Introduction
Personal identity can be roughly described as “a sense of self” which is constructed “about and for” oneself and used in interactions with other people (Kim, 2012, p. 100). This identity can be connected to racial, ethnic, and cultural identities, which affect groups and are related to the perception of sharing experiences, heritage, and activities with said groups (Kim, 2012, p. 102). Personal identity can be linked to different factors, including gender, race, ethnicity, religion, geography, and other similar groups (Jones & McEwen, 2000). When considering my identity, I focus on my origins, religion, and current environment, which is why I identify as a Hispanic Caribbean person with Catholic beliefs and some internalized US traditions. Apart from that, my professional identity impacts my understanding of multiculturalism. As a result, I value and celebrate my cultural identity while also working to reduce related bias and promote positive attitudes to multiculturalism in my personal and professional life.
Personal Experiences and Cultural Identity
My cultural identity appears to be the direct outcome of my experiences. I was born into a Catholic family living in Cuba, but I moved to the US. However, in the Hispanic community, the family is an extremely valued concept (Allison & Bencomo, 2015; Corona et al., 2016), which is why my relatives have had a major impact on my identity. For example, the Hispanic culture (especially its values) has remained very important to me due to the encouragement of my parents, and even after experiencing the wide variety of alternatives that the modern world has to offer, I still prefer Cuban music and cuisine. Apart from that, I remain Catholic and support related beliefs, which is also relatively common in our communities (Corona et al., 2016). However, the fact that I have moved has also influenced my perceptions; in particular, I have picked up some American customs and tempo of life, which has helped me to adapt to my new environment. Thus, my cultural identity is a product of an interplay of several cultures.
Moving to America was a significant landmark in my life, and I encountered some frustrations and difficulties during this transition. At a point in time, I experienced some form of withdrawal from the American culture, which is mentioned by Kim (2012) as one of the possible reactions to culture shock, but it was short-lived and mostly related to homesickness. Today, I believe that I am in the independence stage of culture shock processing as I recognize and appreciate the differences between my native culture and that of the host country, and my cultural identity does not undergo any strain related to me moving to the US.
Regarding the model that was developed by Kim (2012), I think that I am undergoing the internationalization phase. Indeed, I recognize the fact that my identity is the product of a multicultural society, and I appreciate the diversity of my environment. Overall, I view the event of moving to the US as a positive one because it has helped me to form a more mature cultural identity from the perspective of the understanding of multiculturalism.
Another important personal experience that has influenced my cultural identity is the issue of discrimination. In the US, the Hispanic population is discriminated against both institutionally and individually (Askim-Lovseth & Aldana, 2010; Sanchez & Awad, 2015). I believe that the hate speeches of Donald Trump may be a valid example of the fact that this discrimination is not in the past (Vasquez, 2015). This problem is a fully negative phenomenon that limits our opportunities in society and damages our well-being; in fact, it can have adverse effects on the process of identity development, causing dissonance and confusion (Sanchez & Awad, 2015). However. I have managed to obtain one positive outcome from it: because of the prejudice that I have witnessed, I have grown to appreciate my heritage even more. As shown in the study by Sanchez and Awad (2015) it is not uncommon for discrimination to have this effect: people can become especially interested in their culture in discriminatory settings.
As a result, I am ready to celebrate my culture and work to make it visible. Also, knowing what discrimination is like, I am willing to respect other cultures that I have encountered. Because of my negative experiences, I think that I am more likely to reflect and reconsider my perceptions, biases, and insensitivity, and I make a conscious attempt to promote equality through personal effort and by spreading positive, equality-based messages. As a result, I suppose that my experience with discrimination has helped me to “maintain inner sameness,” which is a crucial aspect of identity (Kim, 2012, p. 101). Therefore, both positive and negative events have affected the development of my cultural identity.
Fighting Biases and Limitations
Cultural factors, especially values, tend to be helpful to a person’s identity formation and well-being, including mental health (Allison & Bencomo, 2015; Corona et al., 2016). However, they might also limit our worldviews and even cause adverse outcomes (Askim-Lovseth & Aldana, 2010). An example of the potentially limiting views that I experience and that seem to be typical for Hispanics is conflict avoidance (Askim-Lovseth & Aldana, 2010). In our culture, politeness and respect are very important in interpersonal relationships, which is a very positive feature to nurture. However, this perspective on interpersonal relationships can lead to some unhealthy behaviors, including conflict avoidance. Since conflicts cannot always be avoided and may require management, this feature may become a problem in my professional and personal life.
Moreover, a more specific factor that can be viewed as a potential negative effect of cultural affiliation is bias and stereotyping. For example, my religion affects my worldview, and being Catholic has helped me to keep in touch with my culture, which I consider to be the most favorable outcome. However, the possible adverse effect of this affiliation is excessive conservatism. As shown by recent studies, Catholic Hispanics are likely to be conservative, possibly, as a consequence of our religious beliefs (Askim-Lovseth & Aldana, 2010; Calvillo & Bailey, 2015). I agree that the Catholic culture is not very open to outside influences, which is a favorable factor since it helps us to preserve our beliefs. However, it can also become problematic if it generates bias and prevents us from understanding other cultures. I suppose that the conservative nature of this part of my cultural identity may be a limitation that needs to be acknowledged for me to be able to reflect on the bias that I might have towards the people belonging to other, different groups.
Bias-targeting self-reflection is very important to me since I am a college professor (Edwards & Edwards, 2016). I recognize the fact that I am in a position of power, and as a member of a minority group who understands the issue of discrimination from personal experience, I know that I need to prevent biased views from affecting the interaction with my students. Thus, I try to be as open-minded as possible. My students have very diverse cultural backgrounds and come from various countries, including Nicaragua, Russia, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Peru, and Spain to name only a few. It is apparent that with different ethnicities, religions, beliefs, and worldviews, misunderstandings can potentially occur. As a result, I work to reflect on the biases that can come from my personal views. Moreover, I also recognize the fact that I can use my position of power to promote positive attitudes towards multiculturalism. Thus, by analyzing my cultural identity and the potential biases that may be connected to it, I have the opportunity to help college students to learn to appreciate multiculturalism.
Conclusions
In summary, the present paper demonstrates that my identity has been shaped by the influence of my family, as well as some positive and negative experiences, including moving to the US and facing discrimination. My background and recent literature show that cultures can have positive impacts on one’s well-being, but limitations and bias are also the possible outcomes of the failure to analyze one’s perceptions. As a result, I appreciate and celebrate my culture, but I also acknowledge the fact that I am a product of multiculturalism (the interaction of several cultures), and I recognize the significance of other cultures. As a college professor, I also have the position to disseminate multiculturalism-positive messages. Consequently, I am genuinely interested in studying different cultural groups. For future assignments meant for this course, I would like to discuss a native culture, possibly, that of Alaska natives. This way, I will proceed to explore the worldviews that differ from my own and limit the bias that I might have, which should make me better prepared for personal and professional communication.
References
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