Blog #2: Your own cultural bricolage: Do an inventory and narrative of your own
cultural affiliations and identities. What do you stress, value about your culture(s)? How
hybrid or globalized are you?
Where, when, under what circumstances do you feel conflicted, defensive,
confused about your cultural identity/ies? Post by Sunday September 22,
midnight. Below are three postings of cultural bricolage from a previous class to inspire you! Have fun :) And READ each other's blogs!...respond to what is meaningful to you.
Various
cultural influences shape my tattoos. I have the words "nature" and
"god" tattooed across my wrists in Sanskrit, a space where Jesus was
allegedly pierced as he was crucified. On my upper arms I have an abstract
version of the African continent (abstract because it's supposed to mimic the
henna tattoos Indian brides have on their palms) with the Hindu symbol for the
sound of creation, on one arm. While the other has a short prayer to the Hindu
god Shiva surrounded by the lotus flower. This collage of symbols is evident of
what has influenced me as a human the most (Dominick).
When
I'm walking around my neighborhood, the first thing that people
often recognize, is my hair. And most people classify my to the group or
culture of being a Rastafarian, "Rasta", which in my case, that's not
a culture or a group that I can say I identify with. Like most, I
don't really like to identify myself as being in a "culture", because
there are its limitations, and you are often just boxed into what comes with being in a
culture. And, I am totally the opposite of being boxed in. As an
African-American young woman there are so many cultural identities, that I can
be identified with, but I believe that it is the choices and options available
to you, that deciphers what kind of cultures that you best coexist with. For
me, I find that an "earthy-like" element is something that best fits
with me. My look, I attempt to be very different, and I stray away from the
norm of what Fashion is said to be like, I like my own originality. Even the
music that I listen to, I have no limits to what I listen too, I love the
words, in the poetic sense. (Victoria)
Due
to problems at home my adolescent
years became a period of disavowal of my Dominican upbringing. My parents and
brother simply couldn't relate to me or my tastes, so I was playfully (on my
parents' and other older Hispanics' behalf) labeled a 'gringo' and
not-so-playfully teased and tortured by my first-born brother. So, I decided to
take off with my newfound cultural interests and retaliate against this
non-acceptance. To my peers in school, I'd pretend that I didn't speak Spanish.
When they'd think I was white, I would wholeheartedly encourage it, matter of
fact I took pleasure in their ignorance. I thought, better White than like you.
I felt like I was toying with them, which was the seed for a 'healthy'
superiority complex that sprouted later on. Ever since, I've been engaged in
the process of trying to reconnect with my culture. It was an epiphany seeing a
group of musicians that made the most of their hybridity, with full-blown
acceptance, in turn helping me to realize that my generation is unique and
lucky to be bilingual and multi-cultural. If i want my kids to experience and
harness that beauty, i have to sustain it in myself, cultivate it, and make sure
i can share it with my future family. My retaliation was part rebellion, half
defense mechanism, and all learning.
(Rollin)
When most people meet me, they see a typical white girl. Then, I tell them my name is Tamika and they ask if I’m part black. I usually just laugh and don’t give much information. Upon hearing me speak, the next thing is “I hear an accent. Where are you from?” I was born and raised in Brooklyn, and learned to speak Spanish as a child. I consider myself an American who is very in touch with my Puerto Rican roots. I was raised by my Grandmother, who is Puerto Rican, so I learned how to cook like her and act like her, but that is only a small part of who I am. My other grandmother is Irish and German but if you ask her, she will say she’s Italian because she picked up my grandfathers culture when they married. Both women have very light skin and light eyes, as do both my parents.
ReplyDeleteMy father is not a religious man, but taught me to have the utmost respect for the dead. He went to Catholic school his entire life, as did his 7 brothers and sisters. He taught my sister and I that when someone is dying you visit him/her as often as you can to stay in his/her good graces. When they pass, we weren’t allowed to watch TV or listen to music until the day after the burial. We were expected to sit in silence and mourn. I was never allowed to sit at the window and look outside because I didn’t “live in the streets” and wasn’t a part of that life, so I shouldn’t concern myself with it. But that was something my Puerto Rican grandmother taught me.
I get extremely offended when I hear people speaking about Italian and Puerto Rican stereotypes. They assume I’m loud. I’m outspoken. There’s a difference. I’m married now but men I’ve dated in the past have always expected me to wait on them hand and foot. They think because I have always kept my own home clean, that I’m going to clean theirs. I’m not a maid. I’m not going to someone else’s home to cook and clean when I do that everyday for myself.
More than anything else, I’m a city girl. I love the city life and I don’t think I’d ever move too far from New York. I’m independent and I don’t like to rely on anyone to help me or do things for me. I feel that these are American traits I have picked up over the years. I still believe that “the man” should sit at the head of the table, and be served first which I know is old school thinking, but in my experience, men appreciate that mentality. They feel it’s a sign of respect and therefore I am given respect in return. I don’t believe women should be looked down upon, but praised for all we do. This is why I feel that I fit in perfectly in New York; they say it’s the largest melting pot in the world.
"...but that is only a small part of who I am" is something that stood out right away reading your post. No matter where someone comes from, it really is only a small part of the entire person they are. I like how you threw in some traditions such as respecting the dead, and men sitting at head of table. I think its great to continue "old" traditions, put aside some, and to welcome new ones. You've spoken for millions of people when you mentioned,"This is why I feel that I fit in perfectly in New York; they say it’s the largest melting pot in the world." Along with it being a melting pot, everyone should acknowledge that everyone originated from somewhere else and at some point have/will experience what you've experienced.
DeleteI've always really loved how Italian and Latin cultures have so much respect for the the dying/ passed. This past summer I was in Italy and while in Naples and walking around the streets with my friend and we passed a window-box that had various photos in it. I could tell it was a memorial of some sort. One of the photos was of a man and his smile was quite silly and I mentioned it and laughed a bit, my friend (who is Napoletano) was like, "Kierra, don't poke fun at his photo. He is passed and we have a lot of respect for the dead here". He called my ass out! But it really made me think about the way we are kind of desensitized here in America. I think it has to do with the amount of glorified violence we see on the regular, we have a detachment from spirituality and the dead unless we are close to it. It made me consider my spirituality(as someone who feels very spiritual--not religious but spiritual, and level of respect. I had a lot of moments in Europe where I realized that the American mindset is one of little reverence. I have worked on that ever since. I can't wait to live somewhere that still highly regards the passed and spiritual realms.
Delete*Also, that is not to say that ONLY Italian and Latin cultures have reverence for the dead. There are many that do... American culture, in my opinion, not so much!
DeleteI think part of the reason they respect the dead so much is because they believe in the afterlife.
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ReplyDeleteGrowing up in New York I’ve seen a great diversity of different backgrounds. However my mother always told me to never forget where I came from no matter what country I may be in. As a child she inculcated me with the essence of our native language so I wouldn’t be able to forget it; both speaking it and writing it. Culture and customs were important as well; the food, the music, and traditions, were something she’d want me to know. There just couldn’t be a party or special event without having Mariachi’s over or breaking a piñata if it was a child’s birthday. After all it is what identified us. Whenever I go visit my country every summer, I feel like my true identity is there because I can communicate with my relatives in a manner that they can only understand as Mexicans. I wouldn’t be seen weirdly because they’d know what I mean. Unlike here, some get bemused by phrases or words I say; even if they speak Spanish as well. I’d say “Que Honda!” and my Ecuadorian friend would say “huh?” which means “what’s up?”Although I’m bilingual and live in a country where a lot of my thinking, behavior, and attitude are shaped, I still feel that Mexico is where I truly belong. I may speak more English because of my friends here; I may drink a cup of coffee with a croissant in the morning instead of having a hot tamale with atole, I may be influenced by the media and entertainment; whether its fashion, music or TV shows, and I may adapt other cultures to my life style because here is where i live and I've been accustomed to them, but I still believe my true identity is where I was born.
ReplyDeleteIt is quiet challenging to be in a country where it’s not truly your “home” because you have to encounter ignorant racist people who try to make your life as miserable as theirs. I remember a time where I was on the train talking to my friend who came for a visit and as we were conversating in Spanish, some old man yells “Hey you immigrant! Stop crossing the border and go back to Mexico; this is America.” We ignored him but I was extremely outraged. Just because one is from Mexico does not mean they crossed the border or had to do something illegal to get to the United States. It truly irritates me when people stereo-typically look down upon people; I believe those who call other people immigrants based on their language or looks are profoundly stupid. Nevertheless I still love NY, not only did I have my childhood here, but my friends and family live here as well. However, I feel like I can be freer whenever I go visit my country because no one will ever tell me to shut up and speak their language, or look at me funny if I say something they wouldn't understand.
Your experience on the train is interesting- inversely, I know two people who were riding a train in Mexico City, speaking in English, when a stranger screamed at them, "This is Mexico! Speak Spanish! No English!" I also have a Vietnamese friend who spent some time in Puebla, and she said the racism directed toward her was intense. I guess nobody can escape it, anywhere.
DeleteHave you ever read /El Laberinto de la Soledad/ by Octavio Paz? In the first chapter he talks about some of the differences between living in the U.S. and living in Mexico. It was written in 1950, but his observations about the American character are still pretty spot-on.
the thing I can relate most about your comment is the identity of your roots. I find it fascinating that in within us that there is an instinctual need to connect to our culture it is like essential part of you is missing and without it you cant communicate the essence of what makes you the person that you are.
DeleteIrma--I love your mentioning of expressions that one group of Spanish speakers use but not another! Matthew The Labyrinth of Solitude is a beautiful book that I read years ago--he also does a lot with the idea of machismo as I recall. . .
DeleteGrowing up in Brooklyn, New York for the past 24 years I felt like I have seen it all but then again I haven’t. I was adopted at a very young age by my mom she took me in and loved me knowing that me dark African American skin tone didn’t correlate with her lighter Cuban skin tone and from that point on when I was a kid I knew that skin color was no barrier if anything it just compelled her more to embrace with all the love she had to offer I always carried that with me. No growing up in a household with a family who lived the culture of being Hispanic it was beauty to just witness and at times be a part of, but what when I saw someone of my skin complexion rapping as a emcee for the first time along with hearing Mary J. Blige singing, something just shook my insides like a maracas (no pun intended (or irony)) and I felt at home with my initial roots. Also when I would go to school I would have a tough time explaining my mother’s last name to my fellow peers and correlating that with my skin tone and or nationality. It is still at times a constant struggle myself mentally because they were times I felt as if I am letting down “blackness”? to embrace something that doesn’t look, like nor sound like me?, though I now more than ever I view it as not just a Spanish last name from my mom but a name that embraces all of me not matter what skin color I am or nationality I represent and for that I will forever be grateful. Considering I could have been any of the stereotypes being label on a young African American black male but values, morals, and I believe my intellectual instincts which were encouraged upon by my mom is what has lead me to being the most polite, smart, good hearted man that I am today.
ReplyDeleteWow--so interesting--the love and energy from your adopted culture; the conflict about "letting down" an original culture that you didn't have a direct way to connect with and your gratitude to your mom for values that made you strong:)
Delete***This is kind of long, and the comment limited me to a certain number of characters. I tried to cut it down, but it still wouldn't let me paste it, so this is in two separate comments.****
ReplyDeleteI was raised Jewish, and have always known my family history. My father’s mother, my grandmother, was born in Berlin. Her family fled to Israel when the Nazis took over.
My grandfather was born in Vienna and dealt with a similar situation. He was a blonde haired and blue-eyed child who used to go to the Hitler rallies and report back to his family about what he saw. After Kristallnacht, they also fled to Israel. My grandmother and grandfather met on a beach in their adopted country, got married and had two boys.
I’m telling you all of this, because I cling to this history as a safety net.
I was adopted into this family. This loving, Jewish, middle class family. I have never known anything different, it’s not like one day this information was just sprung upon me. I have always known that I was born in Fayetteville, Arkansas. That my birth mother looked much like my adoptive mother, so I never looked out of place in the family I grew up in. I never knew my birth mother or father’s nationality however, so when people used to ask me what my background was I would tell them that I was French. I’m not sure why I lied and why I never told them that I was German or Austrian like my dad, or Russian and English, like my mom. It was one of the things about myself that I always wanted to know for sure, especially since everyone in New York has such a rich cultural background. I looked at my younger brother and sister, both of whom my parents had naturally, with envy. At least they knew who they were, where they came from.
A few years ago, I asked my mom what she knew about my birth family, and unlike previous attempts to extract this information, she actually told me. She named names, my birth parents were Tammy and Ron. I had an older sister named Elizabeth and a brother named Morgan. Ron was adopted too. I went on the computer and searched for a few hours and finally, right there on the screen were pictures of people who looked like me.
Tammy told me that I am Native American and Irish. When she told me I was Native American, she used the word "Indian." I thought she was talking about the country. She laughed and said "Ya'll are too politically correct up North," her grandmother was full blood Choctaw. Tammy is a Christian, a born again Christian to be exact. She says Jesus saved her.
Ron says he was raised a Southern Baptist. When his parents found out about me, they wanted to speak to me. His father’s name is Ward and his mother’s is Billie. Ward and Billie Boone. (Most Southern names ever, perhaps?). They are very lovely people. However, one of the first exchanges Ward and I had went thusly:
“So what religion are you? Do you practice?”
“Well, I’m Jewish.”
“Well, we can sure change that.”
No one in this family had ever met a Jew, they do live in the “Bible Belt” after all. To them, the Jews did kill Jesus. When I went down to meet them, I was probably the only person in a hundred mile radius who had ever eaten Matzo Ball Soup.
My sister, Elizabeth was very interested in the religion. She was genuinely curious, and I think amused to have a Jewish sister. My brother, who I have learned takes after my birth father with his drinking habit, told me that he was researching it and wishes that he too was adopted so he could have been brought up a “New York Jew.” (“They shoulda done a 2-for-1 kinda deal” is what he’s said on multiple occasions). My birth mother on the other hand, constantly quotes scriptures and inserts Jesus into normal exchanges to the point where it’s fairly irritating and uncomfortable. Does she regret giving me to a Jewish family?
DeleteI almost felt like a sideshow. Not only had they never met a Jew, they had never met a New Yorker either. My attitude was different, my clothing was different, my accent was different. To my birth brother and sister, I was a picture of the person they could have been if their parents had chosen to put them up for adoption. Instead, there they were, staring at this girl, this stranger who happens to share the same DNA, who happens to have the same habits and laugh as them, despite never knowing I existed. To me, Morgan and Elizabeth were portraits of what my life would have looked like if my birth parents had decided to keep me. I could have been Lillie Bernice Boone: Arkansan, Southern Baptist, Native American and Jesus lover. Instead, I’m Brooke Dana Kressel: Jewish New Yorker.
It's hard to composite these two completely different images of the same person together. So I think that's why I cling to my grandparent’s past- because their story is the only one I know for sure and frankly, the only one I care to know. Of course I cared about their stories before I met my birth family, but I can confidently say that I didn’t feel as connected to my religion, my city and my family until I experienced the other side of it; until I saw who I could have been. I come from a place of gratitude when I say thank you Tammy, for choosing to give me to these "New York Jews." I still have trouble, however, when people ask me about my nationality. It was almost easier being French.
Brooke-- this is such an amazing, layered, complicated story with a beautiful philosophical ending! So did you actually go meet with them or was all this exchange online?
DeleteThanks Dr. Van! Yes, I've been down to Arkansas and Oklahoma to meet them a few times, and some of them have come up to New York. It's been an eye opening experience, to say the least.
DeleteI am from Turkey, and I came to the United States one and a half year ago for the university education. First of all, the family is really important in our culture. The relationship between the family members is generally so strong, and it doesn't matter what age they are in, children generally depend their parents morally. So, coming to a new country, a new culture was a huge step for me because I'm here on my own,and my parents live in Turkey. Before I came here, I was already studying at a college in another city of Turkey. Even though some of my family members live in the city that I was studying, living in a city without my parents made me more independent, and gave me more self confidence. It was also kind of preparation of coming here. People are generally hospitable and helpful in Turkey. So, I remember that a few days before my flight, my uncle said, "You will be alone in the US. You and your money, that's it. The people are not the same there that you know in Turkey". So, that sound was so scary, and I was expecting to have a big cultural shock. However, after I spent a few days here, in NYC, I didn't feel really big differences between my country and US. The city almost is the same where I was studying. I like going to concerts, shows, and art museums. So, New York is just perfect for me to continue my hobbies. Maybe it was just my luck, but I met great people so far, and everyone is so friendly to me. I didn't have any bad experiences yet because of being another country. Even though I really like almost everything in New York, I can't help it but I always miss my parents, my family and my friends in Turkey. I think sharing the same language and spending so much time together make the biggest connection between the people. I can't put myself in a culture that I think I belong to because there's no such a thing for me. However, as a country, I feel like I belong to my home country despite the all beautiful things of New York because in Turkey, I have my family. My friends that we have spent years together and shared the same feelings, thoughts about life, politics, or other areas that we all know very well. So, I was in Turkey during the summer, and I came back 2 weeks ago. It was really hard to leave for this time. But, I do love NY anyway, and I'm happy to spend my time here as a student.
ReplyDeleteSimge--I hear you about feeling torn after the summer but you also have a great story about your NYC experience and how kind people have been (contrary to New Yorkers' reputations in general!)--also it's true NYC is perfect for a museum, concert person--and there's a fair amount of free events!
DeleteIm Italian and Brazilian. So right off the bat people think im either part of the mafia or i live in the ghettos. i live in a beautiful neighborhood in whitestone queens & my parents are far from mafiosos. Being completely half and half, both sides of my family have very strong morals and values when it comes to our heritage. my nonna(italian for grandmother) never lets us miss sunday dinner. its something our family has been doing since my father was a baby. we all cook and discuss our week and plans or just anything else we share with the family. it brings us all closer together even if its one day a week. my mom is full brazilian. her side of the family may not be so big as my fathers side, but were all extremely close knit. i consider myself an american with italian and brazilian cultures. but to others, im stereotyped as a loud italian and thats somewhat frustrating. Both my parents are huge cultural influences for me. i speak portuguese with my mom and italian with my dad. Its always been that way. Me? i try to be as open and as freespirited as i can. i keep my heritage very close to my heart. i try to be original and bring in both elements of my heritage. i love where i came from and i embrace it every day
ReplyDeleteComing from two different backgrounds,i think its nice that you're able to balance both.Having dinner with your fathers side of the family and being able to speak Portuguese because of your mothers language shows that you really care of your heritage. As you said "I keep my heritage very close to my heart" which is a good thing because unfortunately not a lot of people do that.
DeleteI too like your phrase, "I keep my heritage close to my heart." And I am jealous that you got to grow up bilingual and are now tri-lingual!
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DeleteI respected And admire when you say you come from a tightknit family. I understand how valuable that is to someone including myself,even though I don't have Cultures representing who I am I understand the value of family
DeleteI am very sorry to hear that you get stereotyped. Unfortunately many people are ignorant and don't educate themselves about other, they always stick to the stereotypes. I find it wonderful hat once a week your whole family gathers together for a meal. Your family must be very close i bet there's nothing you guys don't tell each other. I think that this tradition you should keep out of all the rest.
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ReplyDelete"We have to be more Mexican than the Mexicans, and more American then the Americans."-Abraham Quintanilla, "Selena."
Cultural balance has always been an adventure growing up. As if being half Mexican & half Dominican weren't rare enough, it was even more rare for others to believe it as I appeared white. All throughout childhood I was always surrounded by latin/hispanic culture within family, and experienced the average American culture outside the family whether it be with friends or school. My issue was never being stereotyped or discriminated by strangers, for people assumed I was simply of caucasian decent, my difficulty was identifying myself within my very own cultures. It was always difficult to have a balance between the three. Those of hispanic/latin decent would most likely agree when I say that those two nationalities, Mexican and Dominican, are very different from each other. Some may say that the only common thing they have is the language, but even that has major differences. To me, the way I spoke, thought, and carried myself around either side of the family was something I struggled with, thinking I would be made fun of for appearing like the opposite nationality. I knew any remarks made were simply a friendly tease, but to me a "slip" was always something to be thought as me being disrespectful. As I grew up I slowly grew away from focusing on it and simply lived everyday being myself. The way I dress, speak, and act is all influenced from moving to the suburbs in New Jersey, which family calls the "white boy" look. Strangers definitely have difficulty believing that I am of hispanic/latin decent when I moved back to NYC. To me the important point of it all was that after I was old enough to voice opinion and to experience life, my family became less caring to how I appeared as I grew up and more focused on the countries I return from bringing them gifts and experiences of someone else's culture. I may not show it, but to me culture is my strongest passion no matter where I am or who I surround myself with. I may appear "new school" to elders, but I hold many traditions in my heart that I will express strongly to children in my future. As the adventure began as a child, I still experience the world in search for my destination, identifying myself towards endless amounts of cultures.
Manuel--I love your description of finding the balance and the issue of being disrespectful--and also at the end your commitment, passion for your culture(s)!
DeleteTo be quite honest I can't say that there is much about my culture that I am tied to. I was born and raised in Jamaica, New York but my parents are Mexican. From early childhood my parents tried very hard to keep me and my siblings in tact with our Mexican roots but like most children we really didn't understand the point. Why bother learning Spanish? Why go to church and pray to man who hides in the sky? I do speak Spanish but because of my stubborn ways I can't speak it very well and I can barely read or write it.Many Mexicans have a religion (most likely catholic) but much to the dismay of my parents I don't have one. I don't think you need a religion to believe in God. Unlike my parents I also don't believe in God. But then again I don't think this is entirely true for sometimes my mind gets filled with doubt and there is a small part of me that is hidden deep inside my gut that thinks that maybe there could be a God. I don't put much thought into it though, not because I'm frightened but because I don't think it really matter whether or not there is a God; or an afterlife for that matter. All this will only matter once your dead but your not dead yet so there is no point in contemplating about God or the after life. Everything that you should do you should try and do it here on earth. We should live or lives to the fullest and help other people. Although I do not believe in religion or the bible I do find it fascinating. Because I was raised as a catholic I find Catholicism interesting. Not only the way the word "Catholic" is spelled and pronounced but the stories that are hidden in the bible. I don't think they are real but they are certainly wonderful to hear, although they used to frighten me as a child. The reason why all this is important is because, although I don't believe in any of it, it has shaped who I am. I love film (especially horror films. The classics not the modern crap that gets made today) and I love literature (drama and the supernatural like "Rebecca" and "East of Eden") I myself love to write and religion and the bible has helped shape the stories I write. The only thing that worries me though is the future of my culture. I don't think it's going to die anytime soon but because I don't speak Spanish or know much about Mexico I'm afraid that I won't be able to pass down anything about it to my children (if i have any).
ReplyDeleteJorge--thanks for your really honest description of what happens in second generation both in relation to language and religion--I love Rebecca and East of Eden too!
DeleteI like how blunt you are with your view on religion and that you realize that although you don't believe in it, it has shaped who you are. We're on the same boat when it comes to the language, I can speak it but I'm almost illiterate with it. On a side note, I would love to read some of your work!
DeleteA great plethora of things all accumulate in order to what I classify as my Identity, however a big chunk of it is culture which in turn through association includes religion. Because as hard as it is to find and define ourselves, it all comes back to culture. I was born and raised til elementary school in Bangladesh, where culture and religion are so immersed within each other that if one were to try to separate one from another they’d only lead back to themselves. Like a snake biting its tail, so too is Bangladesh’s sociality in a never ending loop. And it is also because of this I still am mentally stuck in this circuit. Even after spending more than a decade in America I am still culturally aligned to that of Bangladesh’s.
ReplyDeleteI can honestly say I’ve lived a sheltered life. I can’t say I’ve been prosecuted against, or experienced heavy prejudice. When I hear stories of how someone was stopped ‘randomly’ and frisked or were victimized against, I can’t say that I can properly relate. As I’ve already stated, my identity is my culture and my culture is synonymous to my religion. They’ve protected my so far, as because of them I wasn’t allowed out alone nor to interact with others without supervision. It is only in the past three years from my senior year high school that I’ve been allowed to roam by myself. I guess I should be grateful that I live in one of the calmer neighborhoods in New York, with it’s rich diversity and fast paced environment I was simply allowed to be and blend into the background. And it is because of this I’ve been allowed to grow. I still hold hold strong connection to my roots through speaking and interacting using my mother tongue at home, yet at the same time I am also connected here through my sisters who were born and raised in New York. While I am outside, I embrace one aspect of my identity and blend into the lively chaos that it NY, but the moment I step inside my home I shift into another side of my identity.
Reine--I enjoy the way you describe inside and outside--that you feel protected yet also free to roam--the idea of Bangladesh society as a never ending loop is a beautiful analogy!
DeleteMy culture is English one of the most violent and controlling of all cultures. Although it's getting better there was a time if you did not conform to their ways you might have been killed. It was all about power in fact I do not think there was or is a single country we did not try to control. All in the name of God and country is the reason so many innocent people have died. Many cultures have been lost because of this culture. I try not to identify myself as this culture. if you are human you are part of all cultures, especially in america because it so diverse we can not defined as one culture. We many different types but we are a part of a whole. One of the reasons I do not define myself as a culture is because in a way it judges others. For example if I say I am an American I'm separating myself from every other county. Then every outside of the identity I give myself is being judged. That is why the British were so violent because they identified them selves as British. They said we are British any thing that is not us is wrong. This is what led to the colonization of many parts of the world. I do however think it is important what ever culture your from its important carry its value. We should accept every culture for what it is. All cultures are shared if your a human.
ReplyDeleteJonathan--I like the way you speak for a universal culture of humanness or humanity and that you can still carry your values. And it's true that nationalism and colonization have created great divisions--like maps! The Canadian writer Ondaatje writes that he would like to be born into a world that has no maps! more about that later...
DeleteI find this blog entry rather difficult to complete because I don’t necessarily relate to any culture. I don’t associate myself with people who look like me or behave similarly; I don’t tend to flock towards people who share my same background either. I tend to not associate myself with many people at all. I am judged a lot of the time and it mostly has to do with my visible body art. I don’t get offended when people make offensive comments but then again, I can’t say that I've had many thrown my way. I’m indifferent for the most part. I was born and raised in New York City but my mother and siblings derive from Mexico. Only my father is fully Mexican, my mother’s side of the family is half Italian, but due to my mother losing her mother at a young age; not even the language was passed down. Growing up, I spent a lot of time alone and picked up, what I thought were ideal traditions, from books and TV and hoped to exercise them once I had a family of my own. My family rarely got together and if we did it was mostly due to there being another event coinciding with a holiday/birthday. I was the youngest in my family therefore, I had no one to relate to and what made it worse was that conversations were mostly kept within the adults. I think pertaining to a culture is a lot more than what runs through your veins. When questionnaires ask me for my race, I always want to check “other” because I don’t relate to being a Latina. This should not be misconstrued as me being embarrassed or wanting to be something that I’m not, I just don't feel like a part of the Latin community.
ReplyDeletePatricia--what is intriguing to me about your post is that you found your own space and your own ideals--I think there are many who can relate to the facts you describe--that not every family emphasizes culture in the same way or to the same degree--my experience is actually more like yours!
DeleteI love your line " I think pertaining to a culture is a lot more than what runs through your veins." I think that this is not only powerful but says a lot about your ideals and i also think that many people don't consider this when they think about culture. Its good to know where your family comes from but like your post says what is even more important is how you identify yourself. I feel that many people are confused by who they are because they don't know whether they should listen to their religion. country or the ideas and morals that live inside their heads.
DeleteBelow is the permanent link to my blog entry. I made my own blog so that I could use pictures while still putting the response (technically) in this section.
ReplyDeletehttp://iramontano.blogspot.com/2013/09/my-own-cultural-bricolage-on-being.html
apparently the comments section doesn't support links either. Sorry, you have to copy and paste the link manually.
DeleteI was born and raised in southern Pennsylvania, a rural area close to Amish country. Almost everyone in that area is descended from German settlers, and we are called the Pennsylvanian Dutch. Everyone spoke German until the beginning of the 20th century when the U.S. government prohibited German to be taught in schools in my area. Eventually we learned English and assimilated into American culture and the American way of life. but vestiges of our ancestors' culture still remain. Growing up, I despised the culture that surrounded me and I thought it was incredibly un-hip and uncool. We were taught that modesty and humility were the two supreme virtues. If we had money or talent, it would be sinful to mention it. Idleness was frowned upon and the belief was that everyone should constantly be working. Pennsylvanian Dutch food is bland, over-cooked, and fatty.
ReplyDeleteNow, as an adult, I realize that some of those virtues I was taught (and punished for not following) have actually helped me to succeed at challenges where some of my peers have failed. I still hate the food, but I've grown to appreciate some of the weird folktales and idiomatic expressions that are left over from the German language.
My cultural bricolage wouldn't be complete unless I mentioned the strong influence Latino culture has had on my adult life. I came to New York without knowing anybody, and Spanish speakers were the first people to welcome me into their lives. My quick acquisition of the Spanish language has changed my life in ways that I would never have predicted and wasn't expecting. A language and culture that I never knew previously came into my life and allowed me to flesh out my identity. I can use Spanish to express parts of myself that never had a place within my life in Pennsylvania. I don't like to over-analyze why, because I don't want to ruin a good thing, but this new language has somehow been a tool for me to both escape the short-comings of my own culture and, paradoxically, to be able to greater appreciate what my own culture has given me.
I completely agree with you about other culture influencing your own identity. I also experience that and it's not that parts of own cultures are wrong but some of them cant just fit in the daily life and as we go on we constantly face how other culture cope with specific problems or situations which look really effective and personally I like to adopt some of those habits or behaviors to become a better person.
DeleteMatthew--I love the way you note that things/virtues you hated actually helped you succeed--and I agree about the food! What a beautiful ending about being adopted/adopting Latino culture and language!
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DeleteI was born in 1985 at St. John's Hospital Queens New York I'm the last of five children and the first generation of Guatemalan decent. I grew up in Hillside Jamaica Queens New York with my mother working different jobs and my father struggling with diabetes. As a kid growing up, I like to play football, read comic books, watch t.v. and eat pizza was my routine.we moved every couple of years. I would emulate one of my older brothers by using phrases, dressing and listening to music they were listening too.Since I was a special ed student I was wasn't very good academically,so at times I would stay home and watch tv a lot. My mother sometimes cook Guatemalan cuisine as well as American-based food.On summer vacations I would go to Guatemala and experience and learn of my ethnic background.After I graduated high school my culture shift when I signed up to join the Navy, where I met all different types of people from different parts of United States and all over the world, teaching me different ideas of morality, culture and work ethics.I've been to different countries and adopting the ideology of living a military lifestyle. I consider myself an America and my main language is English.
ReplyDeleteCarlos--so despite difficulties academically you ended up loving literature, right? that says something--moving around a lot, was that a good or bad thing, looking back?
DeleteI only like literature that speaks the truth, I never look back
DeleteI frequently have to face people who classify me as Spanic. It was weird when I first came to this country since I was too closed mind to even realized that I looked like a "Mexican". After few years of being here I learned that people do identify you depending on your background. I do have problems with it sometimes when those stereotypes are negative, but most of the time it's just funny to see how people thinking about me and my culture. I appreciate when someone out of our culture can rightly identify some positive good aspect about me and my people. Personally I don't believe that stereotypes settle up who I am since people in here call me Mexican but my people keep telling me how different now I am and how out of our culture I am. A look means nothing for me and actions are what defines who I am therefore I keep trying to show people who really I am.
ReplyDeleteI came from Mexico 6 years ago and since then I been working to support my studies and to help at home. I am always dreaming and making plans. I am polite and always try to be friendly and never judge people by the first impression or by how they look. I love music, food and go out as everyone else. I am just me and i prefer that people don't stereotype me.
Geovanni--it's difficult as you suggest to completely avoid being stereotyped; it's also complex to find out that your own culture sees you as different--this is the essence of the hybridity we will be discussing...
DeleteMe and my brother grew up in a town in upstate New York and we were two of three brown kids, me and my brother being the "black kids" and the other a "mulatto" (which just, blows my mind that these late elementary school aged kids knew and used that word). I remember being in class when we were learning about slavery and growing prickly hot and anxious in class during our lessons on slavery. I felt embarrassed of my ancestry for some reason, I felt like I was less than for being black. I didn't move to a more end up in a more diverse school into middle school. Then, the black kids at that school would make fun of my brother and I for "not being black enough" and "speaking like white kids". So, needless to say my brother and I spent most of our early school careers as outcasts and weirdos, we both listened to rock and were kinda punk--but we could also relate to black people jokes. I can honestly say that I didn't finally understand myself or feel comfortable with myself as a black woman (though I'm also multiracial--and people can often tell but can't quite place it (I have often gotten, "what's your background? Oh, I thought you were just black but I couldn't tell") so it confuses things even more) until I moved to Brooklyn 7 years ago. When I lived in Fort Greene I saw some many quirky, artistic black women. It was finally like, Oh wait! We do turn out rad! Even if we're all mixed up and confused about what the world expects "Blackness" to be in contrast to ourselves!
ReplyDelete**"I didn't move to a more end up in a more diverse school into middle school."
DeleteShould be:"I didn't end up in a more diverse school until middle school."
**"When I lived in Fort Greene I saw some many quirky, artistic black women. It was finally like, Oh wait! We do turn out rad! Even if we're all mixed up and confused about what the world expects "Blackness" to be in contrast to ourselves!"
Should be:"I saw so many...",
Should be:"mixed up and confused about what the world finds to be Blackness in comparison to ourselves"
I lived in Fort Green for 20 years! so glad you got to mature in a more culturally accepting place--early years sound really painful! and you don't need to correct--we read blogs for ideas :)
DeleteI admire your strength in not conforming to any of those expectations. This reminds me of a few African-American students back in my high school who lived, breathed and dressed heavy metal. At first I looked twice in disbelief, but I came to respect that strength and I thought of how much they had to endure in that environment. But what some people missed is that those kids weren't "trying to be white" or black, they were just being themselves. I think that deserves respect more than anything - a thousand times more than those who try to force their "culture" to everyone they can physically identify with.
DeleteAlthough I was born and lived almost my whole life in Brazil, the term Brazilian sounds as vague to me as the term American. Like the United States’, Brazil’s population is composed by a wide variety of ethnicities and cultures. I’m from São Paulo state where the lifestyle is similar to New York City's ubarn lifestyle. The American entertainment industry has had a lot of influence on São Paulo and other southern developed states since the 80’s. As a middle class child then, I grew up watching TV shows like G.I. Joe and movies like Home Alone. My parents put me in a language school to learn English when I was eight, even though my family bore no relations whatsoever to any English speaking country. At that time, neither my parents nor any of their siblings spoke English or had ever gone to any English speaking country. Today, however, I have relatives in other parts of the United States and in Australia, and almost all the others have visited one of these two countries at least once.
ReplyDeleteThis Americanization of Brazilian culture, however, doesn’t extend to all Brazilian people. The Northeast region, for example, has rich customs and traditions of a variety of cultures which were not yet deeply affected by American influence. The lack of resources is the primary reason for these people to keep their local cultures which are largely undervalued by wealthy and middle class Brazilians. The American model has become a synonym for progress in Brazil after all, and because these people are left out of the mainstream, they stay more in touch with their own cultures. Nevertheless, I believe that the combination of these cultures is what defines Brazilian culture, and it is revolting that while growing up I was not only taught almost nothing about them, but also taught to despise them.
Moreover, after talking to some people from different countries who visited states in Brazil other than mine, I noticed how little I knew about Brazilian culture. They described customs that I have never seen nor heard of, which made me feel embarrassed and lacking identity. Then, in spite of being much attached to American culture, specially music and literature, I feel that I should have learned much more about the many Brazilian cultures. However, there are some qualities and aspects that I believe are innate to most Brazilian peoples and culture, and they never fail in reminding me where I came from. The combination of rice and beans as a base for almost every meal, which is also a tradition in many Latin cultures; the warmness and laid-back manner of people that make it so easy to make friends; and the passion with which people love soccer all make me feel connected to Brazil in way that no other culture could make.
Guilherme--it is fascinating to me that you were taught to despise local Brazilian cultures--somehow it resonates with the film we just watched in terms of valuing notions of "progress" and "sophistication" and ignoring the values and traditions inherent in those neighboring you. Like your concluding comments about passion and friendliness...
ReplyDeleteI can't say I grew up in an extremely eclectic household. My father came from parents that grew up and lived in Puerto Rico for most of their lives, yet he can't speak a single word of Spanish. My mother is an immigrant from Port Antonio, Jamaica, yet I have never seen her cook a Jamaican meal in my 20 years of existing. It's really hard to identify with either sides of my heritage, since growing up I was never exposed to them, save for family meals with my grandparents or the weekly trip to the Carribean store for my mom's Jamaican beef patties. To top off all of this lack of racial identity, I was plucked from my Bronx apartment and dropped in a small town (read:hell hole) in Bergenfield, New Jersey. Bergenfield had about as much racial diversity as the Thirteen Colonies had before the slave trade. Almost everybody in the town was Filipino or some form of Asian, and my upbringing in the town was greatly affected by the lack of other races. While many people grew up with foods and traditions and even the languages of their own racial backgrounds, I grew up with Chinese meat buns, Japanese candies, and Filipino line dances. I could never relate to people in my own family (both sides) because I either couldn't speak the language or grasp any cultural traditions because we never had any. When people would ask me, "Which part of your background do you identify most with?" I'd always respond with "Well, I can't speak Spanish and I hate beef patties, but I can roll you an eel avocado roll and I can tell you which steps go to "September" if you'd like." I spent (and still spend) most of my life feeling like an outsider to my own family.
ReplyDeleteNow, I've been living in Brooklyn with my Jamaican grandparents for the last three years, and the biggest thing I've learned about my Jamaican heritage is that the food will clog your arteries.I think that at this point, I'm too old to really be influenced by anything new my background could show me, because I've grown out of my impressionable phase of mental development and now everything new I learn about my background is met with "Oh, really? That's cool" or "That's crazy, no thank you." Meanwhile, my new surroundings has led me to going Spanish dancing in the Village, meet more white people than I ever imagined I could meet, and fall in love with a Belorussian refugee. I would say my cultural bricolage is an amalgamation of all the experiences Ive had with cultures outside my own.
At first I didn't mind knowing a lot more about Asian cultures than anybody who isn't Asian should know, nor did I care that I could speak more Russian than I could Spanish, because it made me interesting and I didn't really have anything in my own personal backgrounds to really relate to, other than my love for various meats. I never had to deal with some weird inter-heritage feud with people of other Carribean or Hispanic backgrounds, and I never became a walking stereotype myself. I was able to have a broader knowledge about cultures that were extremely different from my own, as well as find interests that I really enjoyed about different cultures (such as being obnoxiously musically talented, but that is beside the point, and not very true). My not having a heritage blocked me from having any racial bias, and I ended up having the most eclectic and awesome friends I could hope for now. I'm going 11 years strong with my best friend (who is Chinese, and still gives me Chinese New Year envelopes!) and I'm not afraid to date outside my background (I like my men white as rice, thank you). For me, it isn't about how my culture shaped my thoughts and upbringing, it's about how my LACK of one did.
I'm re-reading these blogs at end of semester and am struck by your strength and way you navigated all these different experiences--you also identify the feeling of apartness that many feel today as we become a globalized kind of world--I think many of your generation feel "outside" their own family or culture(s)--it's an interesting "problem"--or maybe not as you suggest. If you have ideas for how I could make this blog better focused to include experiences like yours, send me questions!
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