The Inbetweeners: Jordan's Struggle with Identity

By: Kabreya Ghaderi

October 25, 2013

Full disclosure: I have never been a fan of self-categorization, but that might be because I can never identify with anything. Persian by birth and American by residence, I often consider myself to be a cultural mutt lost somewhere in the in-between. After living in Amman for nearly a month and a half, I’ve come to realize that I’m not alone in this struggle. As culturally rich as it is, Jordan, too, grapples with its own identity. I strangely find this comforting.

Don’t get me wrong; you will definitely get a sense of what it means to be Jordanian here. Locals will say you haven’t experienced Jordan until you’ve had mansaf (a traditional Jordanian dish that, I might add, is amazing). People ran to the streets celebrating after Jordan beat Uzbekistan in the World Cup qualifier this past month. And even more interesting, the Jordanian royal family has really held the people of Jordan together, even amidst the craziness of the Arab Spring. People take pride in their monarchy as evidenced by the numerous photos of King Abdullah II that you will find here.

But national identity is still developing in Jordan. Sure, people can easily tell you what is Jordanian. Yet ask those same people who is a Jordanian and you’ll get a whole other story.

With a population of roughly 6.4 million people, Jordan is a melting pot in its own right. The wide range of nationalities that I have found in my stay in Jordan—from my Palestinian barista, to my Syrian grocer, to my Circassian language partner—only serves as a mere reminder of how diverse the region is. Jordan’s reputation as a politically stable nation has made it a prime destination for refugees in the region fleeing conflict. Since 1948, Palestinians have become a sizable part of Jordan’s population. Moreover, the US invasion of Iraq and the current Syrian civil war have led to massive inflows of Iraqi and Syrian refugees into the country.

While Jordan’s diversity has conveniently allowed a study-abroad student like me to explore other cultures within the region in one city, the changing population has put quite a strain on Jordan. Especially with the massive flow of Syrians into Jordan, there is more competition for limited resources such as housing, employment, and even for natural resources like water.

I’ll admit, in my personal life I haven’t quite felt much tension. In fact, the only real reminder I get of Jordan’s diversity is how often I hear the question "Where are you from?" in everyday conversation. The other day, for instance, I asked a barista at a coffee shop near the University of Jordan where he was from to which he responded that he considered himself Palestinian, despite the fact that he was born and raised in Amman. His response is quite common in Jordan.

Indeed, I find it fascinating how Jordan maintains its political stability as it still forges its own national identity. As an IR nerd these frequent experiences remind me just how delicate the Middle East has been and continues to be. As a cultural mutt, however, the duality of identity—both country of origin and country of residence—give me hope that there is something to be said about the in-between.

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