Cultural Identity And 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 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 made up of lots of things, but there are some main things that make me, me. The things that have made me who I am today has changed me and will still change me in the future. There are physical things about me that has made me what I look like and also things that I feel or think and beliefs that make me who I am.

"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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

“Children begin to develop a sense of identity as individuals and as members of groups from their earliest interactions with others (McAdoo, 1993; Sheets, 1999a)”(Trumbull and Pacheco 9). The very idea of being able to understand your own culture can better you as a person and give you an even deeper understanding of life. Such cultural things you should understand is your beliefs, the types of food you eat, what types of ethnicity they belong to, and even where you live. These four things can give you a deeper understanding of your own culture. Now a day cultures are mixed it is said that “Not all of these aspects need to be shared, however, for people to psychologically identify with a particular ethnic

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.