We nuh know bout league cah we name World Cup!” Every Friday night at ten o’clock, I find myself in the middle of a crowd singing these lyrics at the top of my lungs. Comfortable vibes, nice music, and people from all over Broward and Miami-Dade County, gather at Runway Doral to represent their beautiful Caribbean nationalities. As I dance to the soca music and sing along to Popcaan’s “World Cup”, I always find myself appreciating my culture more than ever before. With my hands in the air, and my mind far from reality, I begin to realize that this is where I belong---this is my community.
Everyone has the ability to decide where their puzzle piece fits in this idea of a big picture. No matter where we come from, having a sense of belonging plays a vital role in one’s sense of self. Without belonging to a community that is accepting of your ethics, beliefs, and lifestyle, it is very difficult to create bonds not only with others, but also within yourself. Growing up in a westernized country, yet being raised based on Caribbean values, has helped me realize that there is no set restriction to how many communities you can be a part of. In fact, it is unlikely that anyone fits a single community. Identifying myself as a member of both an American and Caribbean culture, has broadened my understanding that while both communities may differ in many distinct ways, it is very possible for them to coalesce to create a stronger sense of fellowship. Through close bonds and commonality,
My life experiences thus far have shaped my beliefs that I do not belong to a specific community or group. Many individuals can be intelligent and eager to learn yet be completely oblivious or ignorant to other people’s cultures. I however, am empathetic to everyone’s past and have the ability to become a part of each group I encounter by relying on my knowledge as well as my eagerness to learn more in an effort to become connected to these separate
To be a part of two different cultures at the same time seems almost impossible. A wise man once said, “you cannot serve two masters, you either hate the one and love the other or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other”. Now those wise words weren’t talking about cultures and communities, but rather
A feeling of affiliation with community and strong interaction with all of its members serve as the basis of the peculiarity of Black community. Membership of community has been always more important to African Americans than the feeling of individualism and competition among its members. Jagers and Mock (1995) have talked about Afro-cultural communalism. This communalism is the tendency of African Americans toward collectivist orientation or the preference for interdependence among people. Students who are driven by this communalistic orientation cannot describe themselves in individualistic terms. In fact, much of their self-identity is grounded in their social concern for, and need to be with, others [3]. Being a member of community young African Americans always relate themselves to it, because as it has been mentioned above, individualism is not a characteristic feature of Black community.
Meet Rachel, a sophomore studying at Howard University who is also mixed with both black and white. Rachel transferred to the Historically Black University from a Predominantly White Institution because she felt as though she was not “white enough” and Howard would better suit her. Unfortunately upon her arrival, Rachel could not help but feel as though she was not “black enough” to attend Howard University. Rachel’s feeling of not belonging are not isolated, they are shared by millions of biracial Americans who, at one time or another, felt as though they did not belong to either culture. These feelings have been brought on, over time, by the way, America, although believed to be a “melting pot” of cultures, often wants people to categorize themselves as one ethnicity and the pressure placed on Americans to solely identify with one race divides the country more than anything else. The only way to rectify this problem is for Americans to stop separating themselves into racial categories and come together to be classified as simply American.
In American society, there are multiple cultures and races exist. Since immigrants bring the various cultures to America, Americans face a highly controversial problem. Some of the Americans believe all of the ethnic groups assimilate into a common culture can help Americans distinctly identify themselves. Others argue that ethnic groups should not abandon their cultural heritages background. As a result, merging different cultures into one new culture will cause America lose its cultural diversity which is one significant charm of this country. On the contrary, if every ethnic group only focuses on building their own community and resists communicate with others, it will aggravate the separation of a nation. Although people often argue about these two ways which one is more appropriate to Americans, I think Richard Rodriguez's idea is more realistic in nowadays American society. Rodriguez resists the idea of the melting pot, and believes that assimilation is inevitable and reciprocal. In the essay Does America Still Exist?, Rodriguez explains his thought to us through his experiences.
Everyone belongs to many different communities and/or groups defined by (among other things) shared geography, religion, ethnicity, income, cuisine, interest, race, ideology, or intellectual heritage. Choose one of the communities to which you belong, and describe that community and your place within it.
Growing up in a Hispanic household my family’s culture has had a significant impact in my life from avoiding a different variety of salsas and thinking twice about my immature decisions. Yet their love for the beautiful game known as Fútbol or soccer has always held on to me and is inspiring how it brings together an entire world or in this case my fanatic family. With soccer in my blood, as many relatives love to think, I’ve grown to love the sport, but my love was limited by restrictions. With an un-financially stable high school placing soccer in the bottom of the list of funds, my love for the game only stretched to amateur pickup games and watching ninety minute games on FOX Deportes. With limitations affecting my passion I began to follow
Earth, the only planet known to host life, contains a population that totals up to 7.4 billion people, peering a bit closer one can conclude that our population harbors billions of people who are all different in their own way, so finding a person who is not different can be quite challenging. America, misleading those with the nickname melting pot, inhabits millions of people belonging to a vast array of cultures and ethnicities; however, diversity most often equates to a shift in social rankings than it does to equality, and America, day by day, begins to portray a school lunch tray with divided sections rather than a melting pot. In a world where our differences ought to assist society in learning a plethora of new ideas and mindsets, we
As a middle-class Somali-American, I have an identity that very few individuals in the United States have. As a result, I have never fit into a particular group of people. I had not realized this until college because I had always gone to small schools throughout my academic career. From elementary school to high school, I never belonged to a particular group; instead, I associated marginally with all of them due to the small class size. I had created a superficial sense of belonging with a large amount of acquaintances; however, college’s different environment exposed this superficiality immediately.
Unfortunately, the concept of identifying with a heritage group one is not born of can be looked upon with disdain by others. Two more points the author makes is that Americans appreciate their individuality, yet our unique backgrounds help to continually form our blended culture (Rodriguez 730).
Reading over the brilliant work of Michael Walzer’s “What does it mean to be an American” I have discovered that the identity of Americans is that of a “melting pot.” We , as Americans, promote an abundance of cultures that are interconnected to make our country the amazing place it is today. Walzer believes in the diversity of America, he realizes that America’s cultural diversity is part of what makes us the best country in the world.
The world is over 196 million square miles that is home to over 7 billion people all with unique qualities and backgrounds. Me being a caucasian living in Lakewood Colorado I lived though the generic lifestyle of a christian. Church every Sunday and quiet family meals were normal for us but what I didn’t realise was that there was a whole world of ethnically and culturally different people just an ocean away.
Man is a social animal and is in a constant search for a companion. This quest gives birth to the idea of community. Community is the unification of different beliefs and culture, weaving to help create individual identity. Although assimilation into a community increases connectivity, it causes an individual to delve into isolation by losing their sense of identity. The writer will use “Home at last” by Dinaw Mengestu, “Walking the path between Worlds” by Lori Arviso Alvord, and “Aria: A memoir of a bilingual child” by Richard Rodriguez to support his claim.
In our 21st century society we are immersed in, the idea of these “ideal” identities seem foreign as they step off of what we experience in our own identities of individuality. These polar opposite views of a citizens purpose are ones that find themselves on completely different ends of the same spectrum of egocentric vs. magnanimus priorities in life. While from our point of view we see a completely community based population as alien and incorrect, there are many positives outlined in the community identities silhouetted in both 1984 and Brave New World.
Growing up in Miami I have gotten accustomed to the cold and impersonal interactions attributed to living in a big city. Although I enjoy all of the opportunities that are presented by metropolitan areas, it disheartens me to know that most people in urban settings do not know their neighbors. Via avian perspective, you can see the large-scale segregation of classes and ethnic groups. Little Havana, Little Haiti, and Little Puerto Rico are just some examples of the neighborhoods I have called home. As a multiracial child, I found it difficult to fit in when the typical icebreaker question was “Where are you from?” “Me?” I would ask. Knowing there was a narrow range of accepted responses I replied, “I am from here - from Earth... but more importantly, where am I going?” It seems a natural human characteristic to assign greater importance to our past experiences than to our aspirations for the future. In order to achieve what I want with my life I know that I must not dwell on the past but focus on the future.