The Importance Of A Life Without Roots

She tells about growing up in a “monoculturalist” society where the focus was on only white middle class culture. She argues that monoculturalism was created by limited education. In school students were only taught about U.S., European and Greek history and that this led students to view the world from a European perspective. The author reflects on how people were classified in very few and very broad racial and religious categories while ignoring the actual vast differences and diversity existing in the U.S. and beyond. In order for this very narrow perspective to change and for Americans to create a true multiculturalists society.

The United States is viewed as a modern country, with a population primarily of immigrants and a seeming openness to cultural diversity. However, people who come from different cultures and backgrounds experience the of loss of cultural and ethnic identity. Within the country of diversity itself, minorities tend to fall into the stereotypic roles given to them by the “superior” groups, causing difficulty in moving away from the unethical ideals of racial and gender segregation along with the unvoiced restrictions placed upon the establishment of outside cultures. The search for one’s identity becomes more of an attempt of concealment and ignorance towards cultural roots, unconsciously falling into the stereotypic identity created for

In the boiling pot of America most people have been asked “what are you?” when referring to one’s race or nationality. In the short story “Borders” by Thomas King he explores one of the many difficulties of living in a world that was stripped from his race. In a country that is as diverse as North America, culture and self-identity are hard to maintain. King’s short story “Borders” deals with a conflict that I have come to know well of. The mother in “Borders” is just in preserving her race and the background of her people. The mother manages to maintain her identity that many people lose from environmental pressure.

Defining what really is to be an American does not sound as easy as it seem. It will always be complex process. As immigration continues to fuel the growth of the population of our nation, racial and ethnic gap increase and evolve along with it. Racial and ethnic identities become more and more convoluted and difficult to understand. Race and ethnicity continue to intermingle and push a cultural shift in the US– a shift that plays a significant role in redefining America in a day-to-day basis.

What defines you? Is it the many tiny, wriggling spiders that could potentially be inside your body, the experiences you might have had in Istanbul, your list of hobbies which may or may not include crochet, or is it something a bit more trivial, such as where you come from? Who are you? Take a moment to reflect on yourself. In an essay concerning the argument of identity, Richard Rodriguez forces his readers to analyze themselves, particularly during the high climb of immigration in America today, because with the rising amount of cultures and ethnicities finding a home in this country, there really is no “black and white” answer. The question of identity is the key idea in Rodriguez’s Blaxicans, further expanded upon by careful word choice,

Immigrants’ refusal to appreciate a fused culture promotes division. Mukherjee questions the idea of immigrants losing their culture for American ideals: “Parents express rage or despair at their U.S.-born children's forgetting of, or indifference to, some aspects of Indian culture,” to that Mukherjee asks, “Is it so terrible that our children are discovering or are inventing homelands for themselves?” (Mukherjee, 1997, para. 28). Many immigrants experience anger when their children no longer hold the ideals of their home country. This tension produced within the household hinders the unity within a resident country’s culture and encourages division within families. Using herself as an example, Mukherjee provides another instance of anger directed at her from her own subculture: “They direct their rage at me because, by becoming a U.S.

The identity crisis occurs when individuals are facing the dilemma of either of the culture to make some fundamental decisions. From certain angle it is more severe on second generation Asian Americans than the first generation Asian Americans. According to Justin Chan, a second-generation Chinese American, she states that to build a bicultural identity is actually a balancing act for her. In order to feel more comfortable in both cultural groups, second-generation Asian Americans choose to identify differently when facing different people. They need to punctuate their “American side” when dealing with non-Asian peers and also punctuate their “Asian side” at home when facing their families. This kind of balancing act is widely applied to second-generation Asian Americans.

One’s identity can be determined from many aspects, such as race, language, gender, and the way one acts. Based on these aspects of identity, it can lead to either one’s success or limitation. For example, an interviewee with bilingual or multilingual has more chance to become a social worker, because knowing more than one language makes it easily to communicate with different races of people. When I volunteered at the dental office, I felt glad to be a multilingual and Chinese since it made me in some way to succeed.

Lying outside with ten other people, staring into space while grass stained our backs green, and the humid air clung to our skin, my muscles unclenched and I finally felt comfortable. The conversation slowly spiraled deeper, as we told each other stories we've buried deep inside us for too long. Within the group, four continents and six nationalities were represented. The once obvious cultural gap separating us had been broken down, leading to this moment when we talked so openly. The diversity I experienced this summer greatly affected my self-worth, and turned my hope to make a positive impact in the world into my life goal.

The question of identity is always a difficult one for those living in a culture or group, yet belonging to another. This difficulty frequently remains in the mind of most immigrants, especially the second generations who were born in a country other than their parents. Younger generations feel as if they are forced to change to fit the social standards despite previous culture or group. Furthermore those who wish to adopt a new identity of a group or culture haven't yet been fully accepted by original members due to their former identity.

As a young child growing up in the city of Los Angeles, I played, studied, and live in the same way as any other child in my neighborhood. Even though, most of the kids who played with me resemble similar human characteristics, I couldn’t help but wonder why their skin, hair, eyes, language, beliefs and way of life could be so different from mine or others. I remember asking my mother why our neighborhood had so many different people. She explained to me that we live in a county of multiculturalism. At the time I didn’t understand what it meant, but as I grew older and made friends with people who came from different cultural backgrounds I realized how amazing it is to live in a place where diverse cultures come to co-exist with one another. To best describe it in my own words,

My background and the environment in which I was raised has shaped me into an openminded person. I was born in Turkey and moved to America when I was four years old. I grew up being influenced by my father’s British culture and my mother’s Turkish one, but I was also exposed to many different cultures at my school. I go to an International School in Houston and I have constantly been surrounded by members of different countries and exposed to the celebration of multiple cultures in performances and festivals throughout the school year. The city of Houston is a meltion pot of many different types of people from all over the world, and the celebration of these cultures has helped me realized that everyone, no matter their race, creed, and gender deserve equal rights and opportunities.

Many ambiguities surround the establishment, formation, and retention of a national identity. To what extent can a national identity be individualized? Does every individual, regardless of origin, possess the ability

I am a special little snowflake. A multiracial, multiethnic, and multicultural snowflake. My mother is black and Hispanic. My dad is white. Finally, I am a diverse combination of races, constantly juggling the ideas beliefs and traditions of the different races and entities. While some people stare at me, an authority of the human race, others praise me for my beautiful balance of the different ethnicities, a perfect definition of being truly mixed and diverse. Hitherto something has been missing. My culture. I ponder what culture I belong to, wondering if I will able to answer this absolute exhilarating question, solving this existential crisis. As I deeply reflect about my culture, I realize, I am not multiracial. I am only one race, which is the state of being black, white, and Hispanic. With the realization that I am not really a special snowflake, I reassure myself with one fact: I am still multi ethnic. After all, I can have one race but still have several different entities. Assuring myself that this crisis is nothing and I am still unique I realize this does not affect my culture. People of different races and ethnicities can be apart of the same culture. Nevertheless, my family has never embraced or exhibition a culture that represents us. As a multi ethnic family, we are content. We don't flaunt our heritage by hanging the flags our heritage, or exclusively eat the traditional food passed down by our ancestors, or wear the clothes similar to the people with the same ethnicities as us. My culture has not defined by my family. Now it is my turn to define it. My culture is what represents me, from food, clothing, and language to my values and beliefs.

The United States is becoming more diverse than ever before. As a result, Americans are at the cutting edge of social and demographic change which plays a vital role in society. For individuals to coexist among diverse populations, they must understand what it means to be a minority, recognize the various characteristics involving diversity, and understand the impact multiculturalism has on globalization.