I understand if everyone looking at me is seeing a Jew and seeing me as a kind of 'other.' But I can't be expected to see myself that way. That is, to me, Jewish is the normal way to be; it's not a type of being.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the importance of self-identity versus societal perception.
In this quote, Nathan Englander reflects on the distinction between how he perceives his Jewish identity and how others might perceive him. He asserts that while he recognizes that others may see him as an 'other' due to his Jewish background, he views his identity as normal and intrinsic, highlighting the complexity of self-identity in the face of external judgment.
In practice
In a discussion on identity politics, this quote can highlight the importance of self-perception over societal labels.
It's so easy to call something a Jewish story or a gay story or a woman's story. Aesthetically, if a story is not universal, it has failed. Your obligation is to the story. One rule creatively, and emotionally, is its universality.
I'm a Black woman and I've always been told that I wasn't Black enough because of the way that I grew up, the experiences that I had.
I want people to see my color and my culture written all over me, because I am proud of the skin I'm in. It is an important part of my identity. What I don't want them to do is mistreat me because of it.
I now realize that I am a gay man before anything else. Other gays may think they're a Jew first, or black, or a banker, but I'm gay.
The truth is, for me, when I was a young black girl who knew I was different, was watching TV, I would always be staring at the TV set looking for myself, and I didn't see me. And when you don't see yourself, you start to think that you don't matter, or you start to think that something is wrong with you.
I always assumed that my otherness was a curse - that I would be held back by my Asian and queer identities.
I have two passports because I have to have at least one, and I really don't know how I define myself. And I feel that as I get older, I feel very fortunate to have, on paper, a dual nationality.
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