What Are Different Cultures Affecting African American Culture

All languages are important and realizing it will make you become a stronger, more diverse human being. We need take make an effort not only for ourselves but for other citizens living in the United States who don’t speak English; we need to make them feel welcomed into our country. Marjorie Agosín described that,”here in the United States, where I have lived since I was a young girl, the solitude of exile makes me feel that so little is mine, that not even the sky has the same constellations, the trees and the fauna the same names or sounds, or the rubbish the same smell. These are the dilemmas of one who writes in Spanish and lives in translation”(Agosin 599). Agosín has lived in the United States for quite some time now, yet still feels like she is living a life through “translation”. She should not feel this way, Agosin should feel apart of our country and feel as if she is a citizen. It is important for us to take a stand now to make language become apart of the curriculum within our school systems starting in Kindergarten, so that our children have a more diverse life filled with opportunities. One thing we know about the future for sure is that we will still have our knowledge about language, but it is how we use that knowledge that will depict how we will succeed in life and as a

As our nation shifts towards a more culturally diverse population both educators and families have to find a common ground to ensure that English Language Learners are academically successful. All stakeholders must carefully consider the social cultural impact on an ELL education. The process of raising bilingual learners take more than a language a school and a language learned at home. The transition must have a purpose and a goal.

Music is a creative art form that allows the artist to construct something that expresses a purpose. It evolves over time and changes as the world changes, taking on many different motivations behind the melody and lyrics. In today’s society, anger, oppression, racism, and negative opinions rule the media and popular culture. I believe that African Americans need to show their self worth and not let white people hold them back. With the music in white culture often mocking African American culture and portraying negative stereotypes, African Americans have to find ways to gain respect. In acknowledgement of the negative portrayal of their culture, African Americans respond by creating songs and videos that express their pride in their culture and heritage, react to white oppression, and communicate their independence.

When an educator walks into her classroom for the first time, she needs to be prepared to encounter students that come from a variety of backgrounds. The children will be in different stages of language development, and the educator must accommodate for each of these students. Magruder, Hayslip, Espinosa, and Matera (2013) state, “The US Census Bureau projects that by the 2030s, children whose home language is other than English will increase from roughly 22 percent to 40 percent of the school-age population” (p. 9). This increase in second language learners will cause the educator to accommodate for those needs. Second language learners “need teachers who welcome them and recognize their unique abilities, what they know, and what they need to learn” (Magruder, Hayslip, Espinosa, and Matera, 2013, p. 10).

“Language is power. If you cannot understand or be understood you have no power. You are at the mercy of everyone.” – (Rudat, 1994, Stow, Dodd 356) Should Americans be required to learn Spanish as a second language? The construction of our nation stands on documents written in English, however English is not our official language nor has it ever been. America is a “melting pot” in which English is the most prominent language, followed closely by Spanish. Requiring Americans to learn Spanish is a great controversy; I strongly believe that it should be a requirement, because it improves academic achievements, career success, and cultural and social understanding. The controversy has great counter arguments such as the double standard Americans are held to, and further division of the country. Regarding the counterarguments, I still firmly believe that it should be a requirement because the integration of a second language in our schools is more beneficial to our country’s success as a whole.

The United States has a different education system than Mexico. Elementary school is from kindergarten to fifth grade, ages 5 to 10. Then it goes to middle school or junior high school which is grades sixth through eighth and ages 11 to 13. After that is high school which are grades ninth through twelfth which is ages 14 to 17 or 18. It is illegal in the United States not to go to school, but some immigrants do not have enough money to go to school. Most kids in Mexico do not go to school because of the money or because they need to work instead to help their family. America and Mexico have different laws and systems as far as the education systems go.

Around 1959, bilingual education took flight in the United States. Starting in Miami and quickly making its way San Francisco, bilingual education soon led to the Bilingual Education Act which promoted “No Child Left Behind”. Only twenty years later, the act acquired the attention of high schools around the country. Nonetheless, bilingual education is not always taken to be the cure-all for acclimating immigrants to the United States. In his article “Aria: A Memoir of Bilingual Childhood”, Richard Rodriguez argues that students should not take part in bilingual education by explaining how it takes away individuality and a sense of family through use of ethos, diction, and imagery; Rodriguez also uses

Speaking two or more languages is like a country having an atomic bomb during a war. The first situation is advantageous to a person and the second situation is advantageous to a country. “Aria: A Memoir of a Bilingual Childhood” is a memoir of Richard Rodriguez’s bilingual childhood and it was originally published in Hunger of Memory in 1981. In Rodriguez’s memoir, he discusses why he disagrees with bilingual education. His audience is bilingual or anyone that has an opinion towards bilingual education. The purpose in Rodriguez’s memoir is to inform people of the effects of bilingual education and persuade bilingual educators why bilingual education shouldn’t exist.

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As the dawn of chattel slavery began to rise in america, Africans from all over the continent were forced to emigrate to America. Many of them did not even speak the same language. However, all of these people were increasingly brought together because of their forced bondage. It was this shared connection that eventually brought all of these slaves together under one shared culture: The African American culture. Increasingly, music became the major component of this shared culture when it was just starting to form. Perhaps one of the reasons why music was so central for African Americans was because people didn't need to speak the same language in order to appreciate a good piece of music. However, even as slavery progressed and all African Americans could speak english, music continued to be a central component of African American culture. Ultimately, it helped slaves maintain a sense of humanity and hope.

African Americans have open communication with family and friends about personal health (D’Amico & Barbarito, 2012). Due to this, the patient might not have open communication with healthcare professionals. If the patient allows, speaking with a family member this could revile additional information. African Americans dietary patterns include high-fat and fried foods. Due to this diet, the patient has an increased risk for non-compliance for a diabetic diet and decreased wound healing. Finally, African Americans do not see obesity as a concern. These facts are cultural considerations to consider when teaching an African American the need for proper diabetes control and proper wound healing (D’Amico & Barbarito, 2012).

I do not think that there is a particular cultural group that I identify with. If I had to choose then I would say that I identify myself with white american and african american cultural groups. These groups have affected my personality, morals, and values in many different ways. If it was not for the people that i consider my friends then I have no idea where I would be. They have helped me a lot in finding who I am and they are part of who I am. Our morals are at times the same, we know the difference between what is considered to be right and what is considered to be wrong. Even though we have the same morals we do not have the same values. My judgement of what is important in life might be different from what my friends consider is important

Black culture and history are extremely important yet black people to this day are ignorant. Part of this reason is the entertainment industries,such as; Hip Hop, and Rap. Things that go on in the world today have a lot to do with that of the past. There are symbols all around us that show what the black communities in the U.S. had to endure and we choose to ignore it. This class has assisted others and myself in discovering our roots as well as making us more conscious to what is going on within the black community.

African’s lives have long been affected by slavery, colonization, and decolonization. Their traditional lives have been forever changed by the actions of Europeans and other groups. Hunter-gatherers lifestyles have changed tremendously. Their focus on equality, reliability on the land for food, and continuous travel has been altered to support a more permanent lifestyle. As outsiders invaded nearby areas, they brought with them more modern means of survival. Neighboring groups of hunter-gatherer !Kung lived a more sedentary lifestyle and worked directly with Europeans. The !Kung slowly began to implement the sedentary lifestyles of the other African groups that had been affected by European colonization. There does tend to be subsistence differences

Language is what keeps us together, but also separates us apart in society. In the essay Mother Tongue, by Amy Tan she uses personal anecdotes about her mother to show how people will judge someone on the manner of how they speak a certain language, despite not knowing their level of intelligence. Meanwhile, in Felipe de Ortego’s Regarding Spanglish he talks about the chicano language called Spanglish which deals with the mixture of both English and Spanish, and how it has been negatively perceived from society throughout its entire history. While one essay deals with Mandarin and the relationship with English and the other talks about the combination of both English and Spanish, both demonstrate the social disadvantages of speaking the English language differently than everybody else. However, Amy Tan uses, as mentioned before, personal experiences of her mother to convey her message to the reader. Felipe de Ortego goes into depth on how people discriminate against the Chicano and or Latin community who use Spanglish by talking about the origins of both sets of languages and explaining how this “dysphoria” has been the key factor to this negative perception of Spanglish.