Cultural Identity Free Essays

Losing Cultural Identity Both the authors Choy and Engkent focussed mainly on the ideas of culture, immigration and assimilation. These two essays showed that acculturation is bi-directional from both the sides and it requires neither a change value, although values may become acculturated nor the internal change. Assimilation is unidirectional, towards the dominant group and it requires change in values and the internal change. We will write a custom essay sample on Cultural Identity or any similar topic only for you Order Now Losing cultural Identity : Immigrants always have fear that they will lose their identity when move into new society. In I’m banana and proud of it, Choy expressed his father feeling by saying that â€Å"Father used to say We lacked Taiost rituals, Taoist manners. We were, he said, â€Å"mo li. † Similarly, Engkent showed his father fear of losing cultural values and how he discouraged his wife not to learn English by saying these words † That old women will get rich doing nothing. What have these women learned ? Fan- gwei ways- make-up lipstick, smelly perfumes, fancy clothes. Once she gets through with them, they won’t be Chinese about the land and the life they had been forced to leave behind. † Even the author Choy personally felt that he is caught between two cultures. He claimed himself as Banana, which means that he possessed both the Chinese physique outside and Western lifestyle inside. Acculturation of immigrants: The acculturation is process of cultural change between two different cultural groups who come in contact with each other. The media and language are greatly responsible for acculturation. In I’m a banana and proud of it, the author greatly influenced by the host culture through media. The host media like magazines, music and movies are the only choice for them to read, listen and watch. This showed great influence over immigrants soul and culture. On the other hand, there are some people unable to acculturate into new society due to greater affection towards their culture and lack of communication. In, Why My Mother Can’t Speak English Engkent mother was unable to acculturate into new society. hat’s why she offered. lai-shi to the officer, which means bribe in Canada even after 30 years stay in Canada. Further, she faced difficulty in learning English. The Berry (1990) psychologist defined acculturation is individuals change both by being influenced by contact with another culture and by being participants in the general acculturative changes underway in their own culture†. This means that culture is being influenced by internal force within the individual and external environmental factors. This acculturation leads to assimilation which gives either an harmony or conflict and stress. References Berry, J. W. (1990). Psychology of acculturation: Understanding individuals moving between cultures. In R. Brislin (Ed. ), Applied cross-cultural psychology. Newhury Park: SagePublications John W. Berry (2005). Acculturation: Living successfully in two cultures. Retrieved from http://isites. harvard. edu/fs/docs/icb. topic551691. files/Berry. pdf How to cite Cultural Identity, Papers Cultural Identity Free Essays Ticia R. Grant June, 1, 2011 Bridging Course for Women Assignment #2 Course Director: Brenda L. Blondeau The Consequence of Cultural Identity To understand the significant effect that our cultural background has on our identity, we must acknowledge the advantages provided by the sense of unity, of belonging to something bigger, and of collectively sharing a heritage with others. We will write a custom essay sample on Cultural Identity or any similar topic only for you Order Now In contrast, someone who feels disconnected with said heritage might feel deprived of that highly sought after sense of belonging, which in turn can lead to a feeling of not knowing who they should e, a lack of identity. It is the causes and effects of this conflict that Apryl Gladue describes in her writing, and she makes the clear argument that the cycle of deprivation of her predecessor’s native culture is likely to keep repeating itself. This, in essence, is cause of the mourning of â€Å"paper† Indians. Gladue coins this term â€Å"paper Indians† which she uses to refer to Native Americans who have learned their culture only through classes, in school and on paper. The term is also meaningful in the sense that according to overnment documentation, she is of Native status; however she was not raised or brought up as such. In addition to outlining the difficulties she has faced in losing her mother and her connection to her heritage, she also speaks of her tr iumphs despite her crises of identity. To quote Gladue on page 206 she writes â€Å"Unsure of how to make my way in the world, I soon formed my own identity in academics. † I believe this was a defining and transitional time for Gladue, as she no longer identified herself as being either white or Native but rather as a part of the academic community, wherein nationality, creed, gender, social status and even age are often overshadowed by an individual’s intellect and ability. She describes being admitted to the legal bar and pursuing a career as a civil servant as legal counsel to the DIAND, as a way of contributing her own ideas of law and policy concerning Natives in Canada, however she plainly expresses that despite her efforts she never felt like she â€Å"fit in† within her own community. This feeling of etachment, seemingly all stems back to never having been raised by a Native, as a Native, and it is this loss that plainly illustrates the permanency of this damaging cycle. I can definitely relate with the entire notion of feeling disconnected from my own culture, as I was also raised without a parent. I was raised by my mother, who was many ethnicities, but my father, who was born in Quito, Ecuador, left when I was very young. While I did learn some of th e Spanish language, I was never brought up within the traditional Latin culture. Instead I was raised here, within western society and denied the opportunity to experience that part of who I am. I am reminded of this everyday by my boyfriend who was born in Spain, and his mother, who we currently reside with. The differences in cultural behaviours and beliefs are immense, especially with regards to morality and family, in comparison to what I was taught to believe and how I was raised. To many people my features appear Hispanic, and when asked of my background I always answer â€Å"Spanish† because I do see it as part of my identity, but In terms of feeling ike I belong to the Spanish culture, I am sad to say that for me it is a reality that I will never know. The best I can do is listen to the music and learn the language to speak the native tongue of my father, who I never really knew. It is only then that I feel connected to him, to my culture and to that â€Å"something bigger† that we all seem to yearn for, however it is vital that we recognize that there are many other ways to define ourselves. References Apryl Gladeau, A Culture of Loss Canadian Woman Studies (Volume 26 3,4) pg 204- 207, 2008 How to cite Cultural Identity, Essay examples