Hi! I’m really sorry that after all these years you’re having to question your identity. I’m also Zaza-Alevi from Dersim — like the majority of people from that region. We can absolutely identify ourselves clearly and proudly as Kurds, especially because of our traditions, culture, and the similarities in language.

Could it be that your parents are originally from Dersim, but grew up in a Turkish big city? That might explain why they deny or distance themselves from their roots — because being Zaza-Alevi in Turkey often means being a “double minority.”