Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

Three people I talked to about their definition of culture and diversity. One person that believes in some ways  culturally different from me.

Family Member- Patricia R.-My definition of cultural is the way we stick to family rituals. The color of my skin. The beliefs that my family believe in, and our values. Our body language, the way we talk and present ourselves. Diversity is a typical ethnicity; being able to adapt to your surrounding, but don't change your identity.
Nail Tech- Tim N.- I am from China. I am a Chinese. Cultural means family. It's what we value like homes, statues, and Chinese rituals. Diversity is just being different.
Acquaintance-Rodney C. - Culture is our family history. It is sentimental things passed down through different generations. It's the way we perceive life. Most of all is the way we value family.
Diversity is looking at things or people different. Nothing is the same.

Which aspects of culture and diversity that I have studied in this course are included in the answers I received- what are some examples?
In this course I have learned about the definition of culture. I believe some of the people I talked to see culture the same way in some aspect. The book states that when we hear the word culture; we think about surface culture and deep culture and how certain groups of people live. For example, The Chinese believe that everyone should be under one roof. The live in packs in one house. The African American is a group that is related strongly to their ethnicity.

Which aspects have been omitted-and what are some examples of such omission?
I believe that a lot of the deep culture aspects has been omitted. For example, no one that I talked to said anything about any community connection with their culture. Education, role of children and gender roles.

In what ways has thinking about the other's people's definition of culture and diversity influenced my own thinking about these topics?
I see that we all have some similarities about culture and diversity. These two topics are very broad subjects. I have learned that we respect our own beliefs and is very strongly opinionated and defensive when we speak on these subjects. After speaking to these people, I have learned to reach out and learn from other cultures, and especially dominant cultures.

My Family Culture

 

If I was told that my family and I would have to evacuate to another country where the culture is different and could only take three items; the first item that I would take would be my family's bible. The bible is made from burlap, which was passed down through many generations. Some of the pages are torn and the words are very big. This bible has gotten our family through the roughest and toughest times. My next item will be a picture of my grandmother’s mother’s mother and her family, because they were slaves. The picture reminds my family and me how close we are. The picture shows strength and love. The picture is very faded, but it states that nothing can break us down, and we can make it through anything. My last item would be a black angel. She is wearing a beige dress and her wings are spread very wide. Her eyes are like black coals. This angel reminds out family that we are always taken care of, and she is always watching the family.

I would express the meaning of these items by explaining what each item represents as a stated in my first paragraph. I would like for everyone to know that these items are the reason why our family culture is important to us. These are the items that have made our family bond stronger than life itself. If I was told that I could only keep one; it would be the family’s photograph. I would choose this item because the people in this picture have been through it all, and lost their lives for protected their families and other people as well. It was their beliefs that made them strong. It was their encouraging words that push me, built the look in their eyes in the picture, and reminds me that no one can take what I have been taught away from me.

My new insights are that I have learned from this week’s reading, that family culture is very important to everyone. It’s not the color of their skin that solely matters; it’s the way they were brought up, how they walk, how they carry themselves, body language, values, and their beliefs. I also have learned that it is okay to accept other family’s culture, cultural differences and diversity, because this is who they are. I also learned that you can learn from other cultures.