Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Cultural identity
Parent involvement in children's education
Parent involvement in children's education
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Cultural identity
My Bicultural Values After the fall of Saigon in 1975, Vietnamese Americans became members of one of the United States' largest refugee groups. The Vietnamese came to the United States from a culture vastly different from most American cultures. My two oldest brothers were among the hundreds of thousands who escaped communist Vietnam as "Boat People" in 1984. They fled with the clothes they were wearing and my parents' wedding rings tucked inside. My family, including my parents, my older brother, my younger sister and I left Vietnam to come to the United States to reunion with my two brothers in 1994. We had permission from the United States government to come over to the United States because my father, who was a former general of the Republican Army, was put in jail for ten years in 1975 when the communist army of North Vietnam had won the battle. I have watched my parents sacrifice to bring us here, so I felt it was my duty to respect their rules and uphold our Vietnamese customs. Like many refugee parents, a good education is a big part of my parent's aspiration for their children. My parents risked their lives for me, I need to do everything I can to achieve their dreams of me. However, life as a Vietnamese American is very difficult for me. I often find myself straddling two social worlds that I did not fit neatly either. I basically have one foot in each culture. Vietnamese culture puts a strong emphasis on being part of the We. Your individualism is below the need of the many. This is how families survived traditionally. Children are duty-bound to take care of their families. They have to study in whatever field their parents wish to see us study. When I went to school at University of Dayton, more than half of the Vietnamese student population majored in computer science and electrical engineering. Many told me they didn't want to. It was competitive and difficult. A few wanted to be artists or architects and so on, but their parents were poor or were still in Vietnam. They needed to find a solid footing in America in order to help out the rest of the family. The America culture stresses independence, on the other hand. It tells you to look out for number one, to have individual ambition, take care of yourself first, and go on a quest.
Vietnam was a highly debated war among citizens of the United States. This war was like no other with regards to how it affected people on the home front. In past war’s, the population of the United States mainly supported the war and admired soldiers for their courage. During the Vietnam War, citizens of the U.S. had a contradictory view than in the past. This dilemma of not having the support of the people originates from the culture and the time period.
During his experiment in the woods, Thoreau discovers that to become successful, “one [must advance] confidently in the direction of his dreams.” (Thoreau 3) During this time, America was seen as the ‘land of opportunity’ and Thoreau’s ideals conform to the belief everyone has a chance to succeed and live the life they wish to choose. All people had the chance to aspire for bigger and greater things and living in America would give them the opportunity to prosper. Furthermore, believing in individualism, Thoreau deemed it acceptable “if a man [did] not keep in pace with his companions, perhaps it [was] because he [heard] a different drummer.” (3) America gave people the freedom to follow the economic, religious and political ways of life they wished to follow. People finally had control of their life and did not have to conform to the practices they had to follow in their homeland. Although the American dream gave people the chance to succeed, in reality this was not the case for
Even though Little Saigon provided Vietnamese American with economic benefit, political power, this landmark also witnessed many difficulties that Vietnamese experienced. Vietnamese American experienced many traumatic events prior to migration such as war, journey on boats, therefore many of them suffered posttraumatic stress disorder, stress, and depression. Significantly, Vietnamese refugees who went to the re-education camps sustained torture, humiliation, deprivation, brainwashing and several other punishments from Vietnamese Communist. Those refugees have higher rates of having mental disorder. Language barrier is another obstacle that...
...eing from San Diego, I think the Vietnamese have done a great job at being a part of the American society. We accept them and even cherish what they have brought to us especially the food. The Vietnamese have made it their home here and their home is now a part of our society.
Americans should consider taking lessons from other cultures and focus on progressing in certain areas of their life, such as their parenting. Instead of devaluing family and important qualities, they should be placed with greater significance due to effects that may lead their offspring to repeat the same wrong values. I do believe independence is a quality that everyone should possess, but it should be taught to an extent that does not interfere with their other qualities. Living in America I have also adapted to their cultural values, which is being independent early on in life. Americans are perceived as placing significance on independence, which may cause children to value
My private Vietnam is a never-ending identity conflict. Part of me is American, part of me is Vietnamese. I have Asian features, but I'm tall and broad-shouldered. I don't feel accepted in either culture.
1. Becoming Bicultural is another form of assimilation. It entails people of different cultures borrowing from one another’s culture what they consider right and integrating it within their individual cultures. The United States being a nation of immigrants and due to the recent massive immigration, the country is led to a nationwide struggle with the need to become bicultural, a difficult and sometimes painful process of navigating between ethnic cultures. Some former minority groups are now becoming the dominating group due to their high rate of immigration and high birth rate. The Latino and Asian populations form the largest portion of the leading groups that have literally changed the face of the nation and thus calling in for the need to become bicultural.
Before I was five, I thought I was Chinese. However, I wondered why I couldn’t understand the Chinese patrons of Chinatown restaurants. Upon learning my true ethnicity, I pulled out a mammoth atlas we had under the bed. My father pointed to an “S”-shaped country bordering the ocean, below China. It was then that I learned my parents were refugees from Vietnam. “Boat people,” my mother, still struggling to grasp English back then, would hear kids whispering when she walked through the halls of her high school. Like many refugees, although my parents and their families weren’t wealthy when they came to America, they were willing to work hard, and like many Vietnamese parents, mine would tell me, “We want you to be success.”
The United States and its people take great pride in knowing that the U.S. is the greatest nation in the world. That is why it’s our duty to father the rest of the world when conflicts arise. American culture and ideals are also thought to take precedents over all other cultures and ideals. In the book, The Spirit Catches You and You Fall down, written by Anne Fadiman, there are many great examples of how American culture is imposed on the people residing with in its enclosed boundaries. The U.S. going to war in Vietnam is also a great example of how the U.S. tried to impose American values on the “less fortunate.” Through understanding America’s so called “duty” in Vietnam one can interpret the intervention of American idealism in the life of a Hmong family.
Early America was a place for anyone to live their life the way that they wanted, as it is now, but back then this was a new concept. Much of this idea comes from the freedoms obtained by living here. Many other countries in the world had many freedoms, but not as numerous as they were in America shortly after the country was founded. Americans during the late 1700's and early 1800's embraced their freedoms and became leaders and expanders, and what we now consider the founders of many present-day cities and towns. One thing that has been present throughout the generations of people living in America, is the desire to set themselves apart from other nations. This want was supplied to the American people in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. These two documents gave the American people everything they needed to set them apart from the rest. Based on the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, America was able to create an identity including freedom, religion, and individuality that is very unique to this country.
Growing up with Vietnamese parents who escaped the Vietnam War, I never forgot the pressure they put on me as a young girl to do well in school, get good grades, and to achieve the “American Dream.” They wanted to be sure that I would not have to struggle financially like they did when they first came to America. Because I was never good in science and math like they were (mom was a chemist and dad works in quantitative investment), I knew they
Culture defines people’s values, beliefs, and personal interests. Culture is important because it allows people to maintain a unique identity society. Many cultures have common interests, while others may have customs that differ greatly from that of another. Technology has had a huge impact on present day cultures. Many culture have been altered including my own, and some have been created due to the rise of technology. Cultures differ so greatly that someone belonging to one culture may not agree with the values of another, which then causes social and ethical issues. My culture shares many similarities with others around the world; most of which have connected more people in recent years than ever before. Cultural gaps, and lack of understanding for peoples’ values and beliefs are significant reasons why cultures fail to understand one another.
My culture identity, as I know it as is African American. My culture can be seen in food, literature, religion, language, the community, family structure, the individual, music, dance, art, and could be summed up as the symbolic level. Symbolic, because faith plays a major role in our daily lives through song, prayer, praise and worship. When I’m happy I rely on my faith, same as when I’m sad, for I know things will get better as they have before.
The main goal in life is to live by our beliefs and our values. These beliefs and values define who we are as a person and create how we behave towards others (Wright, 1). These beliefs and values can be defined as our personal core values. My personal core values include family, trust, honesty, friendship, and creativity, which define who I am, change from past to present, and could change again.
Nevertheless, contrary to his thinking, my decision was going to stay in the US although I had many problems in finance and language, and I’ve never regretted about my choice. My life now is the best evidence to prove that I was not wrong in my thinking. For example: I could find a good job to certainly of my benefit such as payment rent, or car. Also, I could save my time at school to improve knowledge and breaking down language barriers. Nobody denies, accomplishment now is the result of the process of striving after 4 years in the US, but I do not ever denied the help of my uncle because they give to me a new life in new country. My mom said, “The children must be grateful to those who helped them. Especially, if somebody makes you sad, then write it down on sand, and if they save your live, you must write it down on stone”. Because the words on sand could have disappear, but on the stone still exit that means people must remember the help from other that also the traditional spirit of the Vietnamese