National identity, home and independence
National identity is a funny old thing. As a young person, I think you probably start off inheriting your national identity from your parents but as you get older, particularly if you move away and make your home some place else, it becomes a more complicated. Unsurprisingly, the indy ref has brought up a lot of issues regarding national identity
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I'm a German citizen who grew up in Ireland and, until #indyref started poking thoughts on belonging and national identity loose in my head, mostly referred to myself as European. If pressed on the matter, I'd usually say I was German on paper but felt Irish. But I've lived in Scotland on and off for 20 years now. And Glasgow is home, more than any corner of Germany or Ireland ever was. And I think that's because in Glasgow, I'm allowed to feel at home.
In Germany, my entire family has been scattered around so much that I "belong" nowhere. In Ireland, even my closest friends refer to me as a blow-in. In Scotland, my "belonging" has never been questioned, I have never been made to feel as if I'm not entitled to an opinion or a space in our society.
There was a point during the general independence debate when I realised I would be eligible for a Scottish passport in the event of a Yes vote. And I got really excited, because being a Scottish citizen would feel much truer to myself than anything else. And when we lost, I actually mourned my little be-unicorned passport a little bit. I voted yes for social justice and the hope of building a better future. But I would have been happy to hand in my German passport for a Scottish one.
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