TCI Talks: A Third Culture Creative Explores Identity Across Borders

This Q&A is part of our TCI Talks series, where we interview third-culture individuals about how they navigate different spaces and cultures.

Paolo Leone is a Toronto-based brand strategist and creative collaborator, originally from Salvador, Brazil. His Afro‑Brazilian roots and passion for global travel give him a unique third‑culture perspective in work and in life.

What kind of Third Culture individual are you?

I was born and raised in Salvador, Brazil, in the northeastern state of Bahia. I moved to Canada in 1999 to pursue my postgraduate studies and have lived in Toronto since then.

How do you preserve traditional practices from your “home” cultures, while integrating practices from your travels?

Being a world traveller allows you to pick and blend values from different cultures, rather than inheriting a single, complete system. I’ve found that beneath cultural traditions are shared feelings, hopes and expectations. I look at traditions from around the world as parallel expressions of the ones I experienced and learned while growing up in Brazil.

How have you (or your family) passed on traditions to younger generations?

My mother is very religious, so most of my traditions came from her. In my experience, the best way for younger generations to embrace traditions is to allow them to experience them firsthand and form their own interpretations. Where it tends to fail is when traditions, particularly ones that are tied to religion, are passed along as an obligation, something you are forced to inherit. We are all different, so we should have the freedom to shape traditions in ways that feel most meaningful to us.

Can you describe a tradition that you feel connected to at this time of year?

Over 80 per cent of my hometown’s population identifies as Afro-Brazilian. Because of that, many of our traditions come from African cultures, including my favourite one: wearing white on Fridays in homage to Oxalá, one of the most revered spiritual deities, associated with peace, creation and calm clarity. That spirit carries into another beloved tradition across Brazil: wearing white to ring in the new year, in the hope that it will bring peace, renewal and good luck. The tradition is so deeply ingrained in me that, even when I’m not in Brazil for New Year’s Eve, I still wear white.

How has growing up across multiple cultures shaped what “home” or “heritage” means to you?

I feel at home in both Salvador and Toronto, but neither city [feels like the full picture of who I am]. And these cities could not be more different — from opposite weather to contrasting worldviews — which only intensifies that feeling. Maybe home isn’t in either city, but on a bridge that connects the two. Or maybe home is inside me, the only place where both cities and cultures coexist.

How do food, music, language, celebrations, or rituals play a role in keeping cultural memory alive for you?

I can’t think of a tradition that doesn’t involve food, music, language, celebration, or ritual. Because I don’t live where most of my traditions come from, I tend to lean into them, whether [on purpose or by chance], to reconnect with those [roots]. The past seems to whisper into the present — perhaps through a song, a scent, or a taste. It’s incredible how powerful the senses are in transporting you instantly. That kind of cultural trigger is something I not only welcome but also cherish.

In what ways have you or your community created new traditions — “hybrid” ones — drawing from multiple cultures?

One of the things I value most about living in a diverse, cosmopolitan city like Toronto is that it allows us the space and freedom to [keep our own traditions alive]. Just as importantly, we have the opportunity to take part in each other’s traditions. That participation makes them “hybrid” in a way. That is the essence of being multicultural and, in many ways, of being third culture.

Thinking ahead, what traditions do you hope to preserve or start in your life (or for your children)?

The older I get, in a world that feels increasingly overwhelming, the more I realize the importance of having family and true, high-quality friends in my life — and how little time I actually get to spend with most of them. I cherish friends who accept me as I am, who inspire me to be a better person, and who help make the world better. The traditions I hope to preserve or create are those that bring me closer to these friends – reminding me how lucky I am, and letting them know how grateful I am to have them in my life.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.