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Discuss cultural diversity
Example of cultural personal identity
Reflection on personal and cultural identity
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It can be difficult to blend in a family where their traditions are unfamiliar. Politics, changed my outlook to be a little more mindful of…. Coming to America, I have experienced many cultural changes as well as many different religious and social views. I was bought up in a Taoist family where we focused on how to find our individuality in natural. We would go to different temples to worship different Gods according to the lunar calendar. One Christmas, my best friend’s church was throwing an event that she wanted me to attend with her. Reluctantly, I agreed to go for support, however, did not have any expectations. Although it was against my belief to go to church, I gained more insight on another religion. I participated in the games and
Can you imagine yourself being apart of a group or lifestyle, now imagine yourself not fitting in. Maybe some people think you’re weird, but people just like you understand. Many suggest that it’s dangerous while others want to join. Whatever the reason may be you still consider yourself apart of society. As you grow older you realize that many people have different backgrounds and maybe even distinct behaviors. When people feel a deep need for love or respect, values and morals may be forgotten. It’s their customs, rituals, and beliefs that make up their own culture.
One day, my parents talked to my brothers and me about moving to United States. The idea upset me, and I started to think about my life in Mexico. Everything I knew—my friends, family, and school for the past twenty years—was going to change. My father left first to find a decent job, an apartment. It was a great idea because when we arrived to the United States, we didn’t have problems.
The tithe assessments were done in Dromore in 1834. There were four Michael McGuigans noted in four different townlands.
Stepping out of my first plane ride, I experience an epiphany of new culture, which seems to me as a whole new world. Buzzing around my ears are conversations in an unfamiliar language that intrigues me. It then struck me that after twenty hours of a seemingly perpetual plane ride that I finally arrived in The United States of America, a country full of new opportunities. It was this moment that I realized how diverse and big this world is. This is the story of my new life in America.
I come from a small family whose members include my immediate family. Like most Haitian-American living in my region, religion is a fundamental part of my upbringing. I was practically raised in a church and attended church three times a week as a child. Members of my church acted as parents to me and my sister and disciplined me with my mother consent. They played an active role in my upbringing and shaped my norms and taught me was considered appropriate and inappropriate. For example, I was taught to kiss adults and elders on the cheek when saying hello. I was told that I couldn’t address adults by their first name, and most importantly I was taught to always bite my tongue and always respect my
“You are in America, speak English.” As a young child hearing these words, it did not only confuse me but it also made me question my belonging in a foreign country. As a child I struggled with my self-image; Not being Hispanic enough because of my physical appearance and not being welcomed enough in the community I have tried so hard to integrate myself with. Being an immigrant with immigrant parents forces you to view life differently. It drives you to work harder or to change the status quo for the preconceived notion someone else created on a mass of people. Coming to America filled me with anxiety, excitement, and even an unexpected wave of fear.
Where I am from, coming to America is an unachievable dream for most people; however, that dream became attainable to me one summer. When my father told my family and me that we were moving to America, I was very excited and I thought about a lot of things. I thought about all of the opportunities there were in the U.S. and how rich everyone must be. I also thought that everyone in the U.S. lived in big houses, and every school had a swimming pool. Most of what I conceived about America came from watching television, and a month later I would find out how wrong I was.
Have you ever been put into a situation where everything is completely different? Situation where everything is different such as the weather, the people, the language, and the culture? I have. I recall the first time I got here in the land of free. It was a breezy afternoon in the middle of November. I was flabbergasted, speechless. My Asian eyes grew as if they were a size of quarters. My jaw dropped as if it was pulled by gravity. I was in awe. I didn’t know what to expect. I couldn’t seem to describe my exact emotions. However, I do remember being excited. I was so excited for a brand new life, new culture, and definitely for more opportunities that I am excited to grasp.
Sometime in 1978, my mother brings my sister and me to escape Viet Nam to Songkhla, Thailand. We arrived in San Antonio, Texas nine months later in July, 1979. It is here where I began my “American” education. It is this education system, and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) through the medium called “television”, which shred lights on me as I become conscious of what happened to my home country was not the fault of my own people. Regrettably, growing up in “America” as a foreign kid, barely speaking English, moving from town to town, and changing school annually is not straightforward. In a flash, the realization of what happen to my country vanished as it comes down to a mean of survival. I am on my own in this strange country and society, and I must do what I do to get through at the age of twelve. The recollections of my beautiful country, home, schools, and friends, appeared in the back of my mind from time to time, nevertheless I did not have time to reflect upon them. The questions of why we left our country and came to such a distance place called the “United State of America”, never get a “real” answer. Until now, July 9, 2011, I am attending history 21, conducts by Professor Toshio Whelchel. Thirty-two years later, I am asked to compose an essay for my midterm title: “Modern American History: From the Overthrow of Hawaii to the Philippines War”. The anxiety in my stomach agitates and my eyes begin to tears, not because it is the “midterm” paper, not because I forget how to write, not because lettering is my weakness…but the memories. April 30, 1975, the reverberation of bullets piercing through the night, the gloomy stench of smoldering dead bodies, as bombs rained down upon us, and guns fired upon innocent ci...
Humans thrive on socialization. What better way for them to try to fulfill this need than to attend an organized holiday event. Jefferson Pointe mall held a small free Easter event on April 19, the day before Easter Sunday. I imagined that I would be seeing an expression of religious activities in our society; however, after just a few minutes of witnessin...
One particular experience that has truly opened my eyes to a culture that is diverse would be when I attended a church of all African Americans. As the church was very local to mine, I expected things would be similar, however my assumption was wrong. When I got there everything seemed normal as others greeted and talked with one another as they found their seats. Once the music cued to start worship all normality that I knew vanished. At my church we stand, sing, sit down, and quietly listen. At this church during worship they shouted, sang loudly, danced, clapped, and moved around. At this point I was confused and surprised at the same time as to what to do. I would look around trying to decide do I join in or do I just stand by. Although this experience of a different culture I thoroughly enjoyed their passion and fun that they incorporated into worship.
I now realize that because I am an American and my country is a super power, that I do not have a right to think that my religion or culture is more important than anyone else’s. I must respect their beliefs just as they respect mine. I bet if you were to ask anyone from any culture what Christmas was, they would know automatically that it is a Christian holiday. And because of this I think that I should know what Hanukkah is, or who the Buddha was and what he represented.
I became a deacon at my church, and soon after I started to build a community culture with the people in my church who shared my beliefs and values. While not every person can agree on everything, having people with similar cultures get together to not only discuss religious beliefs, but discuss family and life is very helpful in growing as a person. They were there for me, and I learned so much from the people I created meaningful relationships and connections with. This made me so much stronger in my faith than I was before, and I felt that I could put my faith in a higher position in my life. During this time I had a son, and not long after another came along; thus, shifting the culture of my family a great deal. Raising my sons proved to be a different experience altogether than raising my daughter. While I still put my faith in God first and taught that to my children, my culture shifted to include more things for them, especially as they got older and became more involved. My life was no longer about me and my priorities, but my faith and my children above everything else. My personal culture was no longer important. It was all about my family culture and what pieces of my own culture I could incorporate to raise my children in the best way possible. The biggest part of my culture that I incorporated was my faith, as I said before. Another important aspect was my family values. I am a very family oriented
Growing up in a predominantly, rural area in Cecil County, Maryland. I naturally made friends with people who come from a different culture from my own. However, I find myself in a constant battle between two cultures, the culture of my parents and the society in which I have been brought up in. My friends have given me a taste of being and individual, and my parents have given me a culture that stresses collectivism. From a cultural standpoint, I identify myself as a Hindu- American.
In conclusion I believe that you definitely need to figure out what your beliefs our and what your traditions our in your life. Then you need to figure out which ones you truly belief in and which one’s society has influenced you into believing. If you don’t ever figure this out you can never become the person you can be and you will be limiting yourself and your potential. Traditions our very powerful and can shape almost every aspect of our life’s.