(209) Taiye Selasi: Don't ask where I'm from, ask where I'm a local | TED

Introduction

  • Book tour experiences in 14 countries over 13 months.

  • Each talk began with a misleading introduction of Taiye Selasi's nationality.

  • Reflects on the ambiguity of national identity.

National Identity

  • Born in England, raised in the United States.

  • Mother: Born in England, raised in Nigeria, lives in Ghana.

  • Father: Born in Gold Coast (now Ghana), resident of Saudi Arabia.

  • Introductions labeled Selasi as "multinational" but she felt dehumanized by the term.

  • Selasi questions the concept of nationality: "How can a human being come from a concept?"

Countries as Inventions

  • Awareness of countries evolving over time (disappearances, appearances, failures).

  • Country identity seems inadequate for understanding human identity.

  • Insights from studying international relations—countries are not fixed entities, but expressions of sovereign statehood.

  • The historical context of nation-states being relatively new.

Redefining Self

  • Desires to redefine identity beyond national frameworks.

  • 2005 essay titled "What is an Afropolitan" that emphasizes cultural identity over national identity.

  • Mixed reactions from the audience; people relate to personal experiences differently.

Concept of Locality

Shift in Understanding

  • Inspired by a conversation with Colum McCann—"All experience is local. All identity is experience."

  • Selasi identifies as multi-local rather than national.

  • Emphasis on local experiences over blanket national identities.

Personal Connections

  • Relationship to specific experiences defines locality.

  • Examples:

    • Lacks a personal relationship to the broad concept of America, focuses on Brookline, New York City, and Lawrenceville.

    • Discusses limited connection to broad identity of Ghana; instead focuses on specific places in Accra.

The Locality Test

Proposed Approach: The Three R's

  1. Rituals

  • Identify daily rituals and where they occur.

  • Reflect on cultural rituals from upbringing.

  1. Relationships

  • Consider significant people in your life affecting emotional experiences.

  • Discusses her connections to family and friends shaping her sense of home.

  1. Restrictions

  • Examine the limits on one's ability to live freely in specific locales.

  • Discuss implications of violence, governance, and social issues affecting where one feels local.

Illustrative Examples

  • Olu: Born in Germany, of Nigerian descent, faces restrictions in Nigeria due to identity.

  • Udo: Argentinian by passport, seasoned in Berlin, identified by history despite local experience in both locales.

  • Both illustrate the complexity of identity defined by experience, not merely nationality.

Power Dynamics in National Identity

  • The phrase "Where are you from?" may mask deeper power hierarchies.

  • Highlights the confounding nature of identity in multi-ethnic contexts.

  • Critique of using nationality as sole determinant of diversity.

  • Increased commonality among experiences regardless of nationality.

Going Back: The Myth

  • Difficulty in returning to a country that has changed while one has not.

  • Reiterates that identity is not static and can’t be simplified into national terms.

Humanity and Locality

  • Emphasis on creative writing's reliance on locality to convey complex human experiences.

  • National identity oversimplifies the multifaceted nature of people.

  • Importance of acknowledging individual complexities fosters connection.

Conclusion

  • Advocates for a new introduction: "Taiye Selasi is a human being, a local of multiple cities."

  • Encourages shift from nationality to locality for deeper understanding of identity.