After moving away from home, one would think a person could be capable of forgetting where they came from faster. However, this was not the case for me, speaking from a cultural context. I was born and raised in Canada, but I never felt like I truly belonged, having been raised by two Turkish immigrants who experienced culture shock when they moved to Canada. Instead of attempting to adapt more to Canadian culture, they raised me with Turkish cultural views as much as they could and made sure that I knew my mother tongue. Growing up, I disliked feeling out of place among Canadians and was treated like an immigrant on more than a few occasions. My parents did not understand the way of living here and were much stricter than the average Western parents. This was the main issue that contributed to my feelings of being left out.
Now as an adult, I am still critical of how strict my parents were growing up, but I am also glad I was raised multicultural, as it gave me a broader perspective on the world. Growing up with two different cultures, an individual never truly fits in anywhere, not like the people who can feel at home where they only ever knew one way of living and believing. For me, it was like experiencing two distinct worlds where a different part of me would be brought out depending on my environment. It feels like a secret that only children raised by immigrant parents can understand.
I always longed for Türkiye, where the climate is warmer, just like its expressive and emotional people. The food is rich and flavourful and the skies are a brighter hue of blue, comparable to the magnificent seas that surround the land. In 2022, the country’s official name was changed to “Türkiye” from “Turkey” in English, a switch that was wanted by Turks since the beginning of the republic in 1923. No matter how long I lived in Canada, it would be so easy for me to leave everything and resettle in Europe, just to be closer to Türkiye, where most of my extended family lives. It is not as if I ever entirely belonged in Canada anyway.
After moving out for university, I felt surrounded by Western society even more and, had more freedom to live the way I wanted. However, I was surprised to find that I felt homesick and missed my culture. I started buying the Turkish foods I grew up with more often for dinners because eating those foods and listening to Turkish music helped me feel more at home. It eased the ache brought from the longing for my country. Although I have spent most of my life in Canada, TĂĽrkiye feels as much of a home as the country I grew up in and I plan on staying connected to the culture that my parents passed down to me.