Identity

We had a conversation a few days back, all the desi's about a certain gentleman , born and raised in America, to Indian parents who disliked being mistaken for an Indian. Anecdotes were recounted when people thought him to be Indian , and they were brusquely put into their place. He wears his Americanism on his sleeve , or should we say he wears his star's and striped chaddis!. And then we wondered why this is so. Various explanations were given. For us who have lived the first part of their life in India, we probably never will give that up even if some take up American citizenship. But for those born here its different? Perhaps its the parents fault , they force their child to experience Indian culture whatever it means. Children grow up to be confused - ABCD's. Perhaps its the fact that being Indian has a negative image here (poverty, dirty, illiteracy, corruption, etc.) Perhaps its the fact that your peers shun you as different. Even children are sometimes surprisingly cruel (perhaps unintentionally) to children who differ from them. Who knows. And one guy went so far as to say , that we are discussing this about someone , one day it will be our kid who is like this or if not perhaps our grandchildren. I laughed and said that I'm like this guy if anyone asks me from where i am , I always say Bombay! and if they say your manglorean , I always say nah my parents are from there, I'm from Bombay!
But I wonder about this culture thing. What is one's culture? Where do you draw the line ? 1 generation? A 100 years? Like everything else ( ideals, values, ethics) , people are selective about what they perceive as their culture. Things they want to do or they want the their children to do , culture. Things they don't , well times were backward and we've progressed now, what to do times are like that only any reason will do , any excuse. Reminds me of traditional day in college, people wearing clothes a couple of generations old and asking me why I'm still in jeans an formal shirt. Always said , that's always been my tradition, if i go back far enough to find out what my ancestors wore traditionally , I wont be able to wear anything. but that always got me the this guys so weird look.
And whats Identity? Why do we identify ourselves as Indian, American or whatever?
Does the place in the infinite universe where I was born due to pure luck define my identity?
Does being an Indian define me? or my views or my values? I doubt it. Or only to the extent the environment around you influences you. Why is it that people see nationalism as a good thing?
It isn't and you only have to see , that like religion and race, nationality can be used to justify any sin, any violent activity, any war. Your nation is at war , you have to support your soldier's everything else is secondary. Right and wrong? who cares.
What comprises identity? And why isn't it sufficient to say my views, my values, my ideals , my deeds? Why do we have to add my gender , or my race, or my religion or my country or my sexual orientation?

As a side note this is the signature from an email from an American(heh)
'In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American,and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also,isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people.'Theodore Roosevelt 1907
And it is tempting to ask , why did you'll not practise what you'll preached? I'm sure the native American would have appreciated it!. And it's funny to see the definition of an American.
The flag, the language and the loyalty.
Maybe some day we will understand that the earth is far bigger than a country and the universe is far bigger than the earth. And all of this , culture, country is far too small for beings with imagination.