Free College Admissions Essays: Multifaceted Background

465 Words1 Page

Multifaceted Background-- University of Illinois Writing a self-reflective tirade is perhaps one of the most difficult tasks to perform. I have found myself pondering this topic for an unusually long time; no one has ever asked me to write about my culture-- the one thing about myself which I understand the least. This question which is so easy for others to answer often leads me into a series of convoluted explanations, "I was born in the U.S., but lived in Pakistan since I was six. My brothers moved to the US when I was thirteen" I am now nearly twenty, which means I have spent half my life being Pakistani, the other half trying to be American, or is the other way around? I do not consider myself Paki-American. I am too "Americanized" to be Pakistani. (although by birthright, I am American), and I am not quite up to par with the American way of life. So what does all this have to do with my culture, what does a label really matter to cultural identity? It matters much. I believe that this seemingly trivial confusion over labels reveals the even greater confusion that surrounds my cultural identity: Am I a bridge between these two multifaceted cultures, or have I become a mosaic displaying colors from here and there, and elsewhere too? Perhaps both, and I could be a colorful bridge, or perhaps neither. Whatever the case, I cannot seem to separate these absolutely disparate realities within me. Their forces are still clashing, coming together within me, creating a wonderful confusion out of me. I believe that to truly analyze my culture, the roots of this confusion must be explored. In the span of this essay, I must try to encompass the widths of two worlds, their unique interactions within me... which I hope constitute what is called culture. I am an alien of sorts. I am an alien in my own country... but what is my own country? I am an alien wherever I go. In Pakistan, my somewhat eroded Urdu reveals my American leanings. In the U.S., my slight accent and appearance mark me as a "minority." Being bi-cultural has placed me in a perplexing portal between two separate worlds, with their own unique ideology, thinking, traditions and

Show More
Related

  • Cultural Interview Analysis

    727 Words  | 2 Pages

    In such a multicultural world, being knowledgeable and understanding of not only your cultural background, but that of others is essential. Building my awareness on cultures different from my own, and how it shapes an individual’s identity, will foster my personal and professional development. Subsequently, I conducted a cultural interview with an individual whose cultural background differed from my own. Several similarities and differences between our cultures were apparent in the interview, specifically in the areas of race, ethnicity, language, values, and worldview.

    Read More

  • Cultural Identity in Native Speaker by Chang-Rae Lee

    750 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Traditional Gender Roles in the United States

    1491 Words  | 3 Pages

    Traditional gender roles in the United States and other societies have always been dictated as where the man goes and works for a salary as women stay at home to take of house related work. However, many changes in the traditional family has made gender roles go through significant changes. Many women have gone through college and have obtained college education degrees, which has allowed women to advance their careers. The break down of rigid gender roles and the increase in participation of women in the workplace have granted women more choices in life. The choices many women now have in there career fields has made some controversial views on the intelligence of women achieving the status of their male counterparts The first view obtained in the workplace is the ability to make a even paying field for both men and women. Many constituents have pledge to achieve equality for women through laws forbidding the use of any sexist policies that may constitute discrimination against sex. The second is weather working women have been allowed to working women have the same opportunities rewarded to them as men do. Many political action committees have help perpetuate feminist movements which intended to build equal opportunity workplaces for both men and women however, many questionable issues still arise at weather working conditions have become better for women.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of 'Borderlands, La Frontera'

    845 Words  | 2 Pages

    Growing up people would ask me where I was from, I would answer Queens. There was never a doubt in my mind that this is where I am from since this is where I was born. People would often tell me that I’m not from Queens since my parents are immigrants. I’ve always felt that I’ve had to fight to say where I’m from. These constant battles came from family members, friends, and strangers. It always had questioning my language and personal identity. My family members would say I’m Mexican but I don’t share the culture, language, nor experiences. Strangers from America would say I couldn’t be American since my parents are from another country but I do share the culture, language, and experiences. The craziest part is that my parents did everything they could so there children could

    Read More

  • Cultural Diversity in New York City

    1070 Words  | 3 Pages

    Experiencing a society of multi-cultures is beneficial through a variety of concepts to epitomize each individual identity. A person may vary in the degree to which he or she identifies with, morals, or...

    Read More

  • What is your ethnicity?

    684 Words  | 2 Pages

    Talk about a label or ethnicity may sound normal for most of the people in the United States. However, in the border, I’ve found many people that talks about ethnicity as it was a depicting way to talk about other people. Nonetheless, as we understood during the first weeks of this course, even though people never think in a label on their person, or have never thought in one, other people might get one for them in a daily basis. No matter where a person is, nor the country a person lives in, that person has a label for others and that person forms part of an ethnic group. In many cases, people’s ethnic identity will depend on the place where they grew up, but some others it simply will depend on their family descent. In my personal case I consider my ethnic identity as a Mexican-American. The reason for this are simple, but has many ramifications, I grew up in Mexico.

    Read More

  • School Uniforms

    483 Words  | 1 Pages

    Until President Clinton called attention to the issue in his State of the Union address, mandatory public school uniform policies were sporadic local occurences. A few school districts had been quietly experimenting with uniforms for years, but the issue caught President Clinton's eye after the Long Beach, California school district released some numbers suggesting that after only one year, its mandatory uniform policy had not only brought about significant decreases in vandalism and fighting, but had also led to higher test scores. Now that the President's endorsement has elevated school uniforms into the realm of federal education policy, a question needs to be answered: Are uniforms a good idea?

    Read More

  • Santiago In The Great Awakening

    318 Words  | 1 Pages

    Santiago is a poor fisherman who goes out to fish and endures pain and hardship for no result. He returns, defeated and vows that he is unlucky. When all is lost, Manolin appears on his doorstep and helps him realize he indeed has a reason to hope. “‘No. I am not lucky. I am not lucky anymore’ The old man said. ‘The hell with luck,’ the boy said. ‘I’ll bring the luck with me’” (Hemingway 124). Santiago has given up hope of ever fishing again. He believes himself to be unlucky. The old man lost the fish that could have brought everything to him. Manolin believes in Santiago when he is at the trough of his existence. Santiago finds hope.

    Read More

  • Moving Past Triumphs and Tragedies in Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea

    714 Words  | 2 Pages

    Santiago’s attitude seems to be that although he faces difficulties, he finds the strength inside of him to be able to overcome them. Once he hooked the marlin, Santiago comes to a realization that he cannot kill the fish quickly. Though he is faced with a problem, the old man is able to find the best of the situation. He begins to form a bond with the marlin, as he repeatedly alludes to it as his own brother. “Now we are joined together and have been since noon. And no one to help either one of us” (Hemingway 50). Santiago recognizes that he and the marlin are just inhabitants of all the tropical life in the Gulf Stream. The fact that he is able to bond with the marlin shows how much he has encountered, for the marlin is Santiago’s prey, and he surprisingly finds a relation between him and the fish. This results in the formation of a bond. The marlin changes from merely being what Santiago was attempting to hunt down, to serving as a metaphor illustrating his emotional and physical position. “Then the fish came alive, with his death in him, and rose high out of the water showing all his great length and width and all his power and his beauty. He seemed to hang in the air above the old man in the skiff. Then he fell into the water with a crash that sent spray over the old man and over all of the skiff” (Hemingway 94). The death of the marlin has great impact on Santiago...

    Read More

  • Personal Narrative: My Community Of First-Generation Pakistani-American People

    262 Words  | 1 Pages

    I belong to a community of first-generation Pakistani-American teenagers. It's a unique community composed of kids whose parents were born and raised in Pakistan, while we were born and raised on the opposite side of the world. In my instance, my father came to America to get his masters in engineering at the University of Detroit, and my mother moved to Houston with her family when she was in high school.

    Read More

  • Free College Admissions Essays: Passion for Economics

    445 Words  | 1 Pages

    The crucial importance and relevance of economics related disciplines to the modern world have led me to want to pursue the study of these social sciences at a higher level. My study of Economics has shown me the fundamental part it plays in our lives and I would like to approach it with an open mind - interested but not yet fully informed.

    Read More

  • Identity In The Kite Runner And Mister Pip

    1513 Words  | 4 Pages

    Moving to the United States also presented a new set of challenges for Amir’s identity as an Afghan. When travelling to Afghanistan with Farid, Amir describes seeing the country again; “‘I feel like a tourist in my own country,’ I said, taking in a goat herd leading a half-dozen emaciated goats along the side of the road. Farid snickered. Tossed his cigarette. "You still think of this place as your country?" Farid additionally tells Amir that he has always lived a privileged life and has therefore always been a tourist in Afghanistan. Amir, therefore, faces the identity crisis of many in diaspora communities: not quite being the ideal citizen of the country to which they emigrated, while also not belonging anymore to the country of origin because of the adaptation of customs in the foreign country. For Amir, this is of course how his sense of identity has reacted to maturing in the United States. He proves this further when speaking to Rahim Khan, showing that while he has identified at least partly as Afghan, he is well established in America. Amir says, “I didn't want to understand that comment, but I did. I understood it all too well. ‘I have a wife in America, a home, a career, and a family. Kabul is a dangerous place, you know that, and you'd have me risk everything for…’ I stopped.” Both of these statements display a confused national identity in Amir and this

    Read More

  • School Uniforms

    1040 Words  | 3 Pages

    The issue of whether or not school uniforms are a necessity in today’s society has been a long standing debate. However, it did not come onto the national scene until 1996 when then President Bill Clinton spoke of the matter in his annual State of the Union Address. Citing the Long Beach city school district in California, Clinton spoke of the positive effects of uniform implementation, including: decreased drug cases, sex offenses, violent crimes and fights.

    Read More

  • The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

    577 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...eturn. What the old man does not realize is that he does receive something in return. He has an experience that not many other people have had or will ever experience. He has gained knowledge of how to be more prepared for an event like this. And he has attained the respect of the townspeople, who had once thought he was sad and pitiful. Santiago is a brave and defiant old man who is sad that he did not manage to complete his journey with his trophy beside him. If one was to look into this more and try and come to a conclusion as to why the old man constantly repeats that he went out to far, I think they would find that it is the old man's way of dealing with his loss. As much as he says it though, I do not think that if he had it to do over again, he would stop before he caught the fish. Santiago is a true fisherman and he would do whatever it took to prove that.

    Read More

  • The Influence Of Cultural Identity

    1244 Words  | 3 Pages

    These different things come from aspects of different cultures I’ve encountered. They’ve also come from the various experiences I have had and things I’ve come into contact with in my environment. I don’t fall into one specific category, rather the gray space in between. A person’s cultural identity is like a giant Venn diagram—a cluster of different cultures coming together, forming your cultural identity in the parts where they coincide. Each person’s cultural identity is different, and that’s what makes us unique. I’m a black-Cajun-computer-nerd. My cultural identity is my own, and I’m proud of

    Read More

More about Free College Admissions Essays: Multifaceted Background

Open Document