Holidays Another way that older generations pass down elements of the Korean culture is through holiday traditions. For the most part, the interviewees listed the typical American holidays that their families celebrate, including Christmas and Thanksgiving. It was evident that some American holidays were less emphasized, such as Independence Day and Halloween. Julie expressed that the lack of observance of some American customs exemplifies her parent’s transmission of Korean culture. For example, because Halloween is not a Korean holiday, Julie and her siblings never dressed up or went trick-or-treating like a majority of their friends. Instead, their parents took them to pumpkin patches, church functions or harvest festivals. Julie formulated …show more content…
(Interview Julie November 5, 2015)
Ray, whose family also participates in this exchange each year, also described the scene as being the most formal family tradition:
So, one of the parents announce that it is time and my cousins and I will all bow to the older aunts, uncles and grandparents of course. We’re supposed to memorize something in Korean to say to them. After we do that, they say something back to us and give us cash or give the younger kids candy or a small gift. I’d say it’s the most formal or traditional thing that we do with our whole family. It’s pretty cool. (Interview Ray November 10, 2015)
Although it is not a consistent annual tradition in his family, Daniel expressed that he is familiar with this ritual and has done it before due to its prevalence in the Korean American community (Interview Daniel November 14, 2015). It is no surprise that this tradition is one of the more popular among Korean Americans because it is consistent with the Korean and Confucian values of respecting elders and maintaining family hierarchy (Park
One such tradition is not socializing with neighbors but only talking to her sisters or other family members. Both of my great-grandparents came from a large family and so the Sunday was always considered family day. It was nothing to see a yard off of kids playing or see the men playing a game of horseshoes as the women would set out the dinner. However, it was the winter time that holds the most memories for my mother. It was then that the families would all gather at the family pond and go ice skating and the men would build a big fire and everyone would stand around and drink hot chocolate. One such tradition in the winter time was right after the first snow fall of the season. We would take a big mixing bowl and go out and fill that bowl as full as we could. Then she would go in and make a big bowl of snow ice cream (Food in Every County). One bright sunny day, our family was going to Lake Pomme De Terre for a family picnic. Like Shteyngart, I was all set for some grilled hamburgers or hot dogs or even some fried chicken. However, that was not meant to be. Like Shteyngart, is aw food being set out that was I saw food that was familiar to my great-grandmother’s culture. Instead of grilling hamburgers, she set out chicken and noodles, mashed potatoes, green beans and for dessert a shoofly pie, sugar cookies, and schnitz pie, which is made with dried apples (Food in Every County). My mother laughed when she saw my face because later my
Good families have many ingredients that make them function properly. One of these elements is values, or what the family views as important. This helps family members know what is good and bad for them. The article “Celebrating Your Family Culture” states, “Around our household, we constantly say, ‘Well, in our family we believe…and everyone’s family is different.’ I’m sure my son gets tired of hearing this in response to why he can’t have the latest electronic gadget, but I also think hearing this anchors him. Kids want to know where you stand on important issues and what your family values,” (Trudeau). The article tells how even though the family values can annoy a member; it steadies them to know the priorities. Having that clear view can also have other effects on family members. When My Name was Keoko tells how Keoko or Sun-hee saw her uncle and mom value their patriotism. This helped her see that her own patriotism should be strong (Park 11, 32, 33, 93). The family values were very important when the Japanese invaded Korea. They were probably the only Korean thing the people of Korea had. Without them the Koreans would give up and never have their own culture again. Concluding, the values that families have are very
On the fourth Thursday of every November, families gather together to spend a day filled with food and laughter. Thanksgiving celebrates the day the settlers and the Native Americans enjoyed their first meal together. However, my parents were both raised in Mexico and never had a typical yearly Thanksgiving celebration. Despite my parents home being Mexico, they started a family in America and decided to teach their children about both of the places they come from. A compromise between American and Mexican traditions formed and served as a family tradition until last year. A year ago, my family ate a Thanksgiving meal at my sister's parent-in-laws house.
Family traditions are passed on from generation to generation, however they are not always static rules. Tradition is like a living organism that adapts to change over time. In order to understand modern North Korea’s family customs, it is important to consider the tradition of the past. Before North Korea’s liberation from Japan in 1945, North Korean families operated differently than they do today. Their ideology was founded on Confucius’s principles of family, including “only a country where family life was harmonious could be peaceful and prosperous” (Asia Society). The family is an integral part of society the same way a cell is important to a body (Suzy, 264). The government is even considered “one family” that everyone is a part of (Monday). Every individual in a family has a role and every family has a role in society. The ideal family is modeled from Kim Il Sung’s nuclear family (Suzy, 268). It is clear that family is a fundamental priority in North Korean society.
I have found the sweet sixteen party is quite similar to a Quinceañero birthday party. Probably the most distinct similarities are that they are both an event that celebrates a girl’s transition from childhood to womanhood. They are both an important part of the culture, as well as are quite elaborate and usually expensive, depending on the type of party the parents want. They celebrate when a girl becomes a woman, which is a major stage in life because adults have more privileges and responsibilities. This is a big part of their culture because it is celebrated by almost all Spanish girls when they become women. Most of the time, these parties are elaborate, as they only happen to a person once in their entire
This paper espouses that the current family gathers is a ritual that stabilizes and strengthens the family and provides a platform for building formidable bedrock for future
Every family has their own unique way of spending time together with loved ones only seen during the holidays. In the Stock home, there is only one thing we enjoy doing. Sure, like every other family we have our grand and elaborate dinner, which is composed of all the greatest delicacies my mother and grandmother can whip up. Of course, as is expected,
The cultural role of the Korean American adoptee was largely established during the 1950s and 1960s as a result of media attention given to this small group of Korean immigrants who arrived in the United States when almost all other Asian nationals were barred from legal American immigration. During this time, the U.S. was governed by a strict policy of Asian exclusion that had been in effect in some form since 1882. So, even the trope of the Korean adoptees as “exceptional” among American peoples of color and among immigrants began with this small group of adoptees, who are now the elders of Korean adoptee communities in the United States and throughout the world.
This paper explores a discussion about the Psychological Benefits of Our Thanksgiving Rituals. Four experts in the field of psychology, who specialized in family traditions, convened in a roundtable discussion about what ritual means in the subject of Thanksgiving. The four psychologists who were involved in this discussion are: First is Anne Fishel, an associate clinical professor of psychology and author of the book “Home for dinner”, Second is Janine Roberts, a family therapist, a professor emerita of family therapy at University of Massachusetts-Amherst and author of (Family Routines and Rituals), Third is Barbara Flese, psychologist and author of (Family Routines and Rituals), and Lastly Bill Doherty, professor of family social science from The University of Minnesota. This article was written originally for The Conversation, which is a newsletter online that provides informed news analysis and commentary that can be read and republished. Published on November 24, 2015. This particular articles was republished in U.S. News World Report. In this paper, I examine the discussion between the four psychologists and critique the different views of thanksgiving rituals and how it benefits psychologically.
YANG, Kou. An Assessment of the Hmong American New Year and Its implications for Hmong-American Culture [on line]. In: Hmong Studies Journal. Volume 8, 2015, 32 pp. Available at : < http://hmongstudies.org/KYangHSJ8.pdf> (Accessed November 25, 2016).
His only possession was luggage bags full of clothing, and he did not bring any heirlooms on his journey. In order to go to America, Korean and American embassies interviewed Kim before flying by plane. Kim traveled alongside his brother and sister, and he keeps contact with them to this day. When he arrived in America, he was surprised because of the different people. Kim thought he was in a whole different world. Despite living in America for the other half of his life, he kept general Korean traditions, such as regularly eating Korean food, and practicing filial piety, an Asian philosophy where people respect others older than them, such as elders and
In many ways current American cultural beliefs and norms related to gatherings and traditions are similar to those of non-industrialized societies. Examples of family gatherings that we in our American society share include; Thanksgiving, Super bowl parties, and Christmas dinner. Christmas dinner however is based on religious beliefs so we will leave it out of this discussion for the purpose of in composing all American citizens in the discussion.
I learned about the way they sit when I went on a trip to Korea and it was very weird to see, and very hard to sit there to the way they're accustomed too. When we went out for dinner in Korea we went to a well known restaurant with a table right in front of you there were no chairs. First, you
As a child, my family would celebrate every holiday with grandeur, especially Christmas. We have specific traditions and rituals that we carry out during the season, but the most important of our traditions is what we do on Christmas morning. Our rituals and traditions reflect our values as well as my own of family, unity, and tradition. The morning of the holiday my mother has always woken my brother and I, and then brought us to our dad so we could all walk down to the family room. As we gather in the family room around our tree and presents, my mom serves us each a piece of her Christmas casserole, saved for this special morning. Following our video-taped walk down to our presents, my brother, mother, father, and I open one gift from each other and the first thing in our stocking. After this ritual, my brother and I would go downstairs to our in-law suite where our grandmother lived, to wake up our Mimi and pull her upstairs so that we could finish opening presents and have hot chocolate with our entire family. One Christmas morning
Parent’s role in South Korea is taking care of their children until they get married. Children usually live with their parents until they are married, even if they are full grown adults. Parents are desperate attempt to give children an educational advantage, and grant them explore to a globalized worldview (in contrast with Korea's strictly homogenous culture and community), children are often sent to boarding schools abroad usually to the U.S., Canada and Australia, and family members strangely separated for many years.