Cultural Reflection

Cultural immersion is an essential part of the education experience. It has been used throughout time to allow people to understand those whose ideas and beliefs differ from their own. The experiences gained through immersing in an unfamiliar culture allow the mind to grow in ways that are beyond comprehension. Because our nation is advancing, and merging ides from other cultures, this process is more important than ever. Cynthia Kratzke and Melissa Bertolo (2013) state that if we only teach concepts and language from other cultures we are limiting the ability of future generations to be able to work with other cultures (p.1). Cultural immersion is a way for one to reach a new insight they may not have otherwise gained. Jesus Nieto (2006) says there are main goals to these experiences: 1) to interact with people of a different culture 2) to gain insight into aspects of others 3) to be of a minority group in a setting 4) to gain a new perspective on one’s own beliefs and values (p. 77).

Going to Haiti is an incredible adventure and it really puts in perspective how much I take for granted everyday. Most Haitians my age have no bed to sleep on, a small shack which they call home and share with their extensive families, and not a clue what they are going to do that day when they wake up. In a way, which may sound selfish, I wish to live like them to feel what it’s like to always be happy and full of spirit regardless of the food they eat or the clothes on their backs. I have many memories and experiences similar to the ones shared and I had moments like those spent with Kata and the man during village ministry every day with various Haitians. The Haitians impact my life more and more every second I am there, and even though Haiti may seem like the poorest country in the world and the mosquitos are horrible, and the heat could drive one mad, I will always choose Haiti over any other place in the world as my happy place, and there is not a place I’d rather be than

Cole Moore: I thought that Cole’s introduction was very professional and got straight to the point of what his group was discussing. The idea of combining the themes of the military, patriotism and one’s heritage was very impressive and caught my attention. Also, tying it to the themes of the red convertible was very interesting! While the presentation was amazing, I was confused as to what was the artifact. It seemed as if you talked more about general themes rather than close reading the design on the jacket. Nevertheless, you did an amazing job presenting.

My favorite part of my trip was building relationships with the children. I hoped that these interactions, as well as the tangible parts of our mission, would help to make a difference in Haiti and their lives. Whether on the work field, at CBS, or at the orphanage where we volunteered, Haitian children are bound to make an impact on the hearts of volunteers. As I rode through town, children ran around with shoes on, but the soles of their shoes were entirely worn down. This showed me that nice things aren’t necessary to enjoy life. I played with them, helped them learn English, and showed them friendship; I went with a preconceived notion that the people of Haiti would be sad because they don’t have

There are all kind of feeling that are transpiring throughout my mind when think of the term cultural analysis. In executing the communication concepts of African American cultural, I found that the Chinese and African American cultural are strongly tied to their beliefs and family concepts. I define myself through my culture as being an African American male, thought out religions, education, and family is very essential in my culture. Also, being limited to making lifestyle changes, and the different ways we communicated with each other are how I define myself through my culture. Being African American my perception of my culture is that we as a community are high in health, crime, education, and public housing, which implies welfare, government assists, black on black crime, and drug abuse. Being an African American, other cultures have a better chance at getting better jobs, education, and opportunities in life.

After this, the students talked to each other and they decided that they enjoy it when the teacher reads to them. The teacher read the book and the students followed along with the reading. When the teacher finished reading, she asked various questions that the students had to answer. The students, had to discuss the question and the answer with their group members. The teacher, asked each group to give their answer and, all the students participated in the activity. They had a good teacher and student relationship. The students respected the teacher and she did an awesome job with the lesson. The teacher, talked to us and, explained that when she creates her lessons she tries her best to incorporate group work and class discussions. Her goal is, that her students are engage in the lesson that she created.

Walking around Haiti I came to a hut where two families lived. The mother held the smallest baby I had ever seen, and before I knew it she was placed in my hands. Tears came streaming down my face, as this baby was already displaying signs of malnutrition. I grabbed all of the Enfamil bottles from my backpack and handed them to the mother as a smile came across her face.

Every July my church takes about fifteen people on a trip to Mellier, Haiti to do mission work, and that is the next place I want to go. This past summer, one of my close friends went on the Haiti trip, and after seeing all of her pictures and hearing all of her incredible stories, I became determined to make the journey myself.

The girls I see this evening are young teens who are wearing too much makeup trying to be seen by the young boys who are wearing expensive sneakers and saggy pants. A few of the young girls I see are young mothers pushing baby strollers and conversing

Over the summer I went to Tegucigalpa, Honduras, for a Church Mission trip. Our group stayed at a place called El Hogar. El Hogar gives a place for kids who live in very poor families or have no families. El Hogar gives the kids an education and a place to live. My experience there was like most others that have gone but it was special to me. All of the kids welcomed my group with open arms and love, I never wanted to leave. I had seen things and experienced things that I know I would never experience anywhere else. The whole city was riddled with poverty, nothing compared to poverty in USA. Even though the city was very poor it had many beautiful aspects to it, the mountains, the artwork and some of the people too. Even though the kids of

The theme in my painting is the obstacles people face when trying to achieve a goal. The message my painting communicates is to be weary of the unseen dangers when attempting to reach an objective. My intention was for the viewer to see an image that seems simple but in reality contains a story that is up to the interpretation of whoever is looking at it. In my painting the seagulls are intended to represent a plan or a vision, the person on the boat is supposed to represent the person viewing the painting, the wind blowing the boat represents destiny, the animals and coconuts on the island represents wealth, the anchor represents doubt, the ocean represents life, the island represents success and the giant shark represents failure.

Summer of 2015, my father made the decision for me to go to a mission trip to one of the most undeveloped cities in Central America, Managua, Nicaragua, without my input. This idea gradually started to grow on me as weeks of endless hours of training and prepping went by. On July 29th, the plane finally landed, and our crew of 15 teenagers went straight to work. We stayed in an air conditioned home with running water, flushing toilets, wifi, floors, windows, and a roof. To most people, this may seem like no big deal. To many, this is luxury. We spent 10 days building playgrounds for the kids, holding classes for students, providing food and water for families, and so much more. The kids and teens living here didn’t have the basic units of life, but were living each day of their lives with genuine smiles and positive attitudes. This experience changed my way of living by becoming more mature, knowledgeable, much more aware of my surroundings and realizing how truly blessed my family

I love working as a wedding and engagement photographer. Have I mentioned that before? Anyway, the enjoyment factor goes up at least a notch or two when the couple is fun, and they are themselves during their engagement photography session. I just love working with genuine couples who aren’t afraid to let me get to know them and who really want their personalities to show through during the session. That was definitely the case when I recently worked with Mindy Nicholson and Riley Webb during their engagement photography session.

The cultural assignment allowed me to gain a new perspective on the differences of others. I have grown up in a household of dissimilar belief systems. My mom is a dedicated Christian while my dad is unassociated with any religious beliefs. Though, he grew up as a Jehovah’s Witness. There differing belief systems have been the cause of various conflicts within their relationship. I often wondered if people with contradicting beliefs could effectively and peacefully discuss their belief systems. This cultural experience showed me that a peaceful discussion is possible between individuals of dissimilar beliefs.

1. Culture is perceived as a way of thinking that influences the behaviors of a group of people.