Cultural Identity Analysis

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.

Describe how identities (i.e., religious, gender, ethnic, racial, class, sexual orientation, disability, and/or age) are shaped by cultural and societal influences in contexts of equality and inequality

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 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.

Culture is universal and inescapable. Its expressed through different beliefs and ideas. It follows someone through their ethnicity and communities. The cultural impact is inevitable and permanent. Someone’s culture has a significant impact on the way they view the world and others. This influence is communicated through the individual's upbringing, their culture, as well as their current environment. Situations are perceived differently by those with different values. The fairly full extent of one’s cultural impact is clear.

Culture is a way of life of a group of people, the behaviors, beliefs, values, and symbols that they accept, generally without thinking about them, and that are passed along by communication and imitation from one generation to the next. Culture can be seen in our food, religion, family structure, and more. I was born and raised in Las Vegas, NV. My parents were born in Mexico. Well my whole family were born in Mexico. We are just any hispanic family. My cultural identity is pretty much the basic hispanic culture. We do everything that involves having fun and being with family.

Culture is something that can be defined in many different ways, including your values, beliefs, family, friends and even the music you listen to. All these aspects buildup to define who you are as a person. The way you grew up, who raised you, your goals, thoughts and ideas all contribute to who we are. My cultural identity is shaped by what is closest to me, my friends, family and music.

In terms of my cultural identity, I identify as an American Caucasian male who is also a college student who adheres to the Christian faith. Though I am a Christian, and I do my best to uphold the commandments and believe in God, I exert effort into not judging others and strive to accept others for what they identify as. I was raised in East Tennessee for 16 years, where, combined with my Christian faith, I was taught integrity and hospitality. As part of the integrity that was instilled in me by my family, church and teachers, I believe in telling the truth, even when the truth is hard to tell. For example, when I accidentally side-swiped a car in a grocery store parking lot, I left a note with my contact info even when I did not believe

As for cultural identity, as a dark-skinned woman, I have had the chance to take a soul-searching look at the effect of racism on the self-image of black woman's personally and physically appearance. Skin complexion is where healing is needed, choosing to take this occasion to heal; to no longer merely demonstrate resilience to the assaults and lies about Black women. However, cultural identity appears to have decided to counter our realities of violence and discrimination by envisioning the label of a black female in a community as a collective of unique agents working toward a shared goal of liberation instead of media’s perception.

This week in class, we discussed a myriad of topics that revolved around the concept of identity. The three we discussed as a group were Holland’s six personality types, gender identity/sexual orientation, and ethnic identity.

Who I am; my beliefs, values, morals, and views on diversity are shaped based upon my upbringing, the values within society, and the norms adopted by our culture. However, I can’t only thank these sources for whom I am; my own personal experiences and feelings have had a huge impact on my cultural views. My biases; I am aware of them (good), but they exist, and to some may seem bad. I want to take you on a journey inside my path to cultural identity.

Culture Identity is the things that describe who you are as a person. The food you eat, the clothes you wear, the music you listen to, the language you speak, and your age. The type of culture identity that I have is what I eat being that I’m from Louisiana, me being black influences the clothes that I wear, my age affects how I react to things and how I treat others. Being from Louisiana or the United States my language is English, the music that I listen to is also apart of my culture that really shows apart of me.

The purpose of this essay is to critically reflect on the new ideas I have learnt throughout this semester, ideas that has changed the way I understand the experiences of the Aboriginal and Torres strait islander people. The essay will also link my understanding of how cultural identity can influence health equity, using the CATSINaM’s definition of cultural safety.

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.

Culture is not something you’re born with, like blue eyes or black hair; culture is something you learn through communication (O 'Hair & Wiemann, pg.67, 2011). Culture also includes your continued way of thinking, feeling and behaving. Just as we learn culture through communication, we also use communication to express our culture (O 'Hair & Wiemann, pg.68, 2011). As a child I observed all of my mother’s behaviors. From observing my mother I quickly learned three things respect, independence and honesty. Many say I am very independent just as my mother is. Within cultures, there are co-cultures. Co-cultures are groups whose members share at least some of the general culture’s system of thought and behavior, but which have distinct characteristics or group attitudes that both unify them and distinguish them from the general culture. Some co-cultures are defined by interest, activities, opinions, or by membership in particular organizations (O 'Hair & Wiemann, pg.80, 2011).