Teju Cole Quotes

Am I Latin? Am I American? What the hell am I? I love my culture and I'm very proud of my culture.

I feel Anglo-American.

When I think of my work, I'm aware that I'm American and African at all points and times. And without a doubt, my experience and understanding of America was shaped by having immigrant parents.

I'm as proud to be Chinese as I am American.

I'm half Greek, half Australian.

There are several different traits that make up a person's identity. For me, being Vietnamese American is the entirety of who I am.

Some call me a Cuban hyphen American. I reject that. I don't believe in hyphenated Americans.

I don't feel I have to defend myself for being English or for being Irish, because, in a way, I don't feel either. And, in another way, of course, I'm both.

I wasn't sure if I wanted to put that out there so blatantly, so that before you listen to me you know that I'm Asian. But I thought it was sort of cool to embrace the Korean half of me, which I love.

Mixed-bloods loosen the seams in the shrouds of identities.

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

I love my heritage both as someone who grew up as a Muslim and as an Indian - it's part of who I am and I would never deny it.

I'm half Jewish, half Scottish. It's hard for me to buy anything.

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

I'm a little bit like a turducken: I'm sort of like an Indian person, wrapped in a British person, wrapped in an American kind of thing.

I don't think my work does reflect my nationality - I don't like the idea of nationalism.

No, I'm not a French designer either. I'm from nowhere. I'm a European, old European is all I am.

My parents were French and Irish and our family even has Spanish blood-and I do so love the United States and consider myself part American.

Growing up, I thought I was white. It didn't occur to me I was Asian-American until I was studying abroad in Denmark and there was a little bit of prejudice.

The other aspect of American identity worth focusing on is the concept of America as a nation of immigrants. That certainly is a partial truth. But it is often assumed to be the total truth.

I feel more European than Belgian. However I do think that my Flemish roots have an impact on my character and culture.

Nationality is a very curious thing. The blood is Scots and the temperament is Scots, but I am, in fact, 100% American.

There are some Chicanos who don't want to be Chicanos - they want to be Mexican-American, Hispanic, or even Spanish.

Sometimes I have a very fleeting emotional dance with a fleeting phrase, like 'half-Mexican.'

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