Cultural Background Influences On My Character

We live in a multicultural society where one’s cultural background influences their characteristics and actions. We define culture as a particular ethnic group’s collection of knowledge and qualities through similarities such as shared traditions and common beliefs. From the time of our ancestors and passed down to our current generation, the cultural patterns that our families lived upon affect who we are today. For example, my Vietnamese family and cultural background have influenced my characteristics and actions by guiding me through my life. The constant pushing in academics from my parents, the respect for the elders as my culture and the immigration of my family from Vietnam to The United States of American in 2001 have all contributed to shaping my character today. These three factors have played a crucial role in developing my character, as without them, I would not be who I am today.

To begin, throughout my life, my parents have constantly been constantly pushing me in my academics.

My parents are constantly pushing me because they want to see me succeed in life since they could not have this opportunity it due to the Vietnam War. They told me that if I endured the pain now, in the future, I could spend more time enjoying life rather than hating it. Despite the struggles I had to go through, the constant pushing from my parents has helped me develop my character today. By continuously pushing me, my parents have turned me into an intelligent boy who has perseverance and resilience. An example of this is how I persevered in my English class and improved my writing skills through perfect essays such as my D-Day essay. Because of my parents, I am willing to reach for my ambitions, even if I find difficulties along the

way.
While my parent’s constant pushing in my academics has allowed me to have grit and become an intelligent person, the Vietnamese culture I live upon plays an important role of showing how I must treat others. In Vietnamese culture, it is a basic principle that you treat everyone who is older than you with respect, even if they are not part of your family. By doing this, I can gain the respect of the other person which will often allow me to communicate with the person and keep my dignity. One example of this is when I show respect my master and coaches at Taekwondo. When I show respect to them, in return I earn their respect for me, and I get tips on how to improve my kicks and general health. Overall, Vietnamese culture has a substantial impact on my character as it turns me into a respectful person.
Although my parents and culture have been an essential for the development of my character, it all would not have been possible if my family never moved from Vietnam to the United States of America in 2001. As one of the biggest event that has ever happened in my life, my family’s immigration to America allowed me to experience life with people from multiple cultures. By living a life in the U.S. as a Vietnamese-American, I develop my social skills by learning how to live in a society with people from different cultures and respecting their beliefs and tradition. As a result, in my school Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate School, I can communicate and work with students from different nationalities and cultural backgrounds.