Personal Identity: A Part Of My Cultural Identity

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What is cultural identity? Many people may ask. Cultural identity is the identity or feeling of belonging to a group. It is part of a person's self-conception and self-perception and is related to nationality, ethnicity, religion, social class, generation, locality or any kind of social group that has its own distinct culture. However, although one can be categorized in one cultural identity, everyone has their own independent cultural identity shaped by different things. So no one can have the exact same cultural identity. This topic made me question myself about my own cultural identity. I had to think about what made me who I am today, and what is important to me. I feel that my cultural identity was shaped by the places I grew

There are many American and Japanese traditions I practice other than eating traditional meals. Something that I do that most traditional Japanese will not do is to celebrate holidays such as, Easter, 4th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, etc. On the other hand, something that most Americans will not celebrate or practice that I practiced is Shichigosan. Shichi-Go-San (七五三 ) is a traditional rite of passage and festival day in Japan for three- and seven-year-old girls and three- and five-year-old boys, held annually on November 15 to celebrate the growth and well-being of young children. I vividly remember celebrating this as a seven year old. I was taken to a salon to get my hair done to look like a traditional Japanese women, and put a kimono on. I remember being taken to a local famous temple, which was surrounded by all of the other children celebrating Schichigosan, to pray. I appreciate the experiences benefits I received as a child, because I was able to celebrate both cultures. This allowed me to see both aspects of my cultures. Growing up practicing both cultural traditions was a big part of shaping and creating who I am

Majority of my cultural identity was influenced by my Japanese ethnicity and a little of my American ethnicity. Because of this, where I grew up,the food I eat, the traditions I practice, the education I have, and the languages I speak, and the characteristics I resemble are different from others. Although I struggled with finding my belonging into a specific place, I am very proud of my cultural identity. Rather than feeling a sense of belonging to one place, I learned to accept and embrace the fact that I can have a home anywhere I feel a belonging to, and not tie myself down with one. I believe that this and my cultural identity brought me to many opportunities and will continue to do so. In conclusion, my cultural identity was shaped by many things, and I am very proud to embrace it and keep my culture