Literature Review . Everyone Has A Cultural Identity, Which

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.

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.

“We all have unique identities that we develop within our cultures, but these identities are not fixed or static” (Trumbull and Pacheco 8). People should examine their culture to have a better understanding of how it affects their identity and perceptions. In order to understand one’s cultural identity, he or she need to understand what the term means. According to one source, cultural identity can be defined as, “These different experiences and the new values, beliefs, and ideas they produce contribute to the dynamic nature of cultures” (Trumbull and Pacheco 10). Considering this definition, I realize that my cultural identity can be best represented by ethnicity because it expresses my individuality as a person. Various aspects of a person’s life that may determine his or her cultural identity includes ethnicity, language, art, location, food, traditions, and history. After analyzing several texts, the reader recognizes that three important elements of a person’s cultural identity include ethnicity, location, and food.

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.

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.

Cultural Identity can affect the way that we see things around us because all of us come from different backgrounds and ways of learning. When people are introduced to a new way of living, they might be thrown off at first. There are several authors who have put the theme of finding their cultural identity as the main focus in their stories. These include An Indian Father’s Plea and Ethnic Hash. These stories show how different people have found and been affected by cultural identity. People should be wary that others might not always be familiar with the traditions of a culture because they might’ve been in one culture for a long time.

"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.

My culture is like a hole that never ends. Culture is a certain belief a family or person holds. To me, culture is something meaningful and I will always take pride in my hispanic culture. My cultural identity reflects music, hobbies, and religion.

Culture identity is who you are as a person and as a whole, especially in your own culture. Therefore, It defines your personality, actions ,and who you are going to be in the future. Culture identity represents your traditional values and how you were raised growing up and what kind of background you came from. It is the influence of your family, friends, peers and how they impact yourself and cultural identity. Your culture identity is optional and it's your own choice, if you want to be a part of a culture or race. Your parents shouldn't be the ones forming or planning your life and culture identity. Oftentimes our culture identity is a given because people assume who you are by the way you look. Culture identity is very complex yet very simple because it's representing who you are as a person.

My dad leans over my shoulder as I check off the bolded “YES” box on my physical form. As I approach the Race section, I feel him tense up next to me. Without hesitation, I check off the “Black and/or African-American” box. Baffled, he asks, “Why did you check that box off? We aren’t Black.” I stared at his alarmed face in amusement, studying the ebony skin that envelops his being. Releasing an all-too-familiar sigh, I raise my bronzed arm to his.

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.

Cultural identity varies from person to person and To me cultural identity basically means what kind of person you are and the way you see others. it plays a big role in life and there are lots of aspects such as religion, language, racial identity, values and gender. Those aspects define your cultural identity.

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,

In chapter 6 I first learned about the 3 cultural identity from Julia who talked about it in her voice thread. She told us about nature identity and how it's like a sense of belonging to a culture. Julia mentions that this belonging can be felt when people learn about traditions, heritage, language, religion, and ancestry.

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.