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Cultural Differences In American Culture

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Language’s Disconnection Between Cultures and Individuals
Language can be defined as the recipe for human communication through verbal, and nonverbal techniques. Our use of language emerges from interactions between one another, giving uniqueness to the multitude of cultures that exist. Generations are detached from each other as the result of not only cultural differences, but through dialects, idioms, and slang. Simultaneously, language can be simple and complex, giving us a vast understanding of what separates us as cultures and individuals. The language we use creates a barrier between separate cultures and exposes our personal identity as demonstrated through Mother Tongue, Slang in America and The F Word.
The use of language can effortlessly …show more content…

Dumas initially starts with her family 's names, their meaning and how they were mocked once they moved to America. Your name defines who you are, and gives you a sense of pride for who you are. But when even your name is made fun of you feel disconnected from yourself, and the new culture you are entering. “All of us immigrants knew that moving to America would be fraught with challenges, but none of us thought that our names would be such an obstacle,” (Dumas). She describes the difficulties they knew they would face in the cultural differences between Iran and America, but was distraught from the contrast in language in America and how it separates their cultures. Dumas’ name eventually got in the when she attempted to gain a job. Even after graduating with honors from UC-Berkeley, she was constantly rejected for three months straight. She retained the idea of using her Americanized name, “I added ‘Julie’ to my resume. Call it coincidence, but the job offers started coming in,” (Dumas). This demonstrates the language differences between Iran and American cultures that help detach the cultures ever more so. Names are personal to you, and define who you are as an individual, but even our names are based on the language of our

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Immigrants, since the mass immigration in the 19th century, have been changing their names to sound more American. Firoozeh Dumas’s excerpt “The ‘F Word’” was taken from Funny in Farsi: A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America, published in 2003. Dumas tells the audience what growing up with an Iranian name feels like. She came to America knowing that challenges would arise, but what she did not know was how someone could change your name into a complete insult.

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Dumas Family Meanings

191 Words | 1 Pages

Despite the fact that a few of the names of Dumas ' family members and friends may be perceived as a bit humorous in English, the primary reason of contrasting the names in Farsi opposed to the English interpretations is to show the distinction between divergent names and cultures. The comparison demonstrates an example of how a name can have a beautiful meaning in one culture, yet can be marred and mocked in other cultures solely because of the pronunciation. Additionally, the comparison gives insight into a miniscule portion of the ridicule received by immigrants based off of their name or culture. This ridicule faced by immigrants, in my opinion, seems extremely offensive to not only the individual confronted with mockery, but to the individual

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Cultural Disparities In The United States

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Eyes By Ali Eckerman Essay

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Even when the speaker attempts to express their cultural identity in a language that is not their own, there can still be a disconnect in understanding. This reinforces the idea that language is a powerful tool for expressing cultural identity, but it can also create barriers when used to communicate across cultural divides. Overall, "Eyes" illustrates the importance of language in shaping cultural identity, and the complexities that arise when language is used to communicate across

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“I was lucky to have come to America years before the political upheaval in Iran”(Dumas, 89). These are the words Dumas started with, and as you can see, a very big political upheaval occurred. This upheaval was called the Iranian revolution, and it affected all the immigrants who came from Iran. Luckily Dumas didn’t have to experience America after the Iranian Revolution. The quote “We remember the kindness more than ever, knowing that our relatives who immigrated to this country after the Iranian Revolution did not encounter the same Americans”(Dumas, 92).

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Firoozeh Dumas writes her article with the intention of getting her point across without an aggressive approach. Being humorous, she begins her article with examples of distasteful names that are used to replace foreigner’s hard to pronounce names. Dumas states, “My cousin’s name, Farbod, means “Greatness”. When he moved to America, all the kids called him ‘Farthead’” (Dumas 605).

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Always Living In Spanish By Marjorie Agosin Analysis

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Throughout generations cultural traditions have been passed down, alongside these traditions came language. The language of ancestors, which soon began to be molded by the tongue of newer generations, was inherited. Though language is an everlasting changing part of the world, it is a representation of one’s identity, not only in a cultural way but from an environmental standpoint as well. One’s identity is revealed through language from an environmental point of view because the world that one is surrounded with can cause them to have their own definitions of words, an accent, etc. With newer generations, comes newer forms of languages.

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In my eyes, American culture is like a salad bowl. People from all different places, with all different backgrounds, came together to make America unique and diverse. Some aspects that make up American culture include our food, our art, our ways of life, and our national holidays. For example, holidays such as the 4th of July, Memorial Day, Thanksgiving and Veterans Day are only celebrated in this country. All cultures have the same basic needs of food, water, shelter and good health, but all cultures tend to have different values.

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