Immigration And Cultural Identity

Immigration has always been an issue in the United States, which is often portrayed as harmful and as major threat to American culture. As a result, various anti immigration policies have been aimed against immigrants in order to prevent and preserve the miscegenation of American culture, such as English only policies. Among the largest minority groups in the U.S, are Latinos who currently compose of 15% of the U.S population (Delgado and Stefancic 3). Unfortunately, Latinos have been accused of taking American benefits, jobs, and have wrongfully been depicted as a result of not assimilating to American culture. Latinos are often accused of resisting assimilation, but what has failed to be acknowledged is that there are obstacles set in

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.

The latest survey by the US census portrayed the big change that is happening after the influx of Latinos in the country. There is a Latino identity that’s neither white nor black she mentioned, and it is a positive identity. It appeared that 48% of latinos claimed to be white. Classifying themselves as whites connotes that they have already assimilated to the American Culture The survey wrapped up that there is a considerable demographic shift identifying Latinos to be increasingly aligned with the color that that defines America. On the other hand, 42% of Latinos marked other race, and 2% claimed to be black. Even in the census, to be white signifies the dominance and the notion that it is better than non-white. People who look similarly share the qualities that are perceived to be alike. They usually enjoy similar success and suffer similar sorrows. This method of collection racial data augmented debates however it revealed many things. It is undeniable that the cultural and social construction of Latino in the US is growing exponentially and the race and ethnicity that used to define and unite them has now become the margin that split them

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.

In his powerful address to Del Sol High School in Las Vegas, Nevada, then-President Barack Obama delivered a profound statement to his largely Latino audience, encouraging them that “What makes someone American isn’t just blood or birth but allegiance to our founding principles and faith in the idea that anyone-from anywhere-can write the next chapter of our story” (“Remarks”). This thought provokes listeners to reflect upon the definition of an “American”, encouraging them to expand beyond the confinements of citizenship. In an era marked by tumultuous racial relations and global ethnic conflicts, it is imperative that Americans recognize and revere the positive economic, political, and social contributions that Latinos have made to the

America, the States, USA, the North, are all different ways of referring to the nation in which everyone believes their dreams can become a reality. The United States of America is and has always been a nation of immigrants, but many forget that the first ones to arrive were not British but Spanish. The Spanish conquistadors were the first ones to arrive on American soil during the beginning of the 1500s. Soon most of the powerful nations in Europe followed. Despite their positive impact on the American culture, Latinos have been degraded for many years by the media, stereotypes and people with power like the chiefs of police and even presidential candidates. While the media portrays Latinos as maids and gangsters, the majority of Latinos migrate to the USA looking for a better future for their families and for themselves. In this essay, I will investigate the complex role that Latinos have played in American society, economic, and political life, focusing specifically on the cultural disconnect between Latino self-identification and white-American misconceptions of Latino-specific immigration.

The concept of identity is complex, however, when an identity is allocated to a group of people it helps to serve as a starting point for solidarity. When studying Latinos, we term them as such with hopes that it will serve for a greater basis for resource access; resources in the political and social world. However, it is important to keep in mind that Latinos are heterogeneous, no one ethnicity is the same leading to difficulties in resource allocation considering just how diverse the Latino community is. The study of Latino identity is fundamental because it is the basis of forms of exclusion, but it also has, nonetheless, been a basis for Latino political solidarity.

The presence of Latinos in the United States challenges the notion of there being only one specific type of American citizen, an English-speaking person who lives only in relation to an "Anglo" heritage. Alongside other minority groups, Latinos tend to believe in the notion that the United States must be made up of one bounded territory, within which people speak a singular language and experience one culture. So, when the Anglo groups are faced with Spanish speaking people who are in touch with their Latino heritage, they feel threatened by the people who can speak both Spanish and English. The response to this sense of threat involves marginalization and the obvious exclusion of Latino groups in the United States. At the

When one thinks of an identity it is used to give a sense of inclusion, of solidarity, between a group of people who share similar experiences, characteristics, and ideals. However, within the Latino community there has been much disagreement on how it is the “Latino” community should be identified. For one, being identified as Latino has served to bring exclusion from the political realm of U.S. government; the same government that is thought of as inclusive and pluristic. When we study Latinos and their role in politics it is important to keep in mind that there is exclusion both socially and politically on the basis of identity, therefore, one cannot make general assumption concerning resource access.

The United States of America is considered a melting pot of heritages and nationalities from all around the world. There is no official language, and no one culture all citizens abide by. Despite the fact that everyone in this country is different from one another, there is still a constant uniform citizen that has a more favorable position. This citizen is white, English-speaking, and somehow always in the front of the public sphere. In the recent years, there has been an increasingly dominant Latino presence in America. Their strength in numbers challenges there being a poster American citizen, and that that citizen will remain white. When working to assimilate to America’s “culture,” Lations seem to believe that there is one America, within which people speak a singular language and experience one culture. The pressure to assimilate stems from the white citizens of the country feeling threatened when there is a new culture and language, which they do not understand. As a result they feel personally threatened by the people who can speak both Spanish and English, and their response response involves marginalization and the obvious exclusion of Latino groups in the United States. There is a phenomenon, cultural citizenship, where Latinos perform their cultural practices to stretch their identity into the states, and practice their right to be authentic members of their community.

The Latinos in my class differed in the way that they were proud to say they were Puerto Rican, Mexican, and Dominican. Thus, I pursued a relationship with these classmates and I began to feel differently about Latinos. I realized that I was taking part in the prejudice thoughts my previous classmates had toward Latinos by concealing my identity. I also recognized that Latinos were struggling to pursue a better life and that we are looked down upon. As a result of discrimination, it is difficult for us to accomplish our goals in life. Presently, every opportunity I get, I talk about my culture. I discuss the hardships Latinos face and I describe my experience growing up Puerto Rican. Although I am Puerto Rican, I don't know as much about my culture as I should. Reading Harvest of Empire: A History of Latinos in America by Juan Gonzalez has brought new insights to my knowledge of Puerto Ricans and Latinos in general. Gonzalez focuses on language and writes that speaking Spanish is treated as a handicap instead of as an asset.

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 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

“If we don’t fully understand our individual and collective roles in maintaining a system of white superiority, our relationships with people of color remains superficial, our ability to work in diverse workplaces is greatly diminished, and we fail to create a just world in which everyone has an equitable opportunity to contribute and thrive” (Kendall, 2013, p. 1). This paper discusses who I am as a cultural person and how I have come to be this way. The first section of this paper discusses my cultural background and my cultural identity. I address the factors that make up my cultural identity and the challenges that I have faced because of my cultural identity. The next section discusses my White racial identity development and the events in my life that have led me to become the person I am today in relation to my racial identity. The final section of this paper outlines the implications my own racial and cultural identity will have on my career as a clinical mental health counselor.

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.