Definition Essay On Identity

How someone identifies is a complicated matter to dissect. There are an innumerable amount of factors that play into identity, both internally and externally to an individual. The fact that culture is an integral part only adds more complexity, as many cultures are becoming increasingly integrated and globalized with other unique groups. Generally speaking, identity is usually determined, often simultaneously, on three different levels: the national level, in one’s community, and at the personal level of self. The most obvious and seemingly important classification of one’s identity can be observed at the national level. In the United States specifically, one’s race is an important factor, and is recorded at birth for numerous reasons – keeping track of the population through the national census, organizing people so that they can be more easily understood and identified at a glance. A person’s identity from the national perspective is based entirely on superficial, or physical traits and blood. Regardless on …show more content…
Although community is often based on race, it can also be made up of blood relatives, those who share similar lifestyles or hobbies, etc. Some communities, particularly those that are centered around race, have distinct opinions on who can belong in the community. In other instances, one’s bloodline does not play a huge role, such as with many religions. When considering cases such as Asa Carter’s, though, when a person declares himself or herself to be belonging to a group based largely on racial identity, it is clearly problematic. Native communities especially have long been discriminated against because of their race, and so when people such as Carter align themselves with Indigenous groups, it disregards the important context of historical events, which have affected what it truly means to be Native in the present