Tôi tự hào là việt. If you’re not of Vietnamese descent and even if you are familiar with the Vietnamese language, then you will most likely find trouble reading this, why? Because, this is a translation from Google. Nonetheless, it’s not the best interpretation available, but it roughly translates to “I am proud to be Vietnamese”. Despite me using Google translate--due to my lack of knowledge in writing in Vietnamese--which I am surely ashamed of, I hold that statement dear to my heart. As I continue to mature and progress in my life, my appreciation for my heritage is like a seed, everyday cultural experiences such as listening to Vietnamese music, eating wonderful Vietnamese cuisine, talking to my mother in Vietnamese, and reading about …show more content…
This was, in part, due to the surrounding community and the traditions that come with it. Along with being Christian, being Vietnamese defines who I am and my love for it grows every day. However, this immense gratitude of mine wasn’t always the case. In fact,when I was younger, I was ashamed of who I was before I came to the realization of how beautiful my culture is. This was ultimately due to the rough environment that I grew up in as well as receiving scrutiny because how different I was in comparison to everybody …show more content…
Around that time I was introduced to a Vietnamese community that helped me become less of who I was before and more of a stronger person than I was before. I started to become proud of who I was which led to me welcoming myself to all aspects of my culture by being immersed in music and books. In the summer of 2014, I went to Vietnam and it was overwhelming to experience the joy, pain, and struggle that my mother and extended family had gone through. Subsequently, my culture has become an advantage because it gave life to a lost soul like me; something can depend on for the rest of my
What are the most important aspects of Hmong culture? What do the Hmong consider their most important duties and obligations? How did they affect the Hmong’s transition to the United States?
Phillips, Delores B. "Quieting Noisy Bellies: Moving, Eating and Being in the Vietnamese Diaspora." University of Minnesota Press 73 (2009): 47-87. Print
How many people today watch family sitcoms to imitate or compare values with their own? Probably not as many as there were in the 1950s. In Stephanie Coontz's "What We Really Miss about the 1950s", she discusses why people feel more nostalgic towards growing up in the 1950s, and how she disagrees that 1950s wasn't the decade that we really should like or remember best. Apart from economic stability, family values played an important part then. Through television sitcoms, such as "Leave it to Beaver", "Father knows Best", families watched them to make sure they were living correctly. It was like guidance and somewhat reassurance. However, values of families have changed, and this is shown on sitcoms today. We watch sitcoms today for entertainment, and sometimes we can relate to them because the setting is realistic. In the modern sitcom, "Gilmore Girls" characters and plot are used to demonstrate family values such as gender roles, children roles, economic status, morals, ethics and general organization of a family that differ from the values shown in the 1950s sitcoms.
Vietnam has a very rich and culturally diverse background dating all the way back to 1066 when William the Conqueror invaded and paved the way for English colonization. The French had been colonizing since the 19th century. The French role in Vietnam's history is critical; they started out by bringing these simple peasants to the latest technology of farming and hunting (Yancey 37). The French helped these people out greatly in the beginning, but like all stories of occupation go, they just got worse. They started forcing rules and laws on the people of Vietnam.
I chose Cambodian Americans for my target culture because it was a place I knew very little about. My ignorance of that side of the world is laughable, to say the least. Cambodian American was a great choice because both the people and the culture are very captivating to me. While some Cambodian Americans have become very westernized, accepting most of America’s cultural norms, some hold strong to their Cambodian traditions and way of life. Through Geert Hofstede’s
Hieu thao: The Powerful Word in Vietnamese Culture In Vietnamese culture, hieu thao, translated as filial piety in English, is the root of all virtue. According to Dr. Hashimoto's definition in The Cambridge Handbook of Age and Ageing, filial piety in the traditional family systems in Asia is generally understood as the "fulfillment of family obligations" that children must do towards their parents (Historical Roots). Actually, this theory has been spiritual rope binding children and their parents since they were born, and even continues after their parents pass away.
I could tell where my mom got her warm hugs from. During our two-week vacation to Korea, I had the chance to experience the authenticity of my culture and learn about the significance of it. By spending time with my relatives who truly cared about me and accepted me into their lives, I was able to come to the realization that being an Asian was a meaningful part of my
After the fall of the Saigon in 1975, Heidi’s mother- Mrs. Mai Thi Kim decided to send her to America as fearing for her uncertain future in Vietnam. Twenty two years later years, Heidi eventually found her Vietnamese mother. However, as she was raised in the States, Heidi is now "101%" American and has little knowledge of her Vietnamese heritage. Undoubtedly, this reality reveals potentials for cultural collision.
It was the evening of Christmas, 1776. The voice of an army sergeant shouted, “Everybody, up this instant! We’ve got a battle to win!” George Washington’s order awoke us soldiers, and we prepared for a rough night, as General Washington knew it would be more than strenuous to get the Continental Army, made up of 2,400 men, across the Delaware River especially in such harsh weather conditions. The plan was to attack in the morning since the Hessians would be celebrating Christmas tonight, they will hopefully be too tired to put up a fight tomorrow morning. The cold, brisk air intruded into the tent, as the rest of the soldiers arose from their slumber, not knowing what the day would bring them, or should I say, night.
I believe that my cultural identity is something I must preserve. I realize now that my culture is what sets me apart from others. The struggle of learning to preserve my identity as a second generation Nepalese- American will be one that I will have forever. However, this does not prevent me from finding a balance between the two worlds that I am apart
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.
Though he is Vietnamese, Lam makes the choice to identify as an American. Though it doesn't seem like Lam has any regret in his decision it is obvious that he does wish he could be there to please his grandma in her last years. This is when we see the theme of conformity doing the opposite of what we would expect. Conformity leaves it’s victims as robots searching for some sense of pride in themselves. In this case the author would have found that pride in carrying on the tradition for his grandmother; however, instead he is an outcast because he does not feel comfortable
One’s cultural identity consists of their race, gender, socioeconomic status, age, religion, and so on. Being aware of your own cultural identity is just as important as being aware of other’s. People’s cultural identity defines who they are, the privilege (or lack of privilege) they receive, and how society views them. It is important to understand that White individuals have more privileges than individuals of color. White individuals do not experience detriment and difficulties due specifically to their skin color and instead receive advantages. White privilege is defined as benefits that white individuals have that people of color do not (Kendall, 2012). The following walks through my personal cultural background, how it was shaped, defined, and developed, and limitations to my personal competencies.
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