Jhumpa Lahiri Quotes

It's a complicated issue, but I define myself as an American, primarily.

I think of myself as being Jewish and Irish, despite the fact that I'm English.

I always identified myself as non-Swedish. I was never discriminated against, because I looked Swedish and speak without an accent. But I had an outsider's perspective.

I was born in Australia and am proud of my Australian provenance, but I am now an American. Like so many naturalized citizens, I felt that I was an American before I formally became one.

Who does get to claim Americanness? You know, my brother was born in this country. And is he seen as American? So, I mean, it brings up a lot of interesting questions.

When I became an American citizen, nothing's changed because I'm still Asian.

I don't necessarily feel like I'm American. I wouldn't know what that feels like.

I am a permanent legal resident of this country, I was born in Korea; my parents came to America for a better life for our family, I've lived here nearly my whole life, and even though I consider myself through and through Korean and American, I guess when it comes down to it, anyone can take away my identity. It doesn't belong to me.

I don't really know what feeling Japanese or Haitian or American is supposed to feel like. I just feel like me.

I grew up in America - I was born and raised in Texas. I might look different, but at the same time, I'm pretty American.

I've always had a complex relationship towards my identity as an American.

I was born in America, but I consider myself a Filipino.

Jews have had to carry around their own sense of self in a carpet bag and I think perhaps too much emphasis might be being put on nationality and on the other hand patriotism, that sort of thing.

I've never felt British. I'm just not interested in national identity. I don't know why.

I really do feel part of America to my very bones; at the same time, I know that I come from somewhere else.

I am not an African. I am an American.

I was born in the USA, which many people still find hard to believe.

It's strange; when I was younger and people would ask, 'Where are you from?', I'd say, 'West Africa', which was odd because I'm obviously not African, but it was my home.

I feel Anglo-American.

I do consider myself as being French, I suppose.

There's a big difference between race and culture. Because racially, I'm an Indian man. Culturally, not at all.

We [native-born] could not choose, but they [immigrants] could and did choose to be Americans.

We used to have a view that to really be a good Australian, to love Australia, you almost had to cut your links with the country of origin. But I don’t think that was right and it never was right.

My son will be an American, but I remain French.

I exist in this hyphen. I'm an Indian-American-Muslim kid, but am I more Indian, or am I more American? What part of my identity am I?