Cultural Identity

Aziz's story is a story that is common to many but one that is rarely told. It is the story of growing up the child of immigrants and trying to progress in a society where the realities of racism and xenophobia are all too obvious. It gives voice to the experience of finding oneself caught between worlds and the concomitant feelings of shame, insecurity and powerlessness that this can engender. As he describes it, he found himself ‘a hyphenated man’ struggling to create an identity that fused East and West.

With a Burmese mother and a white American father, Alex Wagner grew up thinking of herself as a "futureface" - an example of what the mixed-race future of America would look like. When Alex learns that her ancestry might be more mysterious than she believed, she becomes obsessed with learning everything there is to know about her ethnic and racial history. Through a blend of history, science, and sociology, Alex tries to solve the mysteries of her family and what it means to be American.

For Lucy, marriage to Mark provides an anchor after several years of drifting casually across countries, into jobs and out of relationships. Now 42, prickly and restless, her anchor is working loose. Bewildered by the demands of motherhood, bored by her work, she has grown resentful of her husband: Mark has difficulties of his own and whilst harsh self-reliance has kept him sane and earned him success, it has alienated his wife.