Identity

Welcome to the fourth edition of the Transponder Magazine. In this issue, we delve into the complex topic of individual and collective identity. In an era of widespread digital and cultural transformation, division, and societal change, what makes us who we are? What brings us together and what separates us?

Through this collection of essays and analysis, we explore the diversity and breadth of identity on both sides of the Atlantic, revealing themes of citizenship, belonging, personhood, heritage, and online persona. Identity — our individual notion of self or our collective sense of community and connection — is molded and shaped by our experiences, beliefs, and cultural and historical context. How we act online, who we vote for, what we believe, and who we love all contribute to our sense of self, society, and wholeness.

In the following pages, you will find a series of thought-provoking stories and profiles that approach these facets in unique ways, uncovering new dimensions of the intricate tapestry of transatlantic identity. I hope that these articles inspire deep reflection and new understandings about the multeity of human identity. And, in the process, I hope that you learn something about yourself as well.

Rylie Munn Editor-in-Chief

Where Online Meets Offline

There and Back Again

30

Turning the Key to Maltese Identity

34 On the Fringe

The 13.6 million French citizens who chose not to vote

38 (N)ostalgia

The two sides of German unity

42 Europe once stretched

into Algeria

48 Is the Melting Pot Boiling Over?

Reflections on immigration and American identity

56 INTERVIEW

José Luis Loera

Shifting Identities: From Victims to Changemakers