#westernised

For context I was just called a westernised motherfucker for painting a strict Asian parent (Splinter Tmnt 2012) in a light that had him come across as abusive.

So let’s break this down.

The term westernised means to adopt what is considered to be western culture aka European and North American (the continent) culture. It is relevant here because it is a term that is used as an insult towards those of global majority backgrounds like myself.

To essentially say that we have been led astray by the western world and have adopted its attitudes and values. While at the same time disregarding the values and attitudes that belonged to our cultures.

It’s often used alongside insults like “white washed” or “coconut” that are used to imply that while we may appear as people of colour inside we are white. All of them are terms I’m very much familiar with and have been called growing up.

For reasons that vary from having mental health issues to not knowing my mother tongue to having a very low spice tolerance. All of these things that have been used to insinuate that I am not Pakistani enough and don’t belong as part of my community.

For many years I believed that and I was so ashamed for things I really couldn’t control that were being labelled as faults of my character. But as an adult I’ve come to accept that yes I am westernised you know obviously I’ve adopted the culture and attitudes that come from the country I was born and raised in.

But that does not mean I have forsaken my roots in any way.

There’s this rather archaic mindset that you can only be one or the other which puts those of multiple cultures in a state of disarray. It’s where the “too western for my family and too traditional for my friends” things come from cause you will never perfectly be one or the other.

I’m both.

I’m very proudly both I am British and I am Pakistani and I embrace both aspects of my identity with open arms. I wear my bangles while going through a National Trust park, I drink my karak chai while watching the Traitors and learn Urdu while listening to early 2000’s British pop.

So me being called westernised is both true but also untrue in this context.

As for likening strict parenting to abuse I don’t think people realise the line isn’t as clear or simple as you’d think. We’ve all done it we’ve all waved things off as part of our culture when it’s genuinely not right.

Hand on heart I’m also guilty of this.

I can acknowledge the nuance of such a situation while also pointing out that there are aspects that don’t sit comfortably with me and feel abusive. Whether you agree or disagree is completely up to you.

In the post I made I had Casey Jones who across tmnt canon has having an abusive father. I don’t think it’s a stretch to then have him in a situation where Splinter is being pretty harsh on his sons to feel awfully familiar, and take action.

And yes Splinter responded in a more brutal manner then he probably would’ve done in canon but I did tag the post as being Splinter bashing, so everyone was warned ahead of that being the case.

This is before I started labelling such posts as concepts so I do acknowledge the misunderstanding. Although that doesn’t make insulting me on 2 separate posts warranted especially after having that explained from me.

But pointing out such a thing doesn’t mean I’m any less connected to my culture. And to insinuate that abuse particularly child abuse doesn’t exist in such culture is a big fat lie. Honour based violence / killing are a huge problem both here and back home as well as forced marriages and domestic violence which are all forms of abuse.

If forsaking my culture means that I’ll point that shit out for what it is then I guess I’m a coconut and I’ll proudly be one. Though luckily for me it doesn’t so you know take that.

Cannot claim to be a motherfucker though sorry to disappoint on that one I am a sex repulsed acesexual. I’m sure these same folk will go ahead and tell me that is a western concept too.

Turkmenistan if they westernised

Most well-liked Westernised Appearance income

Most well-known european the fashion world they actually income: [wprebay kw=”roman trendy” num=”nineteen” ebcat=”-1″] [wprebay kw=”westernised the fashion world” num=”twenty” ebcat=”-1″]

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