What Is Cultural Identity Essay

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Cultural Identity Synthesis Essay Humans, as a whole, are naturally affected by others around them. We all assimilate to be the most likeable and successful we can be. Due to this, we are extremely affected by our upbringing and culture, some argue. Others argue that this is false, as every individual has the ability to choose their outlook on the world. In my opinion, I believe that our culture affects how we view others around us, though we do pick and choose the manner in which we conduct ourselves--either accepting and promoting our cultures, or refusing to acknowledge certain aspects of them. In regards to culture, every person has a certain personality that dictates which philosophies he or she displays. Our culture does not completely …show more content…

One way in which this occurs is through family. Throughout a person’s upbringing, family ingrains certain values into them. They teach them the wrongs and rights of life, and how to deal with different situations. This all in all is exhibited in the way someone views the world. An individual’s culture greatly shines through in their day-to-day life, especially in areas with opportunities to teach or learn, such as in school. Wind-Wolf from “An Indian Father’s Plea” is one of the affected individuals, as his teacher is seemingly not allowing him to “share his knowledge, heritage, and culture with [her] and his peers” (Lake 21). This boy’s cultural identity is being muted, and he is labelled a “slow-learner” (1) in the class. Wind-Wolf was raised to believe certain ideals, those which may differ from the majority of kids in his class, and this is evident in the way the teacher reports on his behavior in class. His Indian culture is causing him to be viewed as different, or lacking in some way, even though that is completely untrue. His family-acquired values are not being recognized in an adequate way, as the teacher disregards what his father calls a “secure environment, [that is also] very colorful, complicated, sensitive, and diverse” (5). Through this example, we can clearly see that family in a massive aspect of one’s life. Family introduces us to many diverse cultures, whether it …show more content…

Hobbies, such as art or music, sort us into an artist or musician culture, for example. For this reason, I can infer that every person views the world through the lenses that their personality consists of. For instance, Frida Kahlo was a famous Mexican painter, and her perspectives are altered due to that. Kahlo doesn’t see the world like every other citizen--she sees the world not only as a Mexican woman, but as a painter. She explicitly portrays this in her painting “Self Portrait Along the Borderline Between Mexico and the U.S.” A common person would normally view this area between the two countries as a simple borderline, one that does nothing more than separate the two. Through Frida’s eyes, however, she saw the artistic value in it, and what the border means to her. She created the painting expressing how she feels caught between the two worlds--on one side, there is creative opportunity and money: the U.S. On the other side, there is her life in Mexico where she has grown up in, which is full of history and cultural connections. This is a unique non-artists may have never concluded, without the experience of analyzing areas in order to create a masterpiece. Frida’s “painter’s view” exemplifies my philosophy that every person’s view of others and the world is altered by his or her cultures, other than cultures obtained from family, as their personality consists of those

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