According to Paulo Coelho, a Portuguese lyricist, and novelist, “Culture makes people understand each other better. And if they understand each other better in their soul, it is easier to overcome the economic and political barriers. But first they have to understand that their neighbor is, in the end, just like them, with the same problems, the same questions, (Coelho, n.d.).” I would go further by saying that if we understand each other, we can overcome racial and cultural barriers. This process originates with the individual, and by examining my cultural identity. Developing an awareness of my cultural identity can make it easier to communicate with others and recognize aspects of other’s cultural identity.
The majority of my cultural identity …show more content…
In many Caribbean islands and African American communities, there are issues with lightness or darkness, colorism and whether they have “good” hair. The lighter your skin and the straighter your hair, the more “beautiful” a person is considered. In fact, the most defining experience I ever had to deal with, in regards to my skin color, came from someone that was also black.
It was my sophomore year at the University of Florida, and the group that I frequently hung out with were all black and from the Caribbean. My best friend at the time made me aware of a conversation that the group engaged in, in my absence. She shared that the group referred to me as a “red waste.” In the “black culture,” someone is referred to as “red” when they have lighter skin. Being the lightest person in the group, they thought that I was not deserving of the, highly revered, lighter skin …show more content…
I guess I did not expect that people that are aware of the struggles that people of color face would not turn around and contribute to the degradation of another person of color. Recently, there has been a movement where people of color have campaigned to stop this type of racism and self-hatred and embrace all shades of skin color and every texture of hair. However, there are many individuals within the black culture that believe the lighter the skin and the straighter the hair, the more beautiful the
The majority of my cultural identity …show more content…
In many Caribbean islands and African American communities, there are issues with lightness or darkness, colorism and whether they have “good” hair. The lighter your skin and the straighter your hair, the more “beautiful” a person is considered. In fact, the most defining experience I ever had to deal with, in regards to my skin color, came from someone that was also black.
It was my sophomore year at the University of Florida, and the group that I frequently hung out with were all black and from the Caribbean. My best friend at the time made me aware of a conversation that the group engaged in, in my absence. She shared that the group referred to me as a “red waste.” In the “black culture,” someone is referred to as “red” when they have lighter skin. Being the lightest person in the group, they thought that I was not deserving of the, highly revered, lighter skin …show more content…
I guess I did not expect that people that are aware of the struggles that people of color face would not turn around and contribute to the degradation of another person of color. Recently, there has been a movement where people of color have campaigned to stop this type of racism and self-hatred and embrace all shades of skin color and every texture of hair. However, there are many individuals within the black culture that believe the lighter the skin and the straighter the hair, the more beautiful the