Cultural Reflection Paper

As we have learned about the racial diversity and how people draw a line between blacks and whites it has really made me think about the area I grew up in and the place I live in now. I grew up near Springfield, IL. The fact that we learned about having to put on a mask for people made me question whether or not my black friends put one on around me. I never really thought about it until someone in

My parents and my extended family has always made sure I knew my culture and that my race was different from other races such as Caucasian and Asian children I went to school with. I also always knew I related to a different race due to my family skin color versus the other people who were around whose skin color is different from mines. As a child when I was growing up I heard adults or older kids talk about issues such as different races and people they have interacted during the day. Another thing exposed to me as a kid was the different political issues especially George Bush administration and racism as general. Being exposed to many views on how the color of your skin will affect the way society sees you and places you in the social system put perspective on how I saw my future. Being black you often automatically deemed as you are not going to succeed in life or you are not going be educated enough to place in high

I grew up in a diverse community where not a lot of people were making smart choices and with people who had different appearances than others I went to school with. My family being the only Caucasian people in the neighborhood made us come off as if we were different type of white people.

I do not think that there is a particular cultural group that I identify with. If I had to choose then I would say that I identify myself with white american and african american cultural groups. These groups have affected my personality, morals, and values in many different ways. If it was not for the people that i consider my friends then I have no idea where I would be. They have helped me a lot in finding who I am and they are part of who I am. Our morals are at times the same, we know the difference between what is considered to be right and what is considered to be wrong. Even though we have the same morals we do not have the same values. My judgement of what is important in life might be different from what my friends consider is important

In elementary school, my class consisted of primarily African American and Hispanic students. So when I transferred schools and entered an environment where I was the only black female in my grade, I was met with issues culturally. One instance in particular that really opened my eyes towards the lack of cultural knowledge my peers had on black culture was the time I wore my hair in box braids for the first time at my new school.

1.) To what extent do your friendships represent a range of diversity, in terms of class, race, religion, and ethnicity?

After this i was suddenly more aware of cultural appropriation around me especially in the media. I noticed how celebrities would take black culture and make it seem “edgy” or “epic”. A norm, that it was totally okay to take from a culture that that has to fight for acceptance. And the fans would accept it like nothing except the ones who found offense. Beside celebrities, I also was able to see it in fashion too. Designers finding inspiration and creating looks. Sure it is great a designer shows interest in one's culture. But when they have no diversity it brings up question if they actually cared about the culture or something else.

Attending schools with my primarily white friends has made me realize how different our upbringings are. For example, privacy from family is something most of them take for granted, whereas in my culture, it is unheard of. Others may be able to acknowledge the restrictions

My culture is known to the Igbos. We originated from the southern part of Nigeria. For this assignment, I selected the India culture. I chose this culture because both cultures have one thing in common. That is only a male family member such as brother; father, son, and husband can do the last rites. When woman losses are husband, neighbors are immediately aware by the loud cries and screaming coming from the house. Immediately after people are aware of the news, people start visiting the house all day with food for the family. Friends and well-wishers will continue to visit the family even after the funeral with food and other means of support. The widow will be surrounded by women whose job is to provide the inconsolable wife with encouraging words and moral support. It is customary for a widow to cry out loud, if she doesn’t, people might get the impression that she is not affected by the death of her spouse. They might start accusing her of been responsible for his death.

I think everything that I have been involved in has been with mainly younger people of color and also of low-income, which has been an interesting thing to think about. How aspects of my identity intersect with that. My parents are from Africa--my dad is from Nigeria and my mom is from Eritrea. They worked really hard to come to this country, both have jobs in the medical profession and were able to support my siblings and me to have a comfortable, middle class life. I grew up in a predominantly, white town and I think that’s something that really impacted my identity-- being black in a space where there were no other people, except for my family, that looked like me. I was really craving diversity and when I got to college, I experienced more of that. I knew I wanted to

On the flip side, growing up in almost two different worlds definitely affected the I personally identified as well as how I perceived my racial identity the realms of other people. I grew up different from the kids in my surrounding neighborhoods. I went to a different school system, I listened to different music, I wore different clothes and I apparently spoke differently. This led to a disconnect between me and the kids I grew up around. I didn’t fit their internalized stereotypes about black

I grew up in an average size town where Caucasians were just slightly the minority. There were many Blacks, Latino and Hispanics, and American Indians as well. This diversity didn’t just pop up in high school, these kids are people that I’ve grown up with since elementary school. Because I have always been exposed to many cultures, I have grown up with a

When my grandparents were growing up, being white was a privilege. They had many more opportunities for success than blacks and other minorities did. This affected me in the sense that

I was born and raised in Tajikistan; it is a country in Central Asia with very rich historical background and stick culture norms. Actually Tajik society is very interesting to study and analyze, society had gone through steps of serious changes from Islamic state to part of communist USSR and then to independent democratic country all happen only in 100 years. Consequently, women who were born and raised in Islamic Emirate raised their kids in Soviet Union, their children were raised in Soviet Union but now live in independent country, my generation was born in independent country, and we never were under any religious or political regime but in very traditional society.

In my years growing up with multiple in-groups and conforming to many identities, it has been difficult learning to be myself in a world in which some people wish I wouldn’t. Early in my childhood, my parents always looked at others who looked like me and told me that they were beneath me and I could always do much better. Why? These people were mostly African Americans. Though most stereotypes associated with African Americans are perceived to be from non-African Americans, this is not the case. There are many events that led me to my college journey and I ultimately found myself at North Carolina State University. A Predominantly White Institution. Though I was forced to choose this college, it does not mean I love it any less. However, the experiences that I have encountered being an African American at a Predominantly White Institution have been life changing.