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.

Most people call me Colby, but on the field i'm know as number 40. Soccer has been a part of my life since I was 3, my 12 years of experience have influenced how I act, what I eat and most aspects of my life-like who I hang out with and what I dislike. In the United states especially, sports are a huge part of everyone's cultural identity. With all this in mind I would call my cultural identity a soccer game. It can change in a blink of the eye but is consistent through life.My family is like the other players, education is like the field and my hobbies are like the ball.

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.

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.

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.

Cultural identity is defined as a sense of feeling or belonging to one group, or even multiple groups. Different people define themselves differently from the person sitting next to them. I, on the other hand, think that my cultural identity is abstract. I think that this is because I enjoy a variety of different activities including swimming competitively, singing in a choir, sometimes going to school, and reading whenever I get the chance. Sometimes it is hard to find time to read because of my busy schedule, but I make it happen. A lot of people have one specific way to identify themselves and have other smaller ways to define themselves within their larger definition.

When I think about my cultural identity, I compare my own identity to others. While my religion is Christianity, others religions may be different. They may be Buddhist, or Muslim, or even Atheist. All these religions, and so many more, tie into different people’s cultures. Other things such as traditions, types of foods, and even the music we listen to, affect who we are. Our own cultures are the way we chose to live our lives. Whether it be the way we treat others or the way we think, they all have enormous impacts in the way we live.

Cultural identity makes up everything about a person, including internal and external views. My cultural identity is composed of the symbols, non-traditional practices, and cultural appropriation that I live by. What I stand by allows me to have purpose and allows me to be an individual. Identity is perspective, it is constantly changing with new interest and experiences.

My family’s Portuguese customs and my experiences living in the United States profoundly influenced the person I am today. The assimilation between Portuguese beliefs and living the American dream reshaped my self-concept and ignited my curiosity about diversity. The concept of acculturation summarizes my experience with integrating more than one culture and crafting my values. J. W. Berry states, “Acculturation comprehends those phenomena which result when groups of individuals having different cultures come into continuous, first-hand contact, with subsequent changes in the original culture patterns of either or both groups” (as cited in Morrison & James, 2009). Appreciating my cultural background allowed me to develop my racial identity which brought awareness to my own privileges and biases. As I am furthering my education to become a counselor, I hope learning about myself will help me guide and empower clients to do the same.

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.

I was walking with my suitcase, on my way to the airport. I felt sad, yet excited at the same time. I had to leave my county to a place that I have never seen. From the society I grew up in, they viewed the United States as a very wealthy country. Therefore, I felt very fortunate to move to a place that was stable in more ways than Bangkok, Thailand. I discovered a lot about myself and culture through my move from Thailand to the United States. It was a major change in my life.

I can relate to these issues, because I have close relatives that do not have access to healthcare and are not in a good state of health. I have seen how difficult it is for them to get treated or see a doctor due to their financial circumstances also they are not well informed or educated about health. In my opinion, minorities are most vulnerable to developing health complications. My greatest strengths are my ability to work effectively with many different people, being bilingual, communication skills, organizational skills, staying focus, and my listening ability. Having these strengths allows me to communicate with people from different cultural backgrounds/ personalities, be able to pay attention and critique every detail, build a stronger work performance, and work with others as a team. With my strengths, I want to promote health and wellness to the minority community in order to introduce a healthy

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.