Where do I fit in?

Have you ever asked yourself 'where do I fit in'? It's a question that I've asked myself often since my early teens. Since my surroundings experienced an expansion to include people from all over the world. Somewhat of a melting pot. I shared classes, benches, dressing rooms with Nigerians, Jamaicans, Middle Eastern Indians, Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Panamanians, Bajans, Haitians, Germans - I was surrounded by people that weren't from where I was from. Lately, I've been reflecting on that time in my life that extended into my time as an undegrad at The Florida State Universit (FSU). By that time, I was no longer shocked, but wondering what was my story. I am taking a class on Afropolitanism, now in my 4th semester of grad school, and it's got me thinking and questioning again. Where do I fit in? In reading Taiye Selasi's essay - "Bye-Bye Babar" - the term "afropolitan" is "the newest generation of African emigrants, coming soon or collected already at a law firm/chem lab/jazz lounge near you. You’ll know us by our funny blend of London fashion, New York jargon, African ethics, and academic successes". They are of mixed backgrounds living or have lived in different countries including the United States. Am I just a black person in America? Am I American? Is that what I'm supposed to go by? Should I travel so that I can become a "citizen of the world"? How far back does my background reach? I'm probably not the only Black American that thinks like this - thinking of my place in this country (USA). It's probably funny that I even think of these questions, but when you question your own identity, it's a big deal. I know where I come from and there is a certain specialness about what I am made of even though I cannot tell you what African country my family sprang from. I can tell you that after some research, there are roots in the Bahamas and from the Geechie nation on the Atlantic coast. The cost of not knowing or accepting who I am [read: who we are] can be damaging - I didn't get to that point. However, my class has made me more interested, liberated, excited (for learning), and thankful - I am not the only one. Selasi's afropolitan is worthy of accolades, not the criticisms I've read, but all of them (good or bad) helped to make a mainstay. So where do we fit in? The answer: whereever we are with whomever we're with and whoever we are.