knows
only one culture knows no culture. In
coming to know a second or third culture, one discovers how much that was taken
to be reality is actually an interpretation of realities that are seen in part
and known in part; one begins to understand that things assumed to be universal
are local; one realizes that culture defines both what is valued and which
values will be central and which less influential” (David
Augsburger, Pastoral Counseling Across
Cultures, 1986, p.18).
There are
several terms used in cross-cultural literature to describe the change in
identity people experience in engaged cross-cultural living. Some people use the term “bicultural” –i.e., I
am part my culture of origin and part the new culture I have internalized. For the sake of simplicity, that is the term
being used in this book. It describes
people who move in and out of their dominant culture and are able to mix values
and behavior from both their culture of origin and their new culture. Bernard
Adeney, in Strange Virtues, Ethics in a
Multicultural World, says: “As we live in another culture, our goal is to
become bicultural - to become fluent in two languages and two cultures” (p.
72).
The book title Of Bananas and Hard Boiled Eggs actually
comes from this identity journey for the author: “I have chosen to be changed
as I have internalized many exceptional values of the Asian peoples and
cultures with whom I interact. One Chinese international student was in a
seminar I co-taught in the USA with an Asian Indian. Midway through the seminar the student gave
this assessment of me to the whole class:
“I know who you are,” he said to me. “You are a hard-boiled egg. I am
Chinese. I am a banana: I am yellow on the outside (Chinese looking) but I am
white on the inside (with Caucasian values).
You are white on the outside but yellow on the inside.” The journey of bicultural identity.
Other people
describe those involved in this journey as “third culture people.” This is technically the more accurate term. Third culture people live close to the
boundary edge of two cultures and can cross over from one to the other culture
with relative ease. But as they cross
back and forth, they create a new composite identity within themselves. Such people are no longer solely people of
their culture of origin – it is evident they are different from the values and
behavior of their heritage. But they also
are not recognized as legitimate people of the culture they have internalized –
since they are not of that culture by blood or heritage. They are a synthesis – a third culture people
– with a composite identity that mixes differently for each person.
Whether you
speak of this cultural journey of identity as the journey towards biculturalism
or the journey towards third culture identity, the journey itself is one of the
benefits of our globalized world. People
who want to be relevant in such a world and who want to thrive in relationships
with those of a foreign culture will be able to do so when they are able to go
in and out of that culture comfortably.
They can make friendships and contributions in the dominant culture
while still maintaining their roots and friendships in their culture of origin.
This workbook has
been developed for that goal– to help people grow in confidence and in English
language usage so they can cross over easily and often and adapt to life in the
dominant culture and not be limited to life within their ethnic cocoon. It is also written to create more
understanding between the different generations within immigrant
communities. Children raised in a
foreign culture will tend to internalize the dominant culture’s values rather
quickly. But parents and grandparents who have recently come to that foreign
culture will tend to retain the values from their culture of origin and expect
their families to keep those values and not embrace the dominant culture.
Rather than a treatise on principles for cross-cultural living, Of Bananas and Hard Boiled Eggs is a
discussion based workbook that deals with the life issues involved in adapting
to a foreign culture. Each chapter has a
story describing an experience or perspective of the particular writer. Contributors are from Indonesia, Nigeria,
Austria, Mexico, Japan and the author’s own experience. Discussion questions (and vocabulary for ESL
usage) are based on the theme raised in that story. Topics covered include Depression, Saying No,
Building Trust, Stereotypes, Maintaining Your Cultural Identity, Developing A
Bicultural Identity. The content of the
book can be adapted but it is set up as a 20 week guide.
The book is relevant in at least three different settings:
1. ESL advanced class for students able to
discuss issues together in English.
2. Discussion material for immigrant
churches to help first generation immigrants move out of their ethnic cocoon
and understand their 2nd and 3rd generation family
members who are more openly engaged with the dominant culture’s values.
3. Discussion material for international
students or business people seeking to acculturate to an English speaking
context.
More
information about the book and the author is on www.maryloucodmanwilson.com
The book is
sold on Amazon and is also available in e-book format