My
Japanese-English
Nickname:
A
Reflection
on
My
Multicultural
Identity Growing
up,
I
often
struggled
to
find
my
place
in
the
world.
As
a
person
of
mixed
heritage
with
a
Japanese
mother
and
an
English
father,
I
never
quite
felt
like
I
fully
belonged
in
either
culture.
This
feeling
was
only
amplified
by
the
fact
that
my
parents
raised
me
in
a
bilingual
household,
so
I
often
found
myself
switching
between
languages
and
struggling
to
express
myself
fluently
in
either
one. But
then,
I
discovered
the
power
of
nicknames.
In
Japan,
it's
common
for
friends
to
come
up
with
unique
nicknames
for
each
other,
often
based
on
wordplay
or
inside
jokes.
When
I
started
making
Japanese
friends
in
college,
they
began
calling
me
"Yuuki,"
a
play
on
words
that
combined
my
Japanese
name
with
the
English
word
for
courage.
I
loved
the
way
this
nickname
encapsulated
both
sides
of
my
identity,
and
how
it
gave
me
a
sense
of
belonging
in
a
culture
that
I
had
always
felt
somewhat
disconnected
from. Around
the
same
time,
I
also
started
using
an
English
nickname
among
my
friends
from
my
father's
side
of
the
family.
They
started
calling
me
"Lulu,"
a
playful
and
affectionate
name
that
felt
like
a
perfect
fit
for
my
bubbly
and
outgoing
personality.
Even
though
this
nickname
had
nothing
to
do
with
my
Japanese
heritage,
it
still
felt
like
a
key
part
of
my
identity. As
I
started
using
these
two
nicknames
more
and
more,
I
realized
that
they
had
become
an
integral
part
of
how
I
saw
myself.
They
were
l『阅读更多 生肖星座配对常识请关注 :12星座配对网,wWw.xZPd.cC〕】ike
two
sides
of
a
coin,
each
representing
a
different
aspect
of
my
multicultural
identity.
Even
now,
years
later,
I
still
go
by
both
names
depending
on
who
I'm
talking
to
and
what
context
I'm
in.
It's
a
small
thing,
but
it
helps
me
feel
more
grounded
and
connected
to
my
diverse
background. In
the
end,
I've
come
to
see
my
multicultural
identity
as
a
strength
rather
than
a
weakness.
Sure,
it
can
be
confusing
and
frustrating
at
times,
but
it's
also
given
me
a
unique
perspective
and
a
sense
of
empathy
for
people
from
all
different
walks
of
life.
And
when
I
feel
lost
or
unsure
of
where
I
belong,
I
know
that
I
can
always
turn
to
my
nicknames
as
a
way
to
remind
myself
of
who
I
am
and
where
I
come
from.