Am I wrong for thinking that Pakistan has no culture? (Please Read Below)

[Squall Leonhart]

From the moment when I learned to communicate to the moment when I was in middle school I always thought Pakistan was a Middle Eastern country because of the heavy Islamic influence and "culture." I thought we were Arabs or Persians. Then when I got into high school I was informed eventually that Pakistan is not in the Middle East but in South Asia and has more in common with India than a Middle Eastern country. I guess this is actually where my interest in Anthropology brewed. Being misinformed all my life that I was a Middle Easterner just because I grew up in a Muslim household and have an Iranic forename. I began to then just be in a cultural split after being so shocked that all my life I was being told a lie. I guess it's also my parents' fault at the same time as well. They would always confuse me into thinking that we were different than our neighbor India but at the same time would always associate themselves with Indian. I am like, what are you? Indians or MENA? Seriously it confused the hell out of me. And abroad you have many Pakistanis thinking they are some kind of MENA ancestry but many Americans can't tell the difference anyways so it doesn't matter how they proclaim themselves since they're all brown people.

So what do I mean by no culture? I mean I guess you could say Northwest South Asian culture but for the most part 95% of all Pakistan's culture is foreign and there is nothing that rightfully belongs to it but rather it belongs to India. Pakistan to me is a false state and there is no sense of identity with the country.

[Hadouken]

lol

[Squall Leonhart]

lol

What is so funny? I am being serious. Go abroad and there's many Pakistanis pretending to be MENA and many Westerners don't blink a eye because they're all brown to them. I am sure you have seen them in Germany saying things like they are Turkish, Persian, Arab, etc.

The point is many of them have no self identity and should really just call themselves Indians instead since before 1947 it was all India.

[Egyptian]

then build your own culture.
simple.

[Hadouken]

What is so funny? I am being serious. Go abroad and there's many Pakistanis pretending to be MENA and many Westerners don't blink a eye because they're all brown to them. I am sure you have seen them in Germany saying things like they are Turkish, Persian, Arab, etc.

The point is many of them have no self identity and should really just call themselves Indians instead since before 1947 it was all India.

most people here where I live including Germans can easily tell the difference between Pakistanis and "MENA" . and there is no uniform Mena look or identity to begin with . but ok ...

and no I havent met Pakistanis who pretend to be something else either

[Squall Leonhart]

most people here where I live including Germans can easily tell the difference between Pakistanis and "MENA" . and there is no uniform Mena look or identity to begin with . but ok ...

and no I havent met Pakistanis who pretend to be something else either

It's perhaps just here in America since Americans can't tell the difference between brown people. But Pakistan is a confused state. Islam is the problem.

[Hadouken]

It's perhaps just here in America since Americans can't tell the difference between brown people. But Pakistan is a confused state. Islam is the problem.

aha ...so what do pakistanis get mistaken for in the us ?

if you say that many pakistanis pretent do be "mena" then it is just natural that people (especially people who dont know much about such stuff) will think that pakistanis ...are indeed mena . then the look that people associate with mena will be the pakistani look . makes sense no ?

so it is not that people cant tell the differences but that there is misconception . simple as that .

[Annie999]

For some reason I also thought Pakistan was a middle eastern country until I found out it wasn't

[Squall Leonhart]

aha ...so what do pakistanis get mistaken for in the us ?

if you say that many pakistanis pretent do be "mena" then it is just natural that people (especially people who dont know much about such stuff) will think that pakistanis ...are indeed mena . then the look that people associate with mena will be the pakistani look . makes sense no ?

so it is not that people cant tell the differences but that there is misconception . simple as that .

Hm... I guess any brown ethnicity from Mexican to Levantine to "Ay-rab." But many Americans are quite frankly ignorant. I guess where you live Europe it's easier to distinguish.

But you really never see Pakistanis pretending to be MENA? Dubai deported some Pakistanis three years back for pretending to be Arabs.

[Hadouken]

Hm... I guess any brown ethnicity from Mexican to Levantine to "Ay-rab." But many Americans are quite frankly ignorant. I guess where you live Europe it's more easy to distinguish.

the difference between Mexicans , Levantines and Pakistanis is quite easy to tell . it should even be easy for the average american . except for a drunk redneck who is almost passing out while he screams "took our jooobs" at you . which I wouldnt give much value on anyway

But you really never see Pakistanis pretending to be MENA? Dubai deported some Pakistanis three years back for pretending to be Arabs.

no . all Pakistani people I have met in my life so far said that they are Pakistani . and they also seemed proud about themselves . but those who I just see and dont know personally ...I dont know what they claim to people what they are

and no 99% of the pakistanis I have met/seen cant pass as Turkish , Iranian or whatever here . it is very easy to tell them apart . but I dont that there is diversity in pakistan