What is home? A conversation with Nolan Yuma

Exploring the identity of global natives.

I often ponder this question during my wandering years in my late twenties. Once, I had a secret quest to find a home, looking out and assessing the country I was visiting to see if it could be home. I also spoke to many about their homeland to understand more about the countries of the world.

At one point, I was almost convinced that Canada could be the home I was looking for (no, I have not visited there yet). It’s just what I’ve heard about it and my encounters with Canadians that gave me this idea.

Although I have settled (for now) with my husband and children in a little corner of Germany, I am still very much attracted to people who are either still moving around, just migrated or are in migration, or looking to migrate, digital nomads, or expats, and also children from migrants or like me, a third generation migrant. I call them global natives, and I feel akin to them. One of my fellow global natives here is Nolan Yuma from Born Without Borders, and he is part Canadian!

We have teamed up to share a series of questions with each other, exploring our identities as we move across cultures and different homes.

Nolan Yuma has a secret he is about to tell you…

Nolan Yuma was born in Santiago de Chile, took his first steps in Antwerp, Belgium, and grew up in British Columbia, Canada. And the moment he felt a deep sense of home in Vancouver, Canada, he ended up in Spain.

How do you answer where you’re from? How often have you had to change the answer?

"I was born in Chile and mostly raised in Canada, but my family is Belgian," is my usual answer, but sometimes I feel pretentious saying it. People can sense the privilege in that list, so sometimes I just say, "I was raised in Canada." That's not any less privileged, but it soothes people who ask, "Where are you from?" out of politeness instead of curiosity. Some people just want you to say one place because it's easier for them to see you through their preconceived ideas. Another answer I give is, "I'm trying that out myself." 

Which geography gives you a sense of home?

My home isn't rooted in place but in people, which should make me question my life choices because I chose to live in Spain, where none of my best friends and family live. Well, I almost had a family here, but that wedding fell through. 

The terrace culture in many parts of Europe, the rainforests in British Columbia, and airports also make me feel at home. The thing is, everything and everyone that makes me feel at home makes me miss my home as well. 

Which food makes you feel at home?

Argentian Empanadas––oh yeah, half of my mother's family is Argentian. I also add that to the "Where are you from?" question, but only when I can tell the person is interested. Then there's coq au vin, Sockeye salmon, pretty much all beer (that counts as food or 'a liquid sandwich' in Belgium), next-day-ass-burning nachos, and most of all, asados––one can use the word "BBQ," but that'd be an insult it's spirit. 

Which parts of yourself feel Chilean?

I actually don’t feel Chilean. I was only born there, but I often include Chile in my answer to “Where are you from?” because my parents raised me with tons of physical affection, music, dancing, and passionate conversations, and most of their stories come from their time spent in Latin America. Saying “I was born in Chile” allows me to say “I kind of feel like I’m Latin America” in less wishy-washy and confusing terms. 

Which parts of you feel Belgian?

The humor. The quirky defiance and sarcastic self-depreciation are something I deeply connect to. I go into more detail in “What Makes Something Funny? The Psychological Theories of Humour.”

Oh, and beer. 

Family, too. 

Which parts of you feel Canadian?

My sense of distance. Nothing feels far when I travel to other countries. Right now, I live in Castellon, Spain, which is just over an hour away from Valencia, with the train. Although a few dozen towns and cities separate Valencia and Spain, I feel like I’m in a suburb of Valencia. 

Also, I have an affinity toward psychedelics. There’s no place better than the West Coast of Canada for psychonauts. Part of this is because of how easy it is to access every type of magic mushroom imaginable, but to a greater extent, it’s the consciousness-altering power of the forest. 

Also, when it comes to the dimensions we use in cultural competence training, I usually fall towards the Canadian side of the scale. However, that’s a whole new can of worms we can explore in “The Quick Culture Guide for Global Business.”

Which parts of you feel Spanish?

I’ve lived in Spain for almost five years now. Although I still dislike when people are tardy, speak over each other, and can’t spend a single Sunday without their parents, I feel more Spanish than when I arrived. I’m addicted to Patas Bravas, and beer on a Saturday morning is completely acceptable. I even think some of our food rivals Italian food–which I would never have said even a year ago. Huh, that “out” came out without me thinking about it. 

Which parts of yourself move beyond borders and cultural constructs? 

“Salir de las fronteras que impone to mente.” Break free from the borders that impose your mind. That’s my motto at Born Without Borders. When I reflect on my values, beliefs, and behaviors, I always try to zoom out and look from the outside in. I used to be quite political when I was younger, as I thought this was a way to appear worldly and educated; however, the older I get, the more I realize all these sociopolitical conversations are a way to distract and divide us.

Being human, understanding that we are all one consciousness, experiencing life subjectively, and connecting to the spirit of nature is what moves me beyond borders and cultural constructs. But of course, I must research and learn these cultural constructs to see if I’ve moved past them. Through understanding our differences, I can see how we’re all the same. 

How do language and communication play a role in your sense of identity and belonging?

Writing is the only love of my life I know will never leave me, and since I mostly write in English, it’s the language I most identify with. Its universality, efficiency, and variety match how I live my life. Also, most of my income comes from teaching ESL, so English is crucial to my creative and financial well-being.  

When it comes to Flemish, it’s all about family and humor. Since it’s the language I often spoke as a child, I feel more innocent than I really am when I speak it. I don’t swear, and talking about sex is a bit awkward.

Spanish is the newest part of my identity. There is no better language in which to get angry. The swear words and insults are second to none. It also allows me to connect my parents’ story, which, for better or worse, I consciously and subconsciously try to emulate. It took writing their stories in The Forever Foreign Series and my relationship to fall apart to see just how much I used their stories to create a sense of identity. 

What advice would you give to someone who is navigating their own cultural identity or immigrant experience?

Subscribe to Born Without Borders Alright, alright, that’s not the only thing you should do. You should also download the Substack app. Seriously, our stories define cultures, and you find a group of storytellers with an equally diverse or murky identity. The mirror they hold up turns those murky waters into clear currents you move and grow with. Read about cultural competence, understand our differences, go on trips (with planes, trains, psychedelics, or a combination of them all), eat new foods, cook new foods, learn more languages, and do whatever you can to grow. Be proud of the fact that your identity is not fixed. 

How has traveling to different countries or experiencing various cultures influenced you?

It’s made me more humble, proud, open-minded, and confused. It’s taught me a lot and made me realize how little I know. It makes me feel at home and miss home. Travel fills me with contradictions. Travel makes me human. 

I’m currently on a quest to the north of Sweden to explore the therapeutic effects of slow travel. You can follow my journey, learn about cultural psychology, fitness on the road, and all the places I’m visiting throughout Europe on Born Without Borders.

About Born Without Borders

You can find my answers to these same questions at Born Without Borders.