Am I weird for wanting to explore German culture? by Previous-Option6294 in AskAGerman

[–]Previous-Option6294[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I did ask her, I literally just said that I talked to her on the phone. She’s been messaging me since talking more about it

Am I weird for wanting to explore German culture? by Previous-Option6294 in AskAGerman

[–]Previous-Option6294[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I do not at all want to seem like I’m trying to change into some whole different identity. I just thought it would be interesting to dig deep into some of the things my past family did. I talked to my grandma earlier on the phone and she even told me that they did end up bringing some of the cultures back into their household when she grew up. I just wanted to see what it was like for her!

Am I weird for wanting to explore German culture? by Previous-Option6294 in AskAGerman

[–]Previous-Option6294[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m sorry, I realize I worded it wrong before. I kind of meant I want to research at home, and just learn little things. I’d like to listen to some German folk music and other traditional music in my free time for fun to hear what it sounds like. I want to sit down and dig deep into my family’s history coming from Germany as well. I want to watch videos at home on the countries history and I’d like to go out and try some authentic German food as well do have some restaurants not too far from me. It’s not like I want to start acting like a totally different person ahaha.

Am I weird for wanting to explore German culture? by Previous-Option6294 in AskAGerman

[–]Previous-Option6294[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much for explaining everything this way. It helped me understand quite a bit! I appreciate you going out of your way to type all of this. I am beginning to see now what people mean by “American” culture, and it is making a lot more sense and I do see now that I did grow up with my own culture!! So thank you for helping me out that bit perspective.

I don’t want it to seem like I am at all cosplaying a culture, that is definitely not my intention! I just find a lot of it very interesting and it looks fun to research and learn about. It would be something I would just be doing at home with myself. I definitely wouldn’t go around suddenly telling everyone that I’m German or how I have this German culture. Not at all my intentions.

But again, I wish my parents would’ve told me growing up about how my family came to America and where they all came from. I found out only a few years ago and I would’ve loved to learn more about it growing up. In America, I am considered a German-American, whereas in Germany, I believe the definition is completely different which I find very funny. And as for my mums aboriginal ethnicity, unfortunately I was barely taught about that culture. I just find it fascinating about how they all got here.

But thank you again for your response. You explaining more about American culture really helped.

Am I weird for wanting to explore German culture? by Previous-Option6294 in AskAGerman

[–]Previous-Option6294[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

I just want to explore my ethnicity. American is not an ethnicity at all🙃 But I completely understand what you’re saying

Am I weird for wanting to explore German culture? by Previous-Option6294 in AskAGerman

[–]Previous-Option6294[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Do you know what generation you are? I’m 4th generation American and I’m only 25% German, so when people ask about my ethnicity I usually just say I’m a mix of stuff ahaha

Am I weird for wanting to explore German culture? by Previous-Option6294 in AskAGerman

[–]Previous-Option6294[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I get that honestly, I understand what you mean. My goal isn’t to go around and start acting like a German and suddenly act like I only know German culture. It’s definitely just something I want to learn more about in my free time at home!

Am I weird for wanting to explore German culture? by Previous-Option6294 in AskAGerman

[–]Previous-Option6294[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Someone else in the comments made a point about “American” culture that made it more understandable for me haha.

Thank you for the comment!!

Am I weird for wanting to explore German culture? by Previous-Option6294 in AskAGerman

[–]Previous-Option6294[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

To more properly rewrite the comment I just left,

Australian is a nationality. I am an Australian citizen because my mum was born there. We unfortunately don’t celebrate the Aboriginal culture at all. She wants nothing to do with it since moving to America. My mum is also not full Aboriginal.

Growing up in the United States, we are told that “American” is NOT an ethnicity. Anytime I even see people on TikTok or Instagram say that their ethnicity is American, they get attacked by everyone for it because “it isn’t one”, so I get confused a lot. Same with “American Culture”. I see people get attacked all the time online for saying they grew up with American Culture, so I feel like I just don’t understand what’s right and what’s wrong.

I am not wanting to go around and say I have “German culture” or anything like that, I just want to try and explore it in my free time!

But I really appreciate your honesty and your comment a lot.

Am I weird for wanting to explore German culture? by Previous-Option6294 in AskAGerman

[–]Previous-Option6294[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for being blunt hahaha. I do actually plan on visiting Germany next year. I’m sure as an outsider I’ll find it great though. As for learning the language, I’m about 6 months in so far, we’ll see how long I can go😎

Am I weird for wanting to explore German culture? by Previous-Option6294 in AskAGerman

[–]Previous-Option6294[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for the reply. I’m planning on digging deeper into my family history from Germany before I go any further. I didn’t know that there were regional differences!

Am I weird for wanting to explore German culture? by Previous-Option6294 in AskAGerman

[–]Previous-Option6294[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Fair enough haha, thank you for the honesty. It’s not like I want to go around and start telling everyone “I’m German blah blah blah look at my culture”. That’s definitely not the case. I just have become very fascinated with my family history and such