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Challenges of cultural identity
Challenges of immigrants
Cultural and national identity
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Why does changing world matter? With over thousands of cultures worldwide, it is hard to accept everyone for who they are. I have wondered what is the most important determinant of cultural identity. As an Australian with a background from Singapore, food dominates the lives of my family. ‘The Hundred-Foot Journey’ demonstrates the opportunities of a multicultural society. I believe we can embrace all aspects of various cultures, including their cuisines, and try and change the world to be more accepting of different cultures, as we all have the right to our own multicultural narrative to be who we are in every possible way without apology. In the film, ‘The Hundred-Foot Journey’, Hassan is a gifted and talented, natural chef inspired by
Families have food and drink recipes created and passed down from generation to generation. Some families are known for their specialty dishes. Countries are no different as they have special items that they grow and export. There are menu items that represent the self-image and identity of the country. Cultural traditions will determine the what, and why of a particular cuisine. These foods are served in restaurants as well as homes with pride. There will usually be a well told story behind the selection. Agricultural conditions will sometimes play a significant role in the finished product. Some of the cuisine selected as specialties may be the same for another culture. The only difference could be the selection of seasonings which are readily available to them or the side dishes served. History, heart and culture are the essential ingredients in a nation’s cuisine of choice. The opportunity to indulge should never be turned down (Away2013).
People tend to use their own culture as the standard to judge other cultures which can lead to fear of the unknown and that of which they do not understand. Diversity is critical due to the fact that we can learn from one culture on daily basis, thus having a level of understanding about other racial and ethnic groups. This better helps us understand the different perspectives within our communities and the world in which we live. Also, interacting with people of different cultures can assist in building bridges of trust, respect and tolerance for one another. Further, the United States benefits from having people from different cultures that contribute to diverse ways of thinking, different skills and languages, and new ways of doing things. Getting to know people of different ethnicities and cultures can lead to a better understanding and more empathetic world. Lastly, one can discover that people actually have more in common than they have
daylight it is not very sensible to go over at that time of day. I
The finding of the Americans was a life changing discovery for the Europeans. Although it was a dream come true for many foreigners to become an American, they were completely unaware of the several obstacles that were needed to actually earn that title. The documentary The Long Long Journey shows the struggles of a polish family migrating to the US during early 18th century. This documentary shows not only the perspective of Europeans of new America, but as well as show how “Americans” treated the immigrants. This film begins off with hundreds of Europeans traveling by boat to NYC. During this time, many Slavs, Polishes, Russians and several other Europeans sought to flee their homes due to harsh conditions in their country. Janket faced numerous challenges to become a true American such as his lack of knowledge of US cultural norms, having to step up and fulfill his father's role and his inability to live out his version of american dream.
Food and eating are two key social and cultural identity indicators that bring people of the same culture closer together. Food and eating are viewed as cultural and social symbols, and deviating from these norms may be harmful to an outsider’s ability to fit in (Crouch & O’Neill, 2000, pp. 182-183; Cornejo Happel, 2012, pp. 175-176). For example, Buddy drinks Coca-Cola directly from the bottle, instead of asking for a glass, which is seen as inappropriate by the family (Berg et al., 2003, 44:01). When Buddy joins Walter’s family for dinner, Buddy asks for maple syrup to put on his meal; the family is taken aback because, in their culture, it is atypical for maple syrup to be put onto spaghetti (44:16). This is normal for Buddy and those of the Elf culture, who believe that “the four main food groups [are] candy, candy canes, candy corns, and syrup” (44:40). This is seen as strange and repulsive to Americans who, albeit consume sugary foods, try to consume a more balanced diet. Food norms are important to follow in order to fit into a new culture. Even where shared foods across cultures exist, there are often norms around how and when to consume these foods (Cornejo Happel, 2012, pp. 175-176). Instead of bonding over shared food products like maple syrup or Coca-Cola, Buddy alienates himself from his family by the ways in which he consumes these foods. Through adaptation and acculturation, one’s food preferences may change and thus one’s identity may shift (Ishak, Zahari & Othman, 2013, pp. 439-440). If Buddy were to adapt to the local food customs, he may find it easier to fit in with his family and those around
Food is an important part of who we are and where we have come from. In many cases it represents important things like culture, religion, history, and tradition. In addition for immigrants it provides comfort and a sense of closeness to where they came from. Moving to a different country where the way of life is completely different, it's nice to have something you're used to. In the book Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri, ethnic food is often displayed as one of the most important things in the lives of the immigrants. Some think that food has one job, to taste good, but it really consists of so much more. Food holds memories that no paper or pen can capture, the happiness, the smell, and the stories told
Throughout the development of an individual’s cultural identity, one must take into account the factor of location. Depending on where someone lives, will determine the types of food they eat. One writer, Patricia J. Williams, wrote a personal essay, “Ethnic Hash, which develops the importance of food in culture. She comments, “Having grown up and learned that you are what you eat, I have worked to broaden my horizons and cultivate my tastes” (Williams 14). It is interesting that the author uses figurative language to show that the foods you eat make up who you are. Furthermore, food helps provide a sense of uniqueness in distinguishing one culture from another, while still creating an individual’s sense of self. Another author, Santha Rama Rau, writes “By Any Other Name”, which also helps discern a person’s distinctive cultural identity. Food helps provide a sense of uniqueness in distinguishing one culture from another while still creating an individual’s sense of self. Also, in “Everyday Use” the author, Alice Walker, mentions, “We sat down to eat and right away he said he didn’t eat collards and pork was unclean. Wangero, though went on through the chitlins and cornbread, the greens and everything else” (Walker 24). To respect the beliefs within a culture, food choice should be taken into account. For example, many faiths such as Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, and Hinduism exclude certain foods from their diets, due to their religious beliefs. Overall, the food that appeals to an individual, coincides with where they are from, as well as their
Analysis of Long Distance by Tony Harrison, I Shall Return and The Barrier by Claude McKay
The hidden stuff we pick up after hanging out with a specific culture has made us unique. According to Winter & McVeigh, a person can belong to more than one identity category (p. 174). Having more than one identity is part of the little ‘c.’ Little ‘c’ are the “categories we carry with us subjectively and how does that influence our everyday behavior” (Benette, 2016). As an American, living in a diversity culture city, is easy to adapt to others communication or eating style. I haven’t noticed, but my family has, that now I order my subway with jalapenos. Its so funny because my friend, Mexican, she eats everything with spice and I am constantly asking her “why do you eat everything with chili”. Her response is that unless she adds spice she can’t find flavor on the food. Its unbelievable that now I think that my subway is flavorless without adding
Living in the United States, or as nicknamed, the melting pot, a heterogeneous society becoming more homogenized (homogenized in this sense describes the way in which different cultures are able to coexist), I have been able to experience cultures outside of my own. I have been able to eat foods from different parts of the world while enjoying foods that are native to my country (sometimes something as simple as food can facilitate the process of assimilation), learn about different cultures (friends from different countries, with different religious beliefs, customs, or interests), listen to different music and watch different shows and movies, etc. The same applies for the global South. As Watson describes in “McDonald 's in Hong Kong: Consumerism, Dietary Change, and the Rise of a Children 's Culture”, an example of globalization is Hong Kong, which although “[embracing] American-style fast foods… [and appearing] to be in the vanguard of a worldwide culinary revolution…they have not been stripped of their cultural traditions, nor have they become "Americanized" in any but the most superficial of ways. Hong Kong in the late 1990s constitutes one of the world 's most heterogeneous cultural environments” (Watson 79-80). Although I am Dominican, this does not mean that I cannot appreciate the practices, ideas, and cultural aspects of others and adopt them. This does not mean I am becoming ‘homogenous’, or rejecting Dominican values or customs, just adopting and mixing certain aspects I feel would make me a better and more erudite individual. Yet, internalization differs from person to
In the personal essay “Ethnic Hash” by Patric J. Williams mentions how a variety of things determine how you see the world around you. In the story Patric says “habits,customs,and common traits of the social group by which I have been guided in life.” Williams. This shows all the different things in life that can change your vision on the world around you. To be able and see the world in a certain way you have to be able to identify your own culture identity first. Changing your view of the world is common by your own family going through a family experience or your friends doing important changes in your life and won't leave you with the same image on the world. Just on the way you eat changes your view of the world makes you think of others in a different way on the food they eat.
However, recognition and understanding is at varied levels. For some industrialized countries, trade and the vulnerability of national cultural models in a rules-based environment is the driving force. For other organizations and nations, interest arises from social cohesion, human security and prosperity objectives. For the most part, international discussions have yet o result in concerted action. One thing is clear-the current global environment will require a global approach to cultural diversity initiatives.
With every passing day the world is shrinking, and the globalization process is taking place. Advances in communication, transportation, and computer technology have all played a role in making the world a smaller place. With the right equipment, people can talk to friends and family from the other side of the world. Traveling from America to Europe, which once required days at sea, now only takes hours in the air. Computer networking and fax machines allow world businesses to conduct negotiations within a matter of seconds. Images and personas such as the McDonalds’s golden arches and Mickey Mouse are recognized worldwide. When Saddam Hussein was captured, nearly every country knew about it within a matter of hours. Yet, while globalization is taking place, it is not doing so without dispute. Many countries, in fact, feel threatened by Western culture and consequently, are acting out to preserve their own identities. Differences in currency and standardized measuring units indicate hesitancy and possibly even an inability for people to accept the conformity of a singular global society. Also, characteristics of different cultures are in such a way unique that to alter them or blend them into other cultures would, in some people’s opinion, destroy both of them. After all, one would not expect to find tacos served in Italian restaurants, nor would one expect pasta and breadsticks to be the major selling items in Mexican restaurants. So, while globalization is taking place on different levels, fundamental differences in culture and pride in one’s own heritage both exist as strong forces preventing the emergence of a homogenized world society.
I can see the possibility as an application in a form of loyalty, however, I believe it will be swayed from an identity one way or another. Many of our backgrounds and experiences have many influences to our perspectives which then affects how we take in identity. The exercise of finding how relevant our identities are and then weighing the importance of the identities is important idea in making sense of identity. One way to determine the importance of an identity is the social context. In applying this in the same situation of the dinner with the in-laws, the importance of having good etiquette would not be able to compare to having Filipino as my nationality. In that context, the in-laws favors the culture identity than the eating habit identity, but does that mean I will prioritize my culture over eating? Only in that situation or for the rest of my life? I noticed that identities are always prioritized in different ways, depending on the situation. Does that define who we are? Or is the consistency of prioritized identity makes us who we
Our world is constantly changing and it requires a society that is well versed in understanding the problems deriving from culture differences and tolerance of one another’s beliefs and perceptions. We are dealing with systemic problems in education, economic, government, religion and culture differences.