Throughout my day to day life, my cultural identity shifts between two nationalities: American and Peruvian. Because of the melting pot that New York City is, it is extremely common and normal to come across a person that shifts between cultural identities. Just as I ride the train to school, I hear people speaking in Spanglish and enjoying shows on their phone in their native language. As far as I know, I subconsciously shift between my cultural idenities based on where I am and who I am speaking to. As I wake up in my apartment, I hear reggaeton playing in the apartment above me and my grandmother in the hallway complaining in Spanish about rowdy people. I walk towards the train station in the morning and I say good morning to
As a person goes through life he or she may wonder “Who am I?” and “What is my purpose?” The objective of this paper is to allow me to reflect and critically analyze who I am as a person. In this paper, I will discuss my social location and identity, my life experiences and my privileges and disadvantages.
For my first diversity event I decided to attend the 43rd annual Mankato wacipi (Powwow). I chose this event because I attended some like it when I was younger. I always have admired Native Americans and their deep connection with their spirituality. I remember in fifth grade my elementary school hosted a Powwow that my mother and I attended. This was the first time I have ever been exposed to the Native American culture and the memory has stuck with me till now.
In the past I have struggled with my biracial identity. As a child I was confused about which community I belonged in because I am a mix of Navajo and Caucasian. As I got older, I began to question myself and who I was. I felt like I did not belong to either the Native or Caucasian community because in both groups I felt like someone else. I felt as if I had to live two lives that were completely separated.
The author Pat Mora shows this within her character with the use of juxtaposition in her poem for example: "Paneled office drafting memos in smooth English able to order in fluent Spanish" (Mora line 4-5). The character sees themselves being able to oscillate between their different languages using it to their advantage in their social life or everyday work. Another example would be is the character being viewed as "an American to Mexicans a Mexican to Americans" (Mora line 14-15). The character is Mexican-American and chooses to identify with their bicultural life. Other people only see them as one or the other, which causes the character to not feel as if they can identify with either of their cultures.
Throughout my life I have come from and created a few identities for myself. Perhaps, the most dominant identities that have been apart of my life are being an athlete and being a family orientated man. In this paper I will write about how my identities have shaped my life. First off I believe my biggest identity is being an athlete.
I have blond hair and pale skin. On the color wheel, my father is a rich mocha, my sister is a warm copper, and my mother is a perfectly tanned caramel; I am somewhere between cream and eggshell on the opposite end of the spectrum. Being stereotypically white can be difficult when you’re African American. The beginning of high school was when I first began to feel that my fair complexion hid my true identity.
Everyday I walk into my English class is the moment I experience an identity crisis. As I approach the entrance to the class, I already detected the dichotomy in the room. On the right side lies the Caucasian students, and on the left, resides the International Chinese students. As the only Asian American in the class, I struggle to select the correct side. Being an Asian American can be conflicting sometimes; especially when you 're born in a predominately Caucasian town, but raised in a stereotypical Asian family.
The background of my cultural identity I am an African American female but that isn’t all there is to know me for. I am an African American girl who is very interactive with my religion and also my culture. Cultural identity can be hard to explain because some people don’t know what’s really in their culture and they fail to see , and understand it. I know what my cultural identity is because of my ethiopian flag, the baked macaroni, and the movie the lion king.
Growing up in America as a Chinese immigrant, I was puzzled about my identity for quite some time. Was I Chinese, Chinese American, or a Chinese in America? Never had I thought the arrangements between two or three words can be so controversial and disconcert. My life was an empty canvas, depressed and uncommitted. It was tough to not have the same type of name as most of my peers, it was tough to learn English, and it was tough to live with an absence of a true identity.
The world is filled with people, and like snowflakes, each person is not the same as another. Each person identifies with different aspects of their lives to create their own personal identities. I personally identify with my Italian side of my family to help form who I am today. I have found myself connecting with this side more so than the other parts of my identity. It affects how I live my life by becoming the center to the culture surrounding me.
What is my cultural identity? My way of live describes my cultural identity because of the music I listen to. The sports that I play and watch with my family. Also the ways stuff is celebrated and the way that interpret stuff as a christian. My cultural identity is represented by playing the trombone, playing football, and by preparing the christmas tree.
Our ancestors and the generations that came before us have left behind their cultural values and traditions that are being passed on to their future generations. Many people tightly hold onto their cultural identities and values, by using them as a guide to get through life, while some do not. However, the cultural identity is something that one can not get rid of, even if he/she wants to. It is what connects us to our homelands and to our ancestors, and their cultural beliefs and values, that have been passed on to their generations, who have either held on to them or let them go. It is very important that we know who these people were, because they contribute a lot to who we are today, and our cultural identities.
I suppose when i used to think of cultural identity, i perceive it as what racial background we come from, what race we are. Whether it’s Mexican, Asian, French, etc… I assumed it meant what special foods we eat, and events or activities we participate in according to our background. Little did i know this is a misconception; quite a common one actually. Cultural identity is actually how you live your life and how you express yourself, the things you enjoy that make you, you. I am someone who enjoys many things, ranging from A-Z.
I was born in Mexico, but I came to the United States at the age of eight months. Besides being born there, I had never gone to Mexico in my life. So the one time I did go at the age of 16, one thing that really surprised me was how young kids were out on the streets asking for money, and selling stuff as well. Every time we got on a bus kids would jump in, and start trying to sell you candy, toys, whatever they could carry. I also saw kids that looked as young as 4 or 5 on the corner asking for money.
From an old brick building with many pleasant memories, to an uncertain apartment that was entirely unknown, my mom and I moved, she forced me to attend my new school. On the very first day, some kids started to make “jokes” of my speech. I tried to ignore them, but it was difficult since they kept going; it was like an endless nightmare that was impossible to wake up from. Nevertheless, I still survived. When the year was over my mom got a promotion, so a different school again, it just happened again, but they made it all about my look, but with each insult, slowly but surely they stole something, my voice.