Tisha & the Jewish Puerto Rican African Native American World
Categories: America, ENGLISH, Middle East, cross-cultural, ethnic, "race", multicultural, mixity, religion(s), society, demography, global trends, Zeitgeist
Turn to her nicely revamped now Serenity Quest, have a look at the average number of her comments, the dynamic of conversation, and the quality of it, and you’ll quickly get a clue why you should spend some more time in Serenity Quest.
Behind this Blog, there is an experience and an atypical cross-cultural life, a lots of cultural subtleties I wanted to grasp, for you, beloved reader.
I had the pleasure to meet her in Brussels (yes I know I am lucky ; and furthermore she speaks French!).
Tisha, thank you for accepting this interview.
What about starting off with a thorougher idea about the context you’ve been living in? Tisha, could you tell me in which culture(s) you have grown up (till your 21st birthday) ?
From the very beginning I was immersed in a culturally diverse setting growing up as a Black girl with a White Puerto Rican family in New York City.
My biological father an African-American whom I did not get to know, my mother White Puerto Rican remarried to someone of her background so my siblings and I were different in many respects however amongst them I feel the most comfortable, they are my family.
What are the main places and atmospheres you’ve been living in (the ones that mostly branded you) ?
Growing up I spent most of my time at our Evangelical church of 5,000 congregants from every color of the rainbow.
Seeing the turmoil in the Mid-East first-hand, meeting with both Israelis and Palestinians face-to-face.
They are many more but these are the most significant ones for me.
Any foreign languages you master/feel comfortable with (English is your mothertongue) ?
Yes English is the language I speak best, sometimes I am not sure about that because these days I don’t use it enough and I am forgetting words. Spanish is my second mother tongue, I feel totally comfortable with Hebrew and I speak French but don’t feel comfortable writing it. I have basic notions of Arabic and hope to learn Italian someday.
Tgy “Well, in total 4 languages and a half… not bad !”
Your favorite quote (in any language ? can be in different languages) ?
Among those whom I like or admire, I can find no common denominator,
but among those whom I love, I can: all of them make me laugh.
W. H. Auden
In other words: “If you make me laugh you win me over!”
How would you currently and culturally describe yourself ?
A citizen of the world who is Jewish Puerto Rican African Native American 
In other words, I groove to Jewish and Israeli music (Sarit Hadad “Yallah lech habeita Moti” - שרית חדד - יאלה לך הביתה מוטי). I eat “Guanimos” (Puerto Rican dumplings in cod fish tomato onion sauce, mmm que rico:-) when I smell this dish I feel at home. I unfortunately did not have much contact with the Black side of my family, so that part of my cultural identity is missing.
I also have native Puerto Rican blood (Taino Indians) and French origins as my great grandfather fled to Puerto Rico during the persecution of Protestants in Europe at the end of the 1800s, both of which mesh into the Puerto Rican culture.
From your perspective, having travelled quite a lot, how would you describe the places you have been to. I’d like to understand it as well from a multi-cultural point of view.
Puerto Rico, USA, the official language is Spanish and it’s probably the best example of a genuinely mixed and multiracial (tgy: into quote, cose I don’t like this “racial” term) society; White, Black, mulatto living together according to the Caribbean way of life.
New York, USA, was “too small” for me, I felt there was so much more to discover across the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Apart from my family and Puerto Rican food, I really appreciate the American “I can do anything” risk-taking attitude of people. Most people are colorblind there (but less than in Puerto Rico).
Israel, liveliness, youthfulness, sun, beaches, foods, holidays and celebrations…I wanted to read the Bible in its original language and started learning Hebrew at 16. I then studied Mid-East Languages and Cultures at the University and went to do a one year study program in Israel, fell in love and stayed and converted to Judaism.
There you find people from all over the world (Ethoipia, India, Russians, etc.) who despite their different origins all feel Jewish and Israeli. People are less colorblind than in Puerto Rico and the USA.
Living in Brussels for the past 2 years, I love the fact it’s so international and you meet people from all over the world wherever you go. I just can’t stand the grey skies! From all the places I have lived Belgium is the least colorblind however our generation is changing that.
Your point of view regarding the current Israel/Palestine situation ?
The majority of both Israelis and Palestinians just want to live their lives without fear of war and it’s time we all stand up against the terrorists and extremists who are hijacking our existence and happiness! Extremists are everyone’s enemies, Israeli’s and Palestinians alike.
Serenity Quest, it sounds quite buddhist … ?
I am into Zen.
There’s definitely some element of finding peace of mind through Serenity Quest which started out as therapeutic, a way to get things off my chest but also that eternal quest for knowledge, understanding of myself, others and the world…the day I stop searching I am dead. I’ve learned so many things from my blog, my readers are fascinating and have especially taught me so much about men-women relationships (two very different cultures hahaha).
It is actually a platform for exchange and dialogue and my life goal or mission if you will is to change the way we interact with each other.
And this life goal/mission has plunged me into my line of work, eDemocracy. With the democratic deficit and shift from pure representative democracy to a more participatory representative democracy citizens are playing a major role through citizen journalism (blogs, podcasts, etc.). Our voice is being heard, perhaps truly for the first time!
Your criticism about LocaLingo.com (can be positive and/or negative) ?
Localingo is changing the way people interact with each other by breaking down cultural barriers to understand each other better and that is what will make our world worth living in, BRAVO!
Thank you Tisha (blushing, a lot), and definitely meet you at Serenity Quest ! Good luck with it, and long live Serenity Quest !
It is an honor to be featured on Localingo and I truly appreciate the fine work you are all doing to connect people! Thank you!!
I wanted to write the first comment !!:lol:
Tisha, it is was a pleasure for me to interview you. Thanks for all your work behind. Just for all our readers, I’d like to mention about the methodology :
- informal meeting in a cafe in Brussels
- 1st questionnaire by mail
- 2nd, revision, reworking of responses by Skype (looking for other interesting cultural areas we might have left out)
- 3d, correction on the writing (like “did you mean that, or that ?”)
- publication
Thanks a lot for your time Tisha. Honestly, the result is there - a very beautiful one ! Thanks for your work SERENITY QUEST, eager to read you again,
Best,
John
wow !
What a life !