Cultural Aspects Of Cultural Identity

According to the Hay’s addressing model, my cultural identities as a Latina woman of low socioeconomic status makes me part of non-dominant groups. My identities set me apart from the majority population which means that; I am perceived inferior than those of dominant groups. My lineage constitutes of indigenous ancestors that like me, share a darker skin tone that till this day is seen imperfect.

Though it does not come up in everyday thought, cultural identity is an idea that all humans possess. Abridged, cultural identity can be simply explained as the sharing of a similar culture by people of various ethnicities. However, cultural identity is more complex than that, defined by an individual’s values, beliefs, and ideas of moral behavior influenced by their culture. Furthermore, cultural identity is ever changing from individual to individual. This means that although two individuals may be of the same ethnicity, differences in circumstances may cause variations between the individuals’ personal beliefs. As a result of interracial interactions, multiculturalism has grown during the twenty-first century.

There is a Mexican man that enters with the rest of his family. They eat beans, rice, flour tortillas and etc. The family does there every day routine, the dad wakes up at six- thirty to go to work in his truck. The children go to school and the mother stays at home. The things a person does in their all has a reason which goes all back to culture. Culture is what makes up everyone different from one another. Texts such as “What is Cultural Identity?”, “Where Worlds Collide” and “Two ways to Belong” supports that depending on one’s culture it effects one perspective on the world and others.

Cultural identity can be difficult for people to determine because it is often invisible until you are introduced to a culture different from your own. It also has numerous meanings to different people around the world. Your cultural identity does not necessarily mean your heritage or where your family comes from, it can mean what you believe in, what your values are or how you treat people. Therefore, it can even mean how you view the world. Just like many other young people, I have struggled with identifying my own cultural identity.

Cultural Identity is “The definition of groups or individuals (by themselves or others) in terms of cultural or subcultural categories (including ethnicity, nationality, language, religion, and gender)” (Oxford Reference). Everyone has cultural identity even though some are unaware of theirs because their habits and traditions might be seen as normal to the person and they might not make the connection that it is a cultural tradition or connected to their cultural identity. Some people are very aware of their cultural identity and have conflict within their identity because the cultures may not coincide. Frida Kahlo’s Self Portrait: On the Borderline Between Mexico and the United States and Pat Mora’s “Legal Alien” both show cultural conflict through symbolism, conflict, and purpose.

My cultural identity is best reflected by the people, the hobbies, and the values I cherish the most. I could go on and on about who I am, and what makes me who I am. In all honesty though, I haven’t quite figured it all out. I learn something new about myself everyday. I become more independant and confident everyday. I grow everyday. Your cultural identity cannot be heard or smelled, it cannot be seen or held. My cultural identity is a song, a home run, a high-five. My cultural identity is whatever I want it to be. My cultural identity is

The models of cultural identity share most of the same mutual characteristic but the experiences each individual endure in life will have the individual thinking about their belief. The cultural identity is the individuality or feeling of belonging. When thinking about a Native American understanding the racial and ethnic identity of an individual is important part of that individual. Racial and ethnic identity is a contribution to complete understanding the Native American. For some mainly noticeable and officially clear in minority populations in the United States, racial and ethnic identity are established in very sensible way.

"The way things are", for me, I do not know what that could be. Could it be the fact that I am African American and Japanese? Could maps help to represent my cultural identity because they help me to visualize where I want to go, where my family is, and places we 've been? Music, family and friends, robotics, and travel also describe my cultural identity. What are "The way things are" for me? What is my cultural identity; are the questions I have to answer.

My dad leans over my shoulder as I check off the bolded “YES” box on my physical form. As I approach the Race section, I feel him tense up next to me. Without hesitation, I check off the “Black and/or African-American” box. Baffled, he asks, “Why did you check that box off? We aren’t Black.” I stared at his alarmed face in amusement, studying the ebony skin that envelops his being. Releasing an all-too-familiar sigh, I raise my bronzed arm to his.

Ethnic identity much like racial identity is difficult to clearly discern and delineate. As a social construct, it is an umbrella term that mark a group affiliation to a common origin, culture, religion, or geography; it consists of shared traditions, behaviors, values and beliefs. (Waters, 1990) Outlining the elements and components of ethnic identity, Phinney and Ong (2007) stress its multidimensionality and dynamism, it encompasses several cultural, linguistic, behavioral features as well as being developmental and involving a shifting process. They consider self-categorization, commitment, and sense of attachment to the group as vital constituents of ethnic identity. They show that “the process of ethnic identity formation involves the construction over time of one’s sense of self as a group member and of one’s attitudes and understandings associated with group membership” (2007, p. 275) Exploration and commitment are the two head titles in the revised model to measure the formation of identity across different groups (MEIM-R, Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure). The model proposes a set of questions that capture the individual’s overall knowledge, understanding, engagement, sense of belonging and attachment to the social group.

In my opinion, culture plays an important role in one's identity. We can identify different aspects that make up our culture including music, ethnicity, geography, beliefs and much more. Culture to me is important because it's what makes you unique. For me coming from a Dominican household was a unique experience and has made me identify as an Afro-Latina. When I was young I didn’t know anything about my African roots my mother never talked to me about it. For me however when I was younger I never really in a sense worried about the color of my skin because my mother had closed off that part to me where I had to worry so much.

In chapter 6 I first learned about the 3 cultural identity from Julia who talked about it in her voice thread. She told us about nature identity and how it's like a sense of belonging to a culture. Julia mentions that this belonging can be felt when people learn about traditions, heritage, language, religion, and ancestry.

It is an interesting experience for me to face who I am when so much has happen within my life. Being a proud, 49-year-old, white man has not been easy. Everyone goes through hard times. However, I grew up in Port Orchard, WA with my family and friend – all of which were white. The early parts of my life occurred in a racially homogenous culture and impacted several aspects of my identity.

Being caught between two locations and their varying cultures has caused identity issues within myself and a lack of belonging when I’m in either place. It was from an early age that I realized I wasn’t like everyone else around me. Myers would call this “not being a part of the in-group”. The in-group in his opinion were the people who had something in common and anyone who doesn’t have that thing in common also is in the out-group. This separation is what divides us as a society and makes life difficult for people like me. Being included in certain groups can give someone the ability to be dominate and confident where people in the outgroup can’t. This division can also bring about stereotypes and conformity within the groups themselves. This central idea of “us” and “them” is something that everyone struggles with in some way no matter what they do, mine just happened to be geographical and cultural all wrapped into one.

Cultural identity is the basis in which identification is used to express different aspects pertaining to identity and heritage. A person's cultural identity may be created by social organization, as well as traditions and customs within their lives. The two aspects that construct my cultural identity are the frequent chores I must complete every day in order to fulfill my behavioral expectations, and the youth group I attend weekly. These aspects are important to my family and me. Therefore, my identity has an immeasurable effect on my upbringing into this multi-cultural world I live in.