Personal Narrative: My Cultural Identity

Throughout my life, I have struggled with accepting my cultural identity. My parents were born and raised in India, but I was born here, in the United States, and hence, born an American citizen.

I was born and raised in the Dominican Republic. My family was catholic and so I was taught to pray and by the age of 13 I had all my sacraments. For most of my life I lived the downtown area of the main city where my mother and her family had also grown up. I considered myself very lucky because even though our economic security was not the best as I grew up, my mother always strived for me to receive the best education she could afford. As a result, I learned to speak English from a very young age and then French, I learned to play the guitar and also to paint. I also took embroidery and etiquette classes and so on. Because of the location where we lived, I also took advantage of many cultural interactions with people from other

Cultural identity are the beliefs a person has in their daily life. A person’s ethnic background and social organization affects his or her role in society. Where a person comes from and the groups that the person is a part of affects their role they have in society. A person’s cultural identity is shaped through where they come from and their social organization.

When I am asked about my cultural identity I think about my ethnicity. Being an Indian in a predominantly white school I feel awkward and out of place. Through the conflicts of my race and religion I have learned more about myself and my cultural identity.

Who am I? Where do I belong? I was raised and born in Palm Springs, California. I'm German, Irish, Jewish, the rest I'm not sure. In California it was normal being white. I didn't feel like an outsider. I felt normal. But when I moved to Hawaii I didn't feel normal. I didn't know people would judge you for being white or as they say it, a "Haulie" . But I think I let that word get the best of me because it's only a word that describes a white person. That's what I am. But the only thing that gets to me is, why do they say it? Why do they have to remind me that I'm white? I been with myself for along time, I think I know I'm white.

Culture is everything that defines a group of people, from the food they eat, to the values they practice each day. To some people, their cultural identity is the most important thing to them, while to others, they may not even know which cultures they belong to. I am part of the second group, so it took a lot of time and work to really discover my cultural identity. I am defined by a few cultures, some very different from each other, but nevertheless, they define me. The cultures that define me are a mix of my hobbies and the people I interact with within videogames and the world of robotics, the food and ethnicity my grandfather brings to the table with his Jewish heritage, and the southern food and traditions that I find all over my family.

Who are you? Most respond with their names, but there are probably a thousand other people who have that name. Knowing one’s name doesn’t mean you really know a person. No, to really know someone you learn their birthday, star sign, favorite color, favorite hobby, how many brothers or sisters they have. You learn them like you’ll have an exam on it next week. You learn their cultural identity. Who am I? I am a candle stick. I am one of six, a capricorn, a soccer player, and someone who lacks ambition. I am, and my culture is: the people I surround myself with, my environment, and most of all, my memories. I am an unexplainable enigma far too complicated to be analyzed by any single human being.

My culture transcends borders, because we are in every country of the world. My culture speaks all the languages of the world and celebrates all religions and no religion. My culture transcends dress, because we are found in all traditions. My culture is not inherited; rather, it is found and newly established by every individual in every generation. Some people find their place in this fluid culture right away, and others take years to recognize it.

Culture encompasses many facets, such as: language, ethnicity, religion, class, power, history, geography, gender, lifestyle, values, beliefs, and traditions (Culture and health, 2016). I had to put my own cultural beliefs aside when caring for an older gentleman who was a Jehovah Witness. It was early in my nursing career and this older gentleman was admitted to the hospital with a very low hemoglobin. He needed a blood transfusion, but because of him being a Jehovah Witness, it was against his religious beliefs to receive any blood. This was very difficult for me to understand, since this was not my belief system. Even though it was not my belief system, it was my obligation and duty as the nurse caring for him to honor his wishes

Cultural identity is an individual’s self-perception of their identity. Cultural identity relates to one’s religion, nationality, gender, generation, etc. Some aspects of a person’s identity may be easily seen, however, some aspects lie deeper than skin color, accent, and clothing.

I have gone to Catholic school since kindergarten. Needless to say, my cultural experience is fairly limited; mostly, I interact with white people. So when I got to high school, it was mostly curiosity that made me sign up to take Mandarin Chinese as a language.

In my opinion i believe that cultural identity is how your cultural backgrounds reflect on the things that you do. Such as for me i was brought up hunting and fishing,these things were taught from generation to generation from the hawaiian culture.

Cultural identity is feeling or belonging to a group. For example Language, Religion, Jobs, or even daily life are some elements of culture. Your language is important so you can communicate with people like you. Religion is really important because more than likely you won’t get along with another tribe that doesn’t believe what you believe or believes the opposite. Clothing is also a cultural identity for example

I come from a small rural farm where I was born and raised all my life and where I grew up with two loving parents and one sister. Ever since I was a young girl, religion has always been a big part of my life because I was born and raised Catholic. My mothers’ side of the family is German Catholic decent and my fathers’ race is German and Cherokee Indian. Even though they are mainly German combined I have always found it interesting that I have Native American blood running through my veins. It is obvious that my parents are both Caucasian and were middle class individuals when I was growing up. I would now classify my parents to be in the higher class because they are worth more now then twenty-five years ago. Even though my parents have more money now than what they did when growing up on the farm, a strong work ethic was important to my parents. I am thankful they instilled this within me because I have always worked hard for everything in my life and I know that this will payoff for me one day. My parents also told me that education will get me further in life and it has. I am the first of my family to graduate from college let alone getting my masters as well. So when looking

Cultural identity is defined as the sense or feeling of belonging to a group. I connect my cultural identity to my immediate family. My immediate family consists of my parents, two younger sisters, and myself. Each one of us has significant values that have been instilled in one another. I believe that they play a large role in making me who I am today. Coming from a large, Sicilian family, the importance of love, loyalty, and support has always been prominent.