Lebanese Identity Essay

1119 Words5 Pages
The Lebanese Identity Who are you? Where do you come from? What is your country of birth? These are the questions which first come into one’s mind when he meets a stranger or a person he hasn’t encountered before. The purpose of these questions is basically to know more information about this new person he’s meeting, in other words, to know his cultural identity. According to a social report obtained from the government of New Zealand “Culture refers to the customs, practices, languages, values and world views that define social groups such as those based on nationality, ethnicity, region or common interests.” The cultural identity is so important to people because it gives them self-confidence and a base to build on when encountering the others. This view of culture shows that there are several aspects that define a cultural identity. Being a male Lebanese teenager, my generations identity is mainly shaped by language, traditions, and religion; nonetheless, the Lebanese society does not always encourage free self-expression and the free shaping of our identity. The most important aspect which constitutes the Lebanese identity is its language. The mother language in Lebanon is the Arabic language. However, not all Lebanese speak the same accent. For example, someone who is coming from Bekaa pronounces Arabic words in a much different way than a person coming from Saida, Beirut or the south..Moreover, most Lebanese people are either bilingual or multi-lingaual. A typical Lebanese speaks Arabic as his first language and either French or English as his second one. For instance, Amine Maalouf, who is a Lebanese writer, said,”Arabic is my first language, I discovered Dickens, Dumas, and Gulliver’s travels in the Arabic translation.” Yet he also said,”I write my books in
Open Document