Throughout our everyday life, we run into people very different from us. Whether it is from their appearance or they way they communicate, it is different from our own way of life. This difference is generally based on the culture and/or cultural identity to which the other person belongs. Culture is a complex phenomena that consists of a very broad range of categories and traits.
Culture defines the way in which we carryout our everyday life. It includes everything from the values, beliefs, and way of communication to the way we define beauty and what we consider norms. For the most part, it is clear that culture consists of the customs and beliefs of a group of people. The culture in which a person grows up or lives within strongly influences their beliefs, behavior, morals, and values. It is through our culture that we develop our Cultural Identity.
Cultural identity is based on things such as:
- religion
- morals
- how you raise your children
- the art you enjoy
- how you keep your house
- what status symbols you value
- Etc.
Cultural identity is not necessarily exclusive since people may identify themselves with more than one culture, sometimes depending on the circumstances. One way of thinking about it would be to use a celebrity as an example. Though in the eyes of the media they are perceived as a television celebrity (or the role which they portray), when they go home they haven’t necessarily dropped their identity as a celebrity, but switch over to their role as a spouse and/or parent. Another example of holding two cultural identities would be that of a Mexican American. While a Mexican American may be considered just Mexican in the United States, in Mexico they are many times looked at foreigners or tourists. They split two cultural identities, but sometimes struggle to maintain both identities up to par within each culture.
Personally, a culture isn’t necessarily limited to those born into them. I was born in Mexico City, Mexico and moved to the United States at a young age. I began school here with no knowledge of the English language (with the exception of the words ‘teacher’ and ‘restroom’) I was accustomed to the customs, culture, and language in which I was raised. However, after a few years I became fairly familiar with this new Anglo American culture and realized it had become a part of my cultural identity. As I grew older, my parents had several rules which my sister and I had to follow while we were at home. The main one was to only speak in Spanish while we were at home. My parents were glad that my sister and I were becoming assimilated to this new American culture, but did not want us to lose our Mexican culture. They constantly reminded us of how proud we should be of our Mexican culture, and how proud we should be of harnessing two cultures simultaneously. “Hay muchos que ya no saben hablar bien el Español, si es que todavia lo pueden hablar” (there are many that don’t know how to speak Spanish well, that is, if they can still speak it at all) , my Mom would constantly remind us. Now, a college student on the verge of receiving my bachelors degree, I see how beneficial it was growing up in two different cultures simultaneously.
For more information, follow the links below:
Anglo and Hispanic Value Conflicts
interculturalsantamaria 