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preliminary requirements.
In two separate paragraphs:
In two separate paragraphs:
COMMENT
1) What is the aspect of YOUR cultural heritage you are most proud of?
2) And what aspect of you cultural heritage makes you most uncomfortable?
REPLY: reply to the comment that had the deepest effect on you, and explain
why.
I am most proud of the hard-working nature of my Norwegian cultural heritage. I come from a long line of farmers that immigrated to the midwest in the 1800’s to homestead the prairie. My last name, Melby, means “middle farm” in Norwegian. It took a tremendous amount of effort, planning, and navigating through many hardships to work the land and start a new life. This work ethic has been passed down to me, and I take pride in getting things done and seeing the results of my labor.
ReplyDeleteBut there is a tendency for my Scandinavian people, coming from a cold climate, to be unemotional and withholding of their feelings. Love or anger is not generally outwardly shown, and we do not express how we feel until it is too late. This leads to a deep regret and being very hard on oneself. In extremes cases, what is pent up is released in unhealthy ways, often upon ourselves, because of the need to rebel from the restrictive stoicism of the culture.
Hey Kathryn,
DeleteIt's very interesting to read how sheltered the people in your culture are with their feelings. I come from a very sincere, loving, and outwardly expressing community of people and it is one of the greatest feelings. I couldn't imagine not communicating my exact feelings and hope that you are still able to have some open expression at least with the people that are closest with you!
1. As an Italian, we are rich in our traditions, over generations, we continue to retain a combined family system. By referring to our elders for guidance, advice and approval. The advantages of having such a thing is we as an entire family can sit and communicate by expressing our thoughts, feelings, concerns and resulting in a combined solution by doing so, It diminishes confusion, chaos, misrepresentation and miscommunication. It also enriches and educates our younger generation to pass these traditions on to their families and even now our elders are willing to listen and contrast and combine new ideas and traditions such as weddings, funerals and various other family and holiday traditions.
ReplyDelete2. There is nothing about my heritage that makes me uncomfortable because growing up around it for so many years and adapting to the traditions it shows that for generations to come it can be passed down. It doesn’t make me uncomfortable to know that various traditions can change over time because new ways are being brought about, there are things that will remain old school because to change it wouldn’t feel the same but new traditions can’t hurt as well. Knowing about my heritage and how for generations that passed have done them makes me feel honored to be apart of my family and where I come from.
Bruna,
DeleteI envy that you are Italian. I have always wanted to be an Italian American. I have grown up around my Italian uncle and cousins who always fascinated me. I loved going to their house for Thanksgiving! The endless yummy food: antipasto, lasagna, then the turkey, Oh my!
I also loved my uncle's mom: Grandma Ranghelli. She was a character. She always had a handkerchief sticking out of her bra! She always gave the best hugs too! She always made us eat whenever we went there. There was always something on the stove. The thing that struck me was the welcoming, homey reception I received (even though, technically, I wasn't family).
When my aunt married into this Italian family, we adopted the Sunday family dinners and conversations with our extended family. Because of the rich culture, we not only learned about authentic Italian foods :(Grandma Ranghelli's recipes) for meatballs and stuffed artichokes, and drink (Chianti room temperature ), but my family is planning a trip (hopefully next year) to Italy to experience the wonderful people and culture first hand.
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ReplyDeleteMy cultural heritage is one of the most important aspects of my everyday life. I grew up in a large family with so many cousins, aunts, and uncles that I couldn't even count them out if I tried. My mothers family is hispanic and she is first generation in the United States. It’s a quite fascinating culture where everything revolves around the familial unit, great food, and good laughs. Every occasion from birthdays, graduations, and marriages are all equally grand in celebration. Most importantly, the time spent with your family is what I appreciate most about being Hispanic. From the time we can speak, walk, and talk were are taught that every part of your life revolves around your family. Even for young adults entering college were taught to consider our academic futures and how it will benefit our entire family down the line. Having to consider how we will support our parents when they are older, how we will send our children to school, and how we spend time with our parents and siblings even as we study in university. We believe in a strong familial unit and it is the part of my culture that I appreciate the most.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, our strong familial relationships can become quite tiresome. Everyone is still an individual and has feelings that are always being compromised by the joking nature of our culture. Considering the typical family rhetoric and sarcastic undertones it would still be hard to imagine a life where I wasn't able to spend as much time as I could with all of my family members. The strength and connectedness of my family is also what makes me the most uncomfortable. It's hard to consider my family members whose place in the United States is not solidified especially in a political climate where refugees and hispanic families seeking asylum are being targeted. Wether they are undergoing the legal transition to becoming and American citizen, are here illegally, or are trying to enter as a refugee of their native country my familial unit is threatened. Picturing my young cousins being refused admittance from Mexico or El Salvador and having to return to their towns where drugs and gang wars are eradicating any chance of normalcy for my family is heartbreaking. Sadly, this is the reality of my families current state but I am confident that we’ll remain united and continue to help transition our remaining family members into the United States safely.
Hi Crystal,
DeleteI can totally relate as I have a similar background. It can be difficult to
have immigrant families and it can be hard to know that your close family cannot visit you. Hopefully comprehensive reform will allow us to be with our families sooner rather than later.
I enjoy delicious food a lot, and for this discussion, I would say I am proud of Chinese food culture. China has a really long history and along with diversified dietary customs that developed in different areas. Each area has its cuisine type, which can be spicy, sweet, salty, or bland. For example, Sichuan food are famous for its unique spicy tastes and I have seen many Sichuan style restaurants open here in New York. I am from south-eastern part of China which the food in this area trend to be a bit sweet and light. The reason that China develop so many various cuisine types is because geography distribution. My hometown is close to sea so that I could enjoy all kinds of seafood and people there enjoy the original taste of seafood, which is light and a bit sweet. Meanwhile, Sichuan located in the center of China. The weather there is wet, so people eat spicy to keep them warm.
ReplyDeleteIt might sound ironic, but I also feel that part of Chinese food culture makes me uncomfortable. This is because that a small group of people eat dog meat or other weird ingredients. Back to ancient time, people might have no choice, they eat everything to survive. However, nowadays, when there is enough food supply, I think people should choose what they eat.
Hi Qian,
DeleteHope you're well. I completely understand where you're coming from when it comes to being proud of the food your heritage has to offer. On the other hand, I also feel uncomfortable with the dishes that my culture eats as well. But you're 100% correct people should be allowed to choose what they eat.
Hi Qian,
DeleteHope you're well. I completely understand where you're coming from when it comes to being proud of the food your heritage has to offer. On the other hand, I also feel uncomfortable with the dishes that my culture eats as well. But you're 100% correct people should be allowed to choose what they eat.
As you can see in my reply to Bruna, I am not Italian. I am, however, largely German and Czechoslovakian. I love that my Czech heritage brings great genes on my mom's side. My grandmother just recently died at the age of 97. Because of grandma's longevity, she was able to be loved and appreciated by my own children. She had great stories of her silly relatives who were only known by their nicknames such as Henny and Toatty. She also was able to speak in Czech (mostly nursery rhymes is what she remembered). She shared her tradition of Micolosh, the Bohemian Santa Claus who comes on the eve of December 5th. He brings nuts, beer and candy along with an advent calendar to count down to Christmas. Our traditions for Christmas are those I feel are very important to my heritage. There is a Hoska (Christmas bread) that is tradition for the women of the family to get together and make. It is a recipe from my great-grandmother that never comes out the same way twice. It always proves to be a hoot the way it morphs into different flavors and shapes.
ReplyDeleteIt is impossible to say what I am most proud of in my cultural heritage. I am made up of a combination of influences, removing some of which would change who I am.
I can't say that my cultural heritage makes me uncomfortable. If I need to express a negative in being who I am, I do wish that my ancestors from Germany were not responsible for atrocities against others in WWII
I appreciate that your Czech traditions have been passed down through the generations, and that they seem to be ones of coming together and bonding over making and sharing sustenance. Perhaps this contributes to the long and full life in your family history.
DeleteAs a Mexican-American I am proud to say that I have overcome many obstacles. There are many people like myself who have not or continue to struggle as they find it difficult to find the correct path. This is where I think I can help many people like myself through applications like LinkedIn, and provide insight of how I was able to overcome many obstacles. As I begin my professional career at PwC, I am empowered not by-myself, but by my company to share my story with others, and show that although I faced many obstacles as a first generation immigrant I showed resiliency to conquer those obstacles.
ReplyDeleteComing from Mexico, the most uncomfortable part is the rhetoric coming from many people from the right. Many people often assume that I am illegal and mock me as if I was a criminal. Even thought I know this is not true, it does still affect me negatively. I feel at times as if I am a outcast and feel that I am not welcomed in the country. Especially because I have direct family who is affected by certain rhetoric by the current administration. However, I still continue to remain strong and not let rhetoric influence me.
Luiz, I can't imagine what it's like to be a Mexican-American under this administration. It truly is disgusting what's going on in our country. I'm glad your staying strong and not letting it bring you down.
DeleteThere are a lot of aspects of my cultural background, that I feel very positive about. I consider myself very fortunate to be from the city, where a lot of famous writers, musicians and scientists worked and lived. St. Petersburg inspired a lot of art, major pieces of Russian literature were inspired and influenced by that city. When people ask me, where am I from, I usually answer “From Saint Petersburg”, not from Russia. St. Petersburg is a very special place to me, and it influenced the way I see my cultural identity the most. I am very proud of beautiful architecture, literature and art, that was created there. I really want to be a part of that culture and promote it wherever I live. I truly believe, that Saint Petersburg made me who I am today. Every time I meet new people I feel like I am representing my hometown and its values, like education, love for art and science and respect for the past. I studied classic ballet and went to art school to be closer to my cultural past and to embrace my cultural identity. Now, I am not as close to art scene as I could be but I try to promote it within my coworkers. I am very thankful for my cultural heritage, since it makes me understand the world around me better and think about future with respect to the past.
ReplyDeleteGenerally, I am pretty happy with my cultural background and heritage, and I rarely find myself feeling uncomfortable. The only part of my cultural heritage, that makes me slightly uncomfortable is the fact, that I grew up in 90s in Russia, the time known to be particularly tough financially and culturally. My parents still remember, how they struggle to support the family, while both were working multiple jobs. That time is also know for spiking crime rates and general sense of fear in peoples’ mind. I remember not being able to leave the house without supervision, since it was to dangerous. I also remember the financial gap between my life and life of my peers, whose parent were more successful in the newly formed country. I feel like that experience makes me feel negatively the future sometimes, and sometimes I wish I could just erase that experience. Luckily, my family emigrated, and I am no longer faced with constant reminders of that time. So, I feel like that part of my cultural background does not affect me.
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ReplyDeleteI am most proud of my culture for tea. Many people from around the world loves tea. Also tea has many benefits to ones body. Green tea is best known for losing weight to help with cravings. Tea has been used for many things such as pills, drinks, losing weight, and entertainment. If you go to a Chinese household they will always offer you hot tea. Chinese people don't drink tea cold, it's either warm or hot. There are many different kinds of tea and many different ways to make it.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that my culture makes me feel uncomfortable is people asking me to teach them how to make chicken with broccoli. In Chinese household we do not cook chicken with broccoli for dinner. What you order from a Chinese take out place you will not see in a Chinese household dinner table. We have soup for starters then meat, vegetables, fish, and more. We don't make prok fried rice for dinner we just eat all the food with plain white rice.
I am proud of my Russian heritage because it is something that will always be part of me. I am proud how we are a hardworking and hospitable culture. We are also very family oriented, creating a family is our first priority of life. I believe that family must come first despite anything. I have always been taught to honor the memory of my ancestors and create myself as well as the world around me.
ReplyDeleteAlcoholism is the only thing in my cultural heritage which makes me most uncomfortable. The love to alcohol is our traditional antidepressant which unfortunately has become habit and norm. Whenever I meet new people, they assume that I love to drink any strong liquor as well as unlimited quantity of it.
As someone who comes from a Russian heritage, I completely agree with everything you said! I've grown up learning that family should always come first, and that we need to work hard if we want to be successful in life. Nothing comes easy. And as someone who had a family member suffer from alcoholism, I also can see why it makes you uncomfortable.
DeleteAs someone who comes from a Russian heritage, I completely agree with everything you said! I've grown up learning that family should always come first, and that we need to work hard if we want to be successful in life. Nothing comes easy. And as someone who had a family member suffer from alcoholism, I also can see why it makes you uncomfortable.
DeleteMy Russian heritage makes me proud because we are family-oriented and hard-workers. We do not take anything for granted, and although it can be harsh sometimes, we are held to high standards that can make or break you. This makes us strong, and allows us to push through obstacles laid in our path.
ReplyDeleteI'd have to agree with a fellow classmate on the topic of alcoholism. It seems to be a very common stereotype that we have created for ourselves. When a group of people drink together, more often than not, someone will say he/she is Russian, they can outdrink us or they're definitely going to go for the vodka. I feel that a drink or two should be allowed for a good time, but it should not define you.
1) Dominicans are in such a harmonic touch with their culture and this is the aspect that makes me proud to be Dominican. We go way back with our traditions and folklore. Our ancestors are a mix of indigenous people, Africans, Spanish conquistadors, and so much more. We created our own mix traditions and have been celebrating it proudly to this day.
ReplyDelete2) However, I believe Dominicans can be a little bit stubborn and arrogant. A recurring theme is always rivalry and showing off how popular and rich one is. I get it, it's pride, but sometimes people get out of hand and rub it on our faces. Some kids are not properly educated and they grow up to admire, aspire, and try to live the "street" life. It is so that they get lost in this life at such a young age and unfortunately grow up making bad decisions.
I am extremely proud of the food that I grew up eating. Like all cultures my food is extremely different and unique. A dish that Laotians are known for is papaya salad. It is made with fresh shredded green papayas, Thai chili peppers, lime juice and other condiments. The salad is extremely refreshing and pairs well with other Laotian dishes. Growing up as a Laotian girl in Sacramento, California everyone always asked me for the recipe of papaya salad because it is an extremely popular Southeast Asian dish. Growing up, my family always told me the spicier the dish the better it tastes. Now, that I am older I crave for spicy foods every other day. I am proud to say that I can a lot of spice.
ReplyDeleteThe aspect of my cultural heritage that makes me feel uncomfortable is that my family and I grew up eating with our hands. Eating steamed sticky rice with our meals is very common and therefore it requires us to use our hands. Unlike most cultures we do not use a knife and a fork, its necessary for us to use our hands. It gets a bit uncomfortable when I have to explain this to people who are not familiar with my culture. Also, when I am around individuals who are not familiar with eating steamed sticky rice or certain authentic Lao dishes, I also avoid eating with my hands because I do not want anyone to feel uncomfortable.
1) I don't really have an aspect of my life that is affected by where my ancestors came from. My father's side of the family are from Czechoslovakia from the part which is now Slovakia. Although I never got to meet my grandfather, I'm proud of his ability to leave his home in Czechoslovakia and come to the United States right as the Great Depression hit and survive the hardships. He went job to job, state to state, always working hard to get by. He also had a large amount of his family killed in the Holocaust which I couldn't even imagine how that felt. I don't think he ever got confirmation on what happened to his family that were still in Europe, he just knew. He never was a wealthy man but he worked hard until the day he died.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if there's anything that makes me uncomfortable about my cultural heritage. Like I said before, my life isn't really affected by where my family came from. A family member on my mother's side found out through ancestry.com that my Irish ancestors stole horses. I guess that's something.