Jewish Identity in Southern Society

Growing up in the south, the "Bible Belt" to be exact, it was not encouraged to be different and by the standards where I was, I am. I'm Jewish, fairly liberal, open-minded, not a supporter of the Confederacy, etc. But in order to have friends in high school, different aspects of my "identity" appeared at different times. You could say that impression management was a constant part of my life.

I attended a private Christian school where I was one of 3 Jews from grades 7-12, so religion was not a topic I would discuss with many people, though I did guest lecture in the religion classes every year. My religious identity was one that was well-hidden at school, especially when people were trying to convert me at least once a week.

Around certain friends I was able to truly be myself and talk about world events, gossip, fashion, or anything else that I am interested in. When I was with certain other people, I felt that I had to hide the fact that I am an intellectual, a major part of my own identity.

At home, I still hid various aspects of my identity. Since my father died in 2006, I have had to hide aspects of my identity that are attributed to him in order to not upset my mother. Other aspects that I didn't reveal to my mother included political identity (since she is conservative), true religious identity (she converted and I am much more religious than she is), and cultural identity (music, movies), though we do share a love of literature.

At college, I feel that my identity is still forming. It is true that your identity is influenced by the people around you- my mother has even commented on certain mannerisms of mine that have changed since arriving here. I am still deciding which aspects to reveal and which ones to keep hidden, though I feel that I am becoming much more comfortable with who I truly am.

Identity is influenced by those around you but also by yourself. You decide how you want to be perceived, though you cannot always control other people's perceptions. It is important to be conscious of who you want to be and think about how you are perceived by others. In high school, I was an outsider, a Jew who was not a fan of the South. Here, I feel that I am welcomed for who I actually am.