Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

Noelle:

Culture is what defines us as a race. It is a understanding of traditions and similarities we share with each other and that set us apart and define who we are. Culture is music, food, art, stories, and dance that tell the story of our people and our journey. Culture is who we are because it allows a person of a different race to understand our beliefs and feelings about the world, the economy, and our families. 

Diversity is our passion to stand out but also to stand tall. It often describes how we are classified or compared to one another because often times it is related to a specific area of cultures. Diversity to me is standing tall in your beliefs and in who you are no matter the stereotypes that surround your diverse culture. Diversity is also the ability of a group of individuals whom have different opinions , languages, religions, and skin colors coexist in one geographic location and live peacefully. We are diverse because we are different but by accepting our diversity and our individual challenges we are in some part all the same. 

Deysi:

Culture is my families traditions the woman takes care of the kids and home are husbands are the head of household. When you have parents that were born and raised in Mexico that is how you are raised and breed. In my house we celebrate the traditional Mexican holidays and the American ones. Culture is the music that I listen to, the food that I eat and the way that I raise my children.

Diversity is me having friends of different backgrounds, being able to eat foods and listen to music from other cultures and also exposing my children to the same things. Diversity is keeping my beliefs and honoring others and seeming that everyone is different.

Jenny:

My culture is my family. It is traditions we share with each other and define who we are. Culture is music, food, art, stories, and dance. Diversity is my family accepting that I like music and food that is not traditional to my race. Diversity is knowing that my best friends family accepts me even though I am not the same race as them

Which aspects of culture and diversity that I have studied in this course are included in the answers I received—and what are some examples?

Some aspects of culture that I have learned about so far in this course that I was talked about above are food, music, art and traditions.

Which aspects have been omitted—and what are some examples of such omission?

Home language was omitted from the answers above. I have learned that home language is a very important part of a person’s culture.

In what ways has thinking about other people’s definitions of culture and diversity influenced my own thinking about these topics?

Culture means many different things to different people. I have had to take a look at my meaning of culture and I am working to redefine it to fit the person that I am today. I have also learned that it is very important to learn about the children you teach family culture so that you can be a better teacher for that child.
Part of my family and culture.

My Family Culture

A major catastrophe has almost completely devastated the infrastructure of your country. The emergency government has decided that the surviving citizens will be best served if they are evacuated to other countries willing to take refugees. You and your immediate family are among the survivors of this catastrophic event. However, you have absolutely no input into the final destination or in any other evacuation details. You are told that your host country’s culture is completely different from your own, and that you might have to stay there permanently. You are further told that, in addition to one change of clothes, you can only take 3 small items with you. You decide to take three items that you hold dear and that represent your family culture.

The three items that I would take to my new country would be; 1. My portable hard drive, my sons’ photo album and my parents ashes. I would explain that my portable hard drive holds all of my family pictures and scanned documents from my sons childhood, my sons photo album was chosen because it holds everything from the letter of verification of pregnancy to his crib card. It means the world to me because my son was born at 26 weeks and was not expect to live and if he did live I was told he would have medical problems. He is a blessing; he is now 12 years old and a very smart and healthy child. I would take my parents ashes because I was not raised with them and that is all I have left of them other than memories. If I was told I could only take one of these items, I would take the portable hard drive because it holds more memories from all of my family and friends. I have gained the insight that I value my pictures of my family and that taking pictures is a part of my families culture.