The star attraction in Ingrid Lafleur’s new book is her Nationality: How the Chicks Think, and the Chicks Get It. Unlike many “nationality” books this one goes into great detail about what makes a person a “national” one. It might not be an easy read for some who are used to thinking of the term as being exclusively a concept of birth, but once you get past the title this is a very enlightening read.
It is a quick book for those who do not want to spend hours poring over socio-cultural and historical facts about identity. The essence of Nationality is rooted in the belief that all humans have common ancestors’ place in the gene pool – a concept that Nationality puts into context. When people believe they are of the same race, descent, and nationality (all of which are important in Nationality), they have a sense of belonging and identity. A common language, culture, and historical experiences help to cement that identity. Ingrid Lafleur looks into how the definitions of nationality are changing due to our changing world and how the meaning of human identity has been warped by our prejudice.
A great deal of Ingrid’s research looked at how race and ethnicity shape our perceptions of ourselves and how that shapes our identity. The information Ingrid provides in this new volume helps readers see how race and ethnicity can actually be a useful lens through which we can view ourselves and examine our existence. Being a woman of colour, Ingrid reveals how the nature of race and ethnicity can provide us with different opportunities and new possibilities that otherwise might be unavailable. Nationality is not static, she shows, and neither is race. The beauty of being a woman of colour is the fact that we have the ability to be of many different identity and, if we choose to, combine these identities to create a richer, fuller life.