Culture And 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.

In pages one through twenty-one in the novel Cultural Intelligence: A Guide to Working With People from Other Cultures, by Brooks Peterson, the author introduces us to the basis and idea of culture, and what it truly is. He describes how we as individuals see others and how we tend to acknowledge their distinct cultivations. Part of living in America means coming across individuals who live a different lifestyle than we may live. We are a society filled with people from all over the world. Therefore, it is crucial that we as Americans and as people understand the significance and idea of what culture really is and how it affects different individuals.

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.

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.

A person’s culture is something that shapes and tells others who you are. For example, in Alice Walker’s short story “Everyday Use” you are introduced to Mrs. Johnson and two other characters that are loose portrayals of Walker in her younger and older periods of life (Obaid). The first one being Maggie who is depicted as her younger more walled self and the other being Dee an older version of Walker who lightly symbolizes Walkers later beliefs through some of the actions she takes in the story (Obaid). As the story begins Mrs. Johnson and Maggie are waiting for Dee to return home and while the two of them are waiting for Dee. Walker takes you through the thoughts of Mrs. Johnson about her two daughters and how she views them as well as

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 Mexican culture is interesting and portrays a unique society where everyone considers his or her

Human nature wants us to feel a sense of belonging and find our community. Culture can be defined as the rituals, beliefs, and values that survive through generations and are practiced in each generation (University of Kent). Identity can be defined as how we view and perceive ourselves as different than others (University of Kent). Therefore, we can consider cultural identity as the features of a culture that all together, make it unique from other cultures. A certain cultural identity allows its participants to feel a sense of belonging in that culture and for its participants to keep their connection to their roots. There are many features of a culture that help create a unique cultural identity, such as its practices and rituals, costumes,

A person is defined, in large part, by their individual viewpoint, worldview, and self-view. These determine how we interact with others and the world. Of course, as many know, all people, especially during their childhood and adolescence but even during adulthood, act as sponges and absorb a lot of information from others, or even from Mother Nature, even if they believe otherwise. While a person’s viewpoints, worldview, self-view, and interactions with others are influenced by multiple factors, they are influenced and are defined by their personal social, emotional, cultural, and familial experiences by way of their culture identity and their social situation.

One person may be influenced by what they were taught but on the other hand may take interest in other activities and adapt to them to make them part of their daily life. Through analyzing my cultural identity I have came to an conclusion that the reason I have the characteristics I possess is due to my cultural identity. Without my cultural identity I would be lost, it makes up who I am and the views I have. My perspective may be different than another’s but that’s okay because each individual’s cultural identity is unique. Throughout life we may experiences things others may have not and that makes up our cultural identity without even thinking about it. Everyone should take time to learn about his/her culture to find out who they really are to achieve a better understanding of themselves to be able to better themselves and have a bigger outlook among cultural

Maya Angelou once said, “You are the sum total of everything you’ve ever seen, heard, eaten, smelled, been told, forgot - it’s all there. Everything influences each of us, and because of that I try to make sure that my experiences are positive.” The surroundings show that a person is always trying new things by looking others. The idea of a society being able to influence a person just by their surroundings is prevalent. Influence happens when you are looking up to other people. You start to act like them by looking up to them. That is when we start to feel like we are changing ourselves. Many perspectives show the effect that society has on a person to prove that the culture

When looking at what and how people define themselves, we have to explore the aspects that create identity and how different aspects exclude people compared to the similarities which build groups and societies.

Across the world, people have differing views on actions based on their cultural roots. One’s culture greatly impacts their perception of the world and contributes to a variety of beliefs including values, assumptions, and interests. These traits are displayed within the short story “By Any Other Name” and the interview titled “Multiculturalism Explained in One Word: HAPA” through the experiences and external conflicts described by the authors.

In your life, have you ever misjudged a person by the way they act, the way they talk, or the way they think? We all have our own judgements on things such as clothes, food, color, hair, etc. Sometimes our opinions can get the best of us. That is our cultural identity influencing the way you see other people. They way people were raised, the beliefs they were taught, people they grew up with, and the type of environment they grew up in, all adapt a person's perspective in the way they sees things in someone else.

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.