I was born to two indigenous parents of Southern California. My mother is Cahuilla and my father is Luiseno. I was surrounded by the Cahuilla culture my whole life. Although I grew up surrounded by the Cahuilla culture I don’t know a lot about the culture like I should. There have been opportunities to learn more about the Cahuilla culture, however, I neglected those opportunities. I would avoid participating in cultural games, cultural classes, and cultural celebrations. I would try so hard to hide my ethnicity and culture from people because I was too worried about what people would think because of stereotypes. I wanted to avoid the awkward conversations of people assuming indigenous people have loads money, we don't have to pay taxes, we …show more content…
My family and I went to eat lunch at the local community center where everyone from the funeral would also be eating. My mother, my brother, and I sat at a table of five. Since there were two extra seats, Tina and her daughter Faith sat with us. Tina is a tribal elder who is very cultural and fluent in the Cahuilla language. When Tina sat at the table with us she had mentioned that someone was talking Cahuilla with her and that she was so surprised and happy because it is so rare to find anyone who still knows the language. When she stated that, I felt the rush of conviction, again, that I have been trying hide from my whole life. I felt like hiding under a rock because Tina has had a free local Cahuilla language class for many years that I would attend inconsistently, and I never paid attention when I was there. I felt ashamed that I had the honor to learn from a tribal elder and I just ignored it. I always try to ignore people when they mention how I need to be involved in the Cahuilla culture so that I do not feel guilty; however, this day my family and I were mourning over a family elder so by hearing these words of how my culture is dying and I'm a part of the reason made my conviction feel like alcohol being poured over a
The Cahuilla were a Native Southern Californian tribe that occupied the Riverside County, Higher Palomar Mountain Region and East Colorado Desert. The tribe was divided into two groups or moieties know as Wildcats or Coyotes. The Cahuilla lived in small clans that varied in population, and together all the separate clans made up a larger political group called a sib ”http://www.aguacaliente.org/content/History%20&%20Culture/.” The tribe was at first considered to be very simple and savage because they were never interacted with. As the Europeans and Spanish Missionaries considered the desert an inhospitable place that was better to avoid because of its lack of food resources. Little did those European and Spanish missionaries know that the land was ripe with food, only if you knew the land and the seasons. The Cahuilla were a very interesting tribe that cared and loved their land and in return the land would provide them with an abundance of food and resources. The Cahuilla had a very simple yet intricate life that involved a seasonal migration in order to gain access to different foods. They relied on different ways of acquiring food which involved both hunting and gathering.
American culture was initially shaped by many European races and cultures coming together through shared ideals and values which has attributed to our diversity. However, other races did not always have a choice; Native American Indians were forced to assimilate or be segregated and many today live separate on reservations. Our text, “Pathways: Writing scenarios” suggests to improve the reading experience it is important to connect it to your own personal experiences (McWhorter, 2010 p 40). My perspective stems from my heritage; which is Irish, Apache and Cherokee; my family chose to settle in Texas rather than face forced conefinement on a reservation. My family has finally incorporated a blend of all these different cultural traditions and customs. This was not an easy transition nor did it happen overnight; it has taken many generations for my family to embrace all the discordant cultures into a harmonious environment. My grandmother denied her Indian heritage for many years; her coloring was Irish-red hair and alabaster...
My cultural identity, is Haitian American. My parents come from a country of beautiful landscape and valleys of the hidden treasures of knowledge, diverse people, and rustic towns. My parents walked up steep plateaus for water, laid in grassy plains for peace, and dive into the sea for cooling in Haiti’s humid heat. Although, I come from a culture of deep history, the first country to gain independence in the result of a successful slave rebellion, my parents knew the plague of suffering Haiti’s battle with will not recover through the poverty, unemployment, and illiteracy. As Haiti fought through its demons, my parents fought to provide plentiful opportunity for their family and immigrated to the United States of America.
The United States is the largest immigrant receiving country in the world. A number of people with different cultures are moving to the United States every day. Therefore, American culture is a diverse mix of customs and traditions from almost every region of the world. However, any culture with the value of the traditions and beliefs can be greatly weakened when introduced to a new and overpowering culture. It happens quite frequently to families that move to a new city or country with different lifestyles. As a result, the children of these families grow up to not care as much about their original culture 's traditions as the older generations do. As we know, Native Americans, who are indigenous peoples of the United States, account for less
As we trudged over broken boulders and through towering oak trees, I began to feel hopeless. This was my one chance to prove my capabilities as a leader on the trail, and I was failing miserably.
I was born in Mexico and raised in beautiful San Diego since the age of four. Coming to the United States at a very young age I had to face many challenges that have shaped me to the person that I am today. I consider myself a Chicana woman who has overcome the obstacles to get were I am know. Being raised in a Mexcian household has thought me to embrace my culture and its roots. The Spanish and native blood that is with in me remind me of many Americans today. The reason I consider my self Chicana is because of the similar background that I shared with many Americans today. Living in the U.S. I have learned to adapt and embraced the American culture so much so that it came a point of life were I struggled to find my own identity. Taking
What is culture? Culture is the idea of what is wrong or right, the concept of what is acceptable within our society. Culture serves us as a guide, taking us to the "right way" and helping us to make sense of things that surrounds us. There are many different cultures around the world. A lot of them are similar in specific ways and others are just completely different, this difference explains why we think that people from different backgrounds are "weird".
Our world is made up of many diverse cultures. These cultures have influenced many aspects of this world that we live in today. Understanding and developing knowledge about these cultures is vitally important. Having the ability to understand other cultures will allow you to look deeper into your own cultural values.
From then on I started to take up navajo class in high school so I could better understand my religion and perhaps speak it a little more often instead of a few words. Up to the end of the class I mostly just learned the history and what we do was what we did to survive and the way of life, I would guess most of it would be sacred. I learned what I could but I felt as if I was only going to recognize my culture. For that I always wonder if I should’ve been born as a navajo like my family that live here, instead of being taught english and being treated like any other
When comparing Charles Tatum’s and Gloria Anzaldúa’s narrations of Chicano discriminated history, they both have viewpoints that are essential for the audience to know and possess different viewpoints that need to be understood. Tatum narrates Chicanos inequities in his viewpoint in 3rd person while Anzaldúa experienced the cruel treatment in first person point of view. After analyzing both texts, I found some important topics that need to be shared with the audience and why it’s currently not taught in U.S. schools as history.
As a result of leaving Mexico when I was a young child, I did not experience the Mexican culture to the fullest or became well versed in its
From the day I was born, I have grown up in two opposing worlds. One world is with my father’s side of my family; the other is my mother’s Hispanic side. I have gained a multitude of different experiences from spending time with each side. Although my ethnicity may not be prominent in my daily life, I have acquired the ability to view the world from multiple perspectives because of the experiences I have faced.
Food is one of human beings favorite addiction. From the arepas, to arroz con coco (coconut rice) there are many different platters from my cultural background. Being Colombian and eating Colombian almost every day brings me closer to these aspects from my culture. The way I feel connected to my Colombian culture is through its food. Many of the meals that I have eaten in my life come from my Colombian culture. Whether I’m home, at my aunt’s house or a family party something that is being made connects me back to my food roots.
In the midst of a United Nations Association club end of the semester party, I received perhaps the worst news of my life. I was talking to my friends when I looked down at my phone to see a news alert from The Washington Post which said, “Over 50,000 Hondurans who were allowed to live and work in U.S. since 1999 must leave, according to DHS memos.” My mother happens to be one of the 50,000 Hondurans. The news shattered my heart and left me feeling overwhelmed with emotions. I abruptly left the party and ran to my campus’ honors lounge, the only place I truly feel free of judgment. I cried once I was inside, completely disregarding the fact that someone else was already in there and could witness my vulnerable state. I started to think about
Over the years I have been asked numerous times to talk about myself, my culture, and how the latter has influenced my life. After countless papers of these sorts, one might think they would become easier to write, but they do not. However, this time, I feel better prepared to tackle this task per the discussions we have had during our first two class meetings. I always assumed that culture was based on one’s ethnicity, racial background, and the traditions associated with them. Now I realize that there is more to what makes up culture than I believed. With that knowledge, I know I am better able to talk about my own culture and how it has influenced my personal growth.