For the past two weeks, I’ve been reflecting on what it actually means to be living as a minority, be that from a cultural, racial, sexually or linguistic point of view. Belonging to a linguistic minority entails living, thinking and communicating in a language of cognitive structure which is not yours.
Bing a minority shouldn’t necessarily be interpreted as being the polar opposite of the majority as is a common preconception. Instead, it is often the case that those in the minority are categorized in a group of people with limited access to power.
I was unaware of the extent to wich one’s social standing can have an impact on the individual, being under impression that one’s quality of life was determined by the talents we possess and the decisions and efforts we make. Living in exile was an opportunity for me to shed light on this predicament. Moving to exile has given me the chance to contemplate how by changing my social status, every other aspect of my life also has changed. It’s like a laboratory experiment: Keep one variable fixed ( in this case, Hamze ) then change the social and environmental factors.
I’ll be publishing blog posts in English over the coming weeks and month. This is the new challenge which I’ll be taking on. This is not just about my personal experience, exile or refugees. I’m keen to share with you how an individual, a minority, can start over. By ‘starting over’, I mean by building a new life from zero (after losing your reputation, network, friends, and family support). Your qualifications were not recognized, you don't have enough cash, you don’t even have the ability to read and write in the new language, let alone speak this language with locals. When confronted with this, if I could manage to find my and start anew, anyone can.
It does not matter that your are not part of the actual elite or don’t come from an influential family, didn’t attend a prestigious university or inherited wealth. I think that my experience is not just a matter of reinventing a new life in exile but is about how to manage a new life as a minority.
I’m not going to point the finger at the discriminatory shortcomings of the system. Instead, I will share experiences and tips which I hope will be useful for others. In the same vein, I don’t plan on condemning the unfairness of the processes but rather advise on how minorities can make the most of their circumstances.
I’m going to write about it more. Please give me your feedback and suggestions which help me to provide more sophisticated posts.
