African Diaspora Identity : History, Race, Culture, And Language

Blacks and Latinos in America      Through our readings of the Mexicans in the U.S. and the African-American experience modules, we begin to understand the formation of identity through the hardships minorities faced from discrimination. In this paper, I am going to compare and contrast the ideas of identity shown through the readings. These two modules exemplify the theme of identity. We see how Blacks and Latinos tried to find their identity both personally and as a culture through the forced lifestyles they had to live.

No diasporic community manifests all of these characteristics or shares with the same intensity an identity with its scattered ancestral kin. In many respects, diasporas are not actual but imaginary and symbolic communities and political constructs; it is we who often call them into being.” (Palmer)

African vs. African-American Experiences and Relations in Determining the Binding Factor between the Two Groups of People Introduction: Marcus Garvey, a ‘proponent of Black Nationalism and Pan-Africanism movements” (), once stated that “a people without knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.” (Good Reads Quotes)

The main purpose of this paper is to explore how these second generation of African immigrants have managed to maintain themselves amidst their cultural duality. There is a recognition, thus an understanding that many of this second generation of immigrants go through that phase in their life where they try to understand and make sense of who they truly are and where they really belong. Some find closure in their natal culture while others find comfort in the idea of being solely Canadian, while for some, they are left in a loop, not being able to clearly identify who they really are.

Much of my life has pertained to being an outsider. I immigrated to America from detrimental circumstances in Haiti, therefore I was always viewed as foreign. If my accent did not reveal my identity, then my Caribbean island boy demeanor or way of dress surely would. At a young age, I gained interest in African history because as a citizen of a developing black nation, I had experienced their economic struggles, encountered similar social discriminations, and inherited comparable cultural values. Today, my academic aspirations focus primarily on the history of the African Arab States and understanding the complex events and leaders which have shaped this ever-changing region. As seen by the European refugee crisis, what happens here influences the political discourse of the world.

In 1854, record crowds gathered at Yale to witness the graduation of Yung Wing, the first Chinese student to graduate from a North American university. Paradoxically, Yung Wing’s achievement won him recognition only for his role as a pioneering student and sacrificed from the general discourse his lifelong role within

Diaspora Studies is the study of the experiences blacks had when they were spreaded throughout the world from the continent of Africa. African Diaspora is the term regularly used to depict the mass scattering of people groups from Africa amid the Transatlantic Slave Trades, from the 1500s to the 1800s.This Diaspora took a huge number of individuals from Western and Central Africa to various areas all through the Americas and the Caribbean.

Resilience in the Face of Adversity Cultural identity is fluid and is developed through multidimensional aspects of one’s lived experiences, socially constructed ideals and perceptions of self. The African culture, similar to the Hawaiian culture is embedded and passed down through the creative arts. Thus, one identifies aspects of themselves through music, dance and other expressive

Helping People Help Themselves Privilege Analysis Wreh, Tutu University of Pittsburgh Introduction What makes us “unique”? That, my friend, would be experiences. There is no better method to get to know a person than exploring,

The term identity is defined by Webster’s dictionary as being “the state or fact of remaining the same one or ones, as under varying aspects or conditions” however in exploring the concept of Identity in black literature, we can find no definite explanation or definition. We can try to accept that it has been rooted in social situations that are generally more discriminatory, such the institution of slavery. In some way shape or form, the average or normal African American is confronted with the question of where do I fit in amongst the white society? The problem with African American Identity has many dimensions, such as community, class, and color.

The African American community has sat at the end of a discriminatory lens from the moment they set foot in the United States. For that reason, black communities have undergone the process of community building to ensure that all members feel a sense of belonging.

Cultural Identity: Thoughts and Ideas of Cultural Identity Cultural identity refers to identification with, or sense of belonging to, a particular group based on various cultural categories, including nationality, ethnicity, race, gender, and religion (2014). These identities are gained through ones own experiences. The study of cultural identities offers rich understandings for both oneself and others. In the world one lives in today, it has one becoming increasingly diverse; the study of cultural identities will continue to gain traction within the communication discipline and beyond (2016).

When I think of the word “cultural identity”, I think of myself, and what makes up who I am as a person. My cultural identity influences everything about me, from the moment I wake up, to the minute I rest my head on my pillow at night. My culture influences the way I eat, speak, worship, and interact with people. However, I am not only affected by my own culture, but others’ culture as well. I am fortunate to have an extremely rich heritage, and I couldn’t be prouder of my cultural identity.

Jews are the oldest diaspora who had no “homeland” for two millennia (Safran 2005). Despite attempts made by Christian evangelists to end the Jewish diaspora, they survived and developed a new relationship with the homeland. Historically, there has been historical meaning of diaspora for Jews- they were exiled because they were powerless, insecure and minority groups. The Jews diaspora who carried on its culture, maintained its ethnic or religious institution in America (hostland) are unwilling to surrender their identities and uphold a transpolitical relationship to the homeland or countries of origin (Safran 2005).

The question of identity is always a difficult one for those living in a culture or group, yet belonging to another. This difficulty frequently remains in the mind of most immigrants, especially the second generations who were born in a country other than their parents. Younger generations feel as if they are forced to change to fit the social standards despite previous culture or group. Furthermore those who wish to adopt a new identity of a group or culture haven't yet been fully accepted by original members due to their former identity.