It does, however, confound the assumptions of those who insist on seeing identity in essentialist terms, either ethno-nationally or racially. My parents were English speaking white South Africans. I lived in South Africa for a while as an adult but migrated to Australia in the 1980s to prevent my son being conscripted by the South African government to fight for apartheid in the townships. Dr Meg PerkinsHastings Point, New South WalesHugh Muir’s article struck a strange chord with me. Yet I was born in Zambia, have lived in Africa, Europe, North America and Asia, and hold British, Canadian and Swiss citizenship.

Source: The Guardian January 08, 2026 17:48 UTC