Some years ago at one of our frequent family dinners, my paternal grandmother grumbled something in Korean to my mother. Now, after twenty-plus years of exposure to Korean and other foreign languages buzzed about, I've grown quite adept at tuning out most of it, but this time my ears perked up; I heard my name mentioned. I asked my mother, "What did she say?" She muttered, "Nothing, never mind. Eat more spinach." Undeterred by her concern for my dietary habits, I insisted on knowing what my grandmother had said about me, because I could tell by her tone that it was not very flattering. After some persistence, my mother told me my grandmother said that I have no "cultural identity." I could see my grandmother eyeing me from across the table, silently challenging me to deny it. Being somewhat confrontational by nature, I immediately shot back, "She's right. I don't need cultural identity. I have my own identity as an individual." That, however, was in English, and my mother chose not to translate, so its effect was lost upon my grandmother.
My parents were born and raised in South Korea, and in 1973 they immigrated to Los Angeles, California. That is where I was born and raised. In the first few years of elementary school, I was one of only a handful of non-white, non-Latino kids. I recall being told by the blonde girl who ruled the playground to go play with the other Asian-American kids since we were all the same. I recall this now with humor, but at the time I think I was quite bemused by it. By then, I had accepted there were differences in people, but this was one of my earliest introductions to the notion that people were the same based on "where they were from," to rephrase the question often put to me then...
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...efore I did not know any Korean, now I possess some linguistic skill, yet I am not sure what I am going to do with it. Do I let my grasp of it loosen the way I lost hold of the French I learned in high school? Or am I required to hold on to it and make use of it, since it is a part of my heritage and ethnic background? Right now I am sitting on the fence, as the phrase goes. I have not decided yet what I will do with my recently acquired Korean language skills. I wonder if actively maintaining my language skills would mean rejecting the principles of individualism and non-conformity I fought for as a teenager. I never could care for being a hyphenated American (Asian-American, African-American, Italian-American). This matter is not yet settled, and it may be some years or decades before I come near any conclusion. I do not anticipate a quick and easy answer.
Prior to intubation for a surgical procedure, the anesthesiologist administered a single dose of the neuromuscular blocking agent, succinylcholine, to a 23-year-old female to provide muscular relaxation during surgery and to facilitate the insertion of the endotracheal tube. Following this, the inhalation anesthetic was administered and the surgical procedure completed.
These are the two questions that I get asked regularly by non-Asians. I always reply “Well I was born and raised in America but my family comes from Hong Kong.” I grew up constantly being told to take pride in being Chinese, however, I was also consistently told by my family to be proud that I even have the opportunity to grow up in America. There was never a definite answer as to what I was, so I learned to accept both. I am Asian American. Many people have questions about what “Asian American” really means and their questions brought on questions of my own. It was not until recently that Asian American influences became more prominent in my life. I was able to find books,
When asked to define ones cultural identity people usually take the path that leads to their country of origin. They describe their beliefs and tradition which mirrors the values of people within that geographic location. But what about the people who are torn between two cultures? How would they define their cultural identity? This is the problem faced by Henry Park, the protagonist of the book Native Speaker by Chang-Rae Lee. Originally from Korea, he immigrated to the United States with his parents when he was little. However, his struggle of trying to find his acceptance into the American culture still continues. The book outlines his endless uncertainty of trying to define his cultural identity and his feelings as an outsider to the American Culture. Not being able to commit to either of the cultures leaves Henry confused regarding his true Cultural identity which Chang very artfully presents as a fuzzy line between the American and Korean Culture.
We cannot deny the fact that, as Americans, racial realism has always affected us and our way of thinking. In my personal experience, being an Asian, I have had
With the globalization and modernization, there is a social tendency to melt different individuals into an integral and international community. In America, individuals from different culture struggle with assimilation to the white mainstream. They find it painful but worth to mute racial identity for future success. Assimilation to an advanced culture is a somewhat progress and broaden the space for self-growth. But sometimes individuals feels pressure to force them blend in the surroundings. On the contrary, some individuals use the advantages of racial differences to exceed others in the mainstream. Amy Chua, in her essay “Why Chinese Mothers are Superior”, takes advantage of the fact that American parents underrate rote repetition and insists
Identity is the condition of being oneself regardless of variation in an individual’s surroundings that provides sameness in their distinctive qualities over time. No two individuals are the same, therefore, no two identities are the same. Every aspect of their past, present, and future molds their being into something never seen before. Each identity is extremely intricate and ever changing so truly understanding another’s identity is an astonishingly difficult task. Identity can be described in all of these ways, but language - the system of communication, diction, and connotation of the form in which an individual speaks - is the backbone of identity. Conforming language to the words someone hears around them instead of truly allowing their
A person 's beginnings do not completely define a person, but it does serve as a permanent foundation from which their identity is built around. As children, we absorb every sight and experience like porous sponges. Family, religion, environment, culture -- all of these aspects slowly form the background of one 's identity. As an Asian American, this identity is very different from that of a native Chinese woman 's, for I have parts of both cultures within me. It is a unique identity which I believes acts as a double edged sword. Being born into two cultures is a wonderful in that one can be a part of two cultures, but it is also a very confusing to be "divided" between two very different cultures.
Before I analyze how my social location has influenced my experiences, I need to talk about my family’s demographic characteristics in comparison to our community and the larger U.S. society: In my hometown, Asians make up the third largest racial group (23%). Whites make up 51.3% and H...
It is also important to focus more on the similarities versus the differences because at the end of the day we are all human and should not be judged on where we are from, but on our character. Focusing on the differences will only make children think of others as different or make them think of themselves as “better”. It is important for children to know that everyone should be treated equally, regardless of their social class or the color of their
Asking how I describe myself is a hard question to answer. It forces me to ask myself what it is that defines who I am. Is it that I am human? Where I was born? Perhaps it is my political views or the way I dress. I guess I will have to simply list what most people would consider important. I am a Caucasian American, middle class, twenty four year old male of about average height and intelligence. I am sorry to say that I am among the 68.5% of adult Americans that fall into the obese category, weighing in at a whopping 345 pounds. I am a bibliophile with absolutely no political leanings whatsoever and I am an agnostic despite the fact that I was raised a Presbyterian. Personally, I feel that it is actually more interesting to examine how it
Cultural identity defines an individual and how they interpret society; however, my cultural knowledge is limited and has remained static due to the consumption of environmental influences. For a long period of time, I did not know why I was culturally disconnected, since I had a hard time grasping my family’s religious practices of Buddhism. This resulted in my inability to interpret my culture and religion. Individuals within society ask, “What are you?” I would like to answer that question myself if I could, so the real question is, “How does one define cultural identity?” My cultural identity is defined by my interpretation and knowledge of how my family responds to American culture versus how I am influenced by the sociological norms of American culture; however, my sense of cultural identity contrasts differently to that of my family in which results in my cultural displacement in society, conflicting me internally.
Courville, K. (2011). Technology and its use in Education: Present Roles and Future Prospects. Presented at the 2011 Recovery School District Technology Summit. Baton Rouge, LA.
In today's society, with the advent of modern digital communication and an increased focus upon global society and diversity, humans have a golden opportunity to evaluate themselves and how they identify both individually and in their broader culture. Although the question of “who am I” is perhaps one of the classical questions of the human cognizance of identity, our identity as both groups and individuals is directly related to the culture we are a part of, especially in regards to whether that culture is determined to be individualistic or collectivist. These differing mindsets have an inherent connection to the way that we view ourselves and the impact of interactions between different cultures.
Technology in education is a touchy subject in the United States. Many parents believe that technology will only hurt their child in future, while some believe that technology will help their child. Parents have to be open and must allow themselves, to see what is happening before they make their decision.
Zhao, Y. and Frank, K. A. 2003, “Factors Affecting Technology Uses in Schools: An Ecological Perspective”, American Educational Research Journal, vol. 40, no. 4, pp. 807-840, viewed 15 Jan 2014, retrieved from Sage Online Article.