During the summer, scientists like to organize short courses
that are a couple of weeks long and are held at small research institutions
near a beach or a mountain. The classes are small, acceptance is tough, and
the students come from diverse places around the world. One morning this week after I gave a lecture
at one of these courses, I hung around to chat with some of them over a cup of
tea. I was astonished to hear that about
four or five of the students could speak Persian! Curious to learn more, I inquired about their
paths in life. All were kids of parents
who were displaced or otherwise negatively affected by the Iranian revolution
in 1978. The parents had been young
intellectuals who had immigrated to the west, and these were their kids, raised
with Persian language at home, a different language at school, and two cultures
entangled. What exactly are you when you
are born and raised in London, the most important holiday for you is Norooz,
and your favorite food is basmati rice with Khorshe Gheymeh? Your passport says something about your
nationality, but where is home?
A few years back, Yo Yo Ma, the famous cellist, talked about
this question of identity in an interview with National Public Radio. Here is what he said: “I was born in Paris, my parents were from
China, and I was brought up mostly in America. When I was young, this was very
confusing: everyone said that their culture was best, but I knew they couldn't
all be right. I felt that there was an expectation that I would choose to be
Chinese or French or American. For many years I bounced among the three, trying
on each but never being wholly comfortable. I hoped I wouldn't have to choose,
but I didn't know what that meant and how exactly to "not choose." However,
the process of trying on each culture taught me something. As I struggled to
belong, I came to understand what made each one unique. At that point, I realized
that I didn't need to choose one culture to the exclusion of another, but
instead I could choose from all three. The
values I selected would become part of who I was, but no one culture needed to
win. I could honor the cultural depth and longevity of my Chinese heritage,
while feeling just as passionate about the deep artistic traditions of the
French, and the American commitment to opportunity and the future.”
Thinking about Yo Yo Ma’s view, I realized that the diversity in the students’ experiences had provided them with options, samples of what different cultures could provide. But in addition to cultures rooted in geographical locations, they had been exposed to the culture of science. Science provided a few of the things that countries tend to provide: deep history, myths, inspirational heroes, and sensational legends. For some students, science was a comfortable community, the closest thing to what they might call home.
