I think a lesser known instance of microinvalidations we see is those within the same race, specifically between those brought up in the US and those brought up internationally. My example being, me growing up in the US as the child of an Indian immigrants versus those around me who grew up in India.
There is a common term used: 'coconut' to signify an Indian who grew up in the US but may not be too in touch with Indian culture. In my personal scenario, my friends have told me that they’re glad I’m ‘not a coconut’. At first, I was flattered - it recognized how much I’ve wanted to keep in contact with Indian culture. After a while, I realized how it actually started to invalidate US part of my identity and I really felt hurt by that. Although jokingly, I’ve seen coconut used as an insult against people who haven’t - say - learned Hindhi or the language their parents speak. I’ve heard stories similar to mine between US-grown East Asians and those that grew up in East Asia as well.
Growing up in the US with multiple cultural identities is already a difficulty in itself. Over time, we do learn to embrace that we’re not truly one culture, we’re some mix of everything but there is always a constant pressure on us to keep up with Indian culture even though we're literally growing up in a different country. You cannot and should not expect us to have a vast knowledge of Indian culture. So hearing these sorts of comments that then invalidates an entire side to our identity can cause cause a lot of pain. This situation exists with every child with immigrant parents, no matter the country their parents are from. We have to get rid of this notion that interracial issues don’t exist as well.
- Anonymous ECE ‘22
There is a common term used: 'coconut' to signify an Indian who grew up in the US but may not be too in touch with Indian culture. In my personal scenario, my friends have told me that they’re glad I’m ‘not a coconut’. At first, I was flattered - it recognized how much I’ve wanted to keep in contact with Indian culture. After a while, I realized how it actually started to invalidate US part of my identity and I really felt hurt by that. Although jokingly, I’ve seen coconut used as an insult against people who haven’t - say - learned Hindhi or the language their parents speak. I’ve heard stories similar to mine between US-grown East Asians and those that grew up in East Asia as well.
Growing up in the US with multiple cultural identities is already a difficulty in itself. Over time, we do learn to embrace that we’re not truly one culture, we’re some mix of everything but there is always a constant pressure on us to keep up with Indian culture even though we're literally growing up in a different country. You cannot and should not expect us to have a vast knowledge of Indian culture. So hearing these sorts of comments that then invalidates an entire side to our identity can cause cause a lot of pain. This situation exists with every child with immigrant parents, no matter the country their parents are from. We have to get rid of this notion that interracial issues don’t exist as well.
- Anonymous ECE ‘22