Cultural Identity Essay

Imagine a life without writing, and without art; it’s pretty grim isn’t it? Without these essential cultural components, life would be a sad place to live in, because no other cultural aspect would survive. The most essential cultural elements are Art and Literature, because art and literature lead into the other cultural aspects.

My cultural ancestry comes from a Cuban and Mexican decent. I have chosen to write about my Cuban side because I can relate to them more than I could with my Mexican side. I was raised around my Cuban family and would occasionally see my Mexican side due to them living so far away. I have spent a lot more time associating with Cubans and have adapted to more of their habits.

The rest of the chapter talks about the similarity of minstrel images in 1990s hip-hop, as evidenced by the defining characteristics of greed, violence, hyper sexuality and pathos in “gangsta rap” (a sub-genre of hip-hop further defined in chapter two). Ogbar balances this landscape with challenges to what he calls “neo-minstrelsy” from both inside and outside the hip-hop community, including discussions of the Spike Lee movie, Bamboozled, underground conscious hip-hop groups such as The Roots and Little Brother, and the activist “Stop Coonin’ Movement”, to name a few. Throughout the book, Ogbar explains how rappers strive for authenticity by “keepin’ it real”. And that is defined by how they rap, walk, talk, and make their

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.

Historical events distinguish the change in the behavior and identity of a society. The United States is no exemption from this idea, as the events throughout American history has shaped the behavior and values of the American identity. Since the formal independence from Britain in 1783, to the compromise that ended Reconstruction in 1877, American identity has changed drastically through shifts in the American understanding of politics, ideology, economics, culture, and society.

In my life I experienced many things and the most important thing that I learn is that life is like a box of chocolate . I say that life is like a box of chocolate like Forrest Gump said because, you never know what’s planned for you next. You don’t know if you're going to get a good outcome, or a bad outcome because it’s different flavors in chocolate. My freshman year of highschool I was lacking not doing my work and just slacking but, now I regret it because freshman year is the most important year of your high school years . In these 17 years of my life, it been has been like a box of chocolate I never knew what was going to be the outcome of me making the the decision I made my freshman year. If I would’ve did better my freshman year it wouldn’t be so hard how it was my 10th grade year.

What is my cultural identity? Personally, I don’t think I am completely assured on what my cultural identity is, but I can do my best on explaining it. However, I won’t get started on that yet, first I’ll explain the occasion of me learning about my identity. At almost the beginning of the year, it was announced in our English class that we would be doing an essay on our cultural identities. When my teacher announced this I thought to myself, “What in the world is a cultural identity, or even my cultural identity?” In these months, we have gotten to learn the definition of culture, and what it means to us, individually., I believe that culture means a group of people that share the same customs, way of life, and beliefs. Also, over these last couple of months we have been reading texts all about people knowing and understanding their cultural identities, meanwhile I still didn’t understand my own. All I know is that I was born on February 11, 2002, I like movies and music, and my mom is from Chile and my Dad is from Virginia. Now that didn’t feel like enough for me to write on, but then I started thinking about all of the cultural differences that my parents have had raising me as a person, and how those have all combined to make me. In my short 15 years of life, the culture clashes have sometimes affected me on my thoughts and opinions, which I’ll talk about later on. As well as how movies and music have affected my perspectives and opinions.

The following paper will discuss two of the major dimensions of my cultural identity, and analyze the way in which my identity holds privileges, or has exposed me to oppression. Being that I am white, I have lived a life of privilege simply because of the color of my skin. I have been afforded opportunities, and lived a life free from persecution due to my skin color. I have also lived a life that has been impacted by oppression because of my female identity. This unique position between privilege and oppression is where I live my life.

My culture identity, as I know it as is African American. My culture can be seen in food, literature, religion, language, the community, family structure, the individual, music, dance, art, and could be summed up as the symbolic level. Symbolic, because faith plays a major role in our daily lives through song, prayer, praise and worship. When I’m happy I rely on my faith, same as when I’m sad, for I know things will get better as they have before.

Colonisation has left a lasting impression on people’s language, affecting their sense of identity. This is emphasised through, ‘Search for My Tongue’, and ‘A Different History’ both by Sujata Bhatt, as well as ‘Dis Poetry’ and ‘Rong Radio Station’ by Benjamin Zephaniah.

Cultural identity refers to the feeling belonging to a certain culture that is attributed to the upbringing of an individual in the given culture. Cultural identity gives a person the sense of belonging and belonging towards their culture. Modern cultural studies show that cultural identification has taken a new face. Various cultural identifiers can be used to identify the culture of an individual. These identifiers include nationality, language, location, gender, religious beliefs, history, and ethnicity. Culture is important in shaping the identity of an individual. The efforts of people trying to preserve their cultural identities can bring about hatred and division in the society. This is likely to happen especially in large cities

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.

How are culture and identity expressed or experienced on college campuses? How are they maintained? How do they change? What institutions further it? In what ways does the maintenance of wealthy, predominantly white culture affect the development of racial polarization and social ostracization on college campuses?

Media is a powerful tool for socialization and entertainment that can either diminish or boost an individual’s self-perception later affecting their overall identity. It can be argued however, that the extent of that affect/influence is largely dependent on the strength of the individual’s identity before being exposed to the media. Psychologist Beverly Tatum defines identity as a “complex concept shaped by individual characteristics, family dynamics, historical factors, and social and political contexts” in order to define ones self (Tatum, 1997). When discussing the complexity of identity, Tatum addresses the different aspects to forming identity with questions such as “who am I?” “Who do my parents say I am?” “What do I learn form the media about myself?” (Tatum, 1997). With the high rate of media consumption among children and easier access through technology, children look to pop culture for cues and sense of identity. As a black woman/girl, being from two historically marginalized groups, ethnic identity is crucial when looking at the representations of black women in the media. Ethnic Identity is the extent to which someone identifies with a particular ethnic group; it is a “group based identity formed and developed through a variety of socialization processes, including both personal experiences and mediated experiences”(Fujioka, 2005). To have an ethnic identity is to relate to a culture, ethnicity, and custom and take pride in it, by knowing its truth and worth.

My high school experience was marked by distinct changes and the ultimate formation of my cultural and social identity. Growing up in Washington D.C., I attended Gonzaga College High School, an all-boys Catholic high school that had a major impact on the things I value and the beliefs I hold. I entered high school with unbounded optimism: I had worked hard to get in and I was determined to make the most of my four years. Back then, “making the most” of high school was centered around who I was from a social standpoint. My only previous perception of high school had been the dramatized blur of wild house parties that I had seen on TV, but I quickly found myself taking a different path.