你睇我唔到! 你睇我唔到!

[image: dhosoner; albacete, spain]

identity?
I've lived here for 20 years... a Canadian citizen for 16. I call Canada my home. I've met people who wholeheartedly denounce this country as false... an illegitimate country and a big joke because of its lack of history. I've also met people who embrace themselves as 110% Canadian and scrunch their noses at the idea of having any ties to their respective cultural backgrounds from wherever in the world even if it spans multiple generations ago. I've been accused of being a poser for tacking on the "chinese-" prefix and a sham for advertising myself as Canadian because I don't guzzle massive quantities of beer and cheer over last night's hockey fight (though I do enjoy the occasional beer and hockey game). It feels weird to be stuck in this weird cultural limbo having to defend Canada from being pelted by harsh criticism and being proud of my HK background. "Go back"... go back where? I cannot survive the fast-paced capitalist rat race nor would I want to. I just feel wearied out arguing against country-centric views on what Canada is or means. No place is perfect, just let it be.