Cultural Background
As a young child, I was always curious about my family. I wanted to know everything. I remember asking countless questions to anyone that would listen. Growing up my friends and I were often oblivious to the uniqueness that existed among us. As children we most often notice the characteristics we have in common, and forget to question the rest.
Being an individual of mixed ethnicities, I often am questioned as to where my family “comes from.” At first, this took me a few minutes to respond to. As I grew familiarized with this subject, my response became natural. My family comes from the United States. As natives of Chicago, Illinois my grandparents, parents, and sister are no stranger to diversity. Especially after moving …show more content…
My father is Japanese, my mother Polish, German, French, and Canadian. In traditional American families ethnicity may or may not have as strong of a presence as within my own. Respect and honor are two concepts, highly visible within my family structure. We were taught to have admiration for our elders. Shoes were never worn inside of our home and were taken off at the door each time we entered. Education was key, an idea communicated to both my sister and I ever since I can remember. To this day, and throughout my childhood, I knew I was in trouble when my parents called me by my middle name. I would attempt to get away with things from time to time, but the moment I heard my middle name, I knew the situation was …show more content…
Growing up English was spoken to one another, in and outside of the household. My grandparents on my father`s side were raised to speak Japanese. While they both learned English living in America, they were still able to switch between languages. Japanese became a sort of code whenever significant conversations were held between my grandparents. We often made a game out of eavesdropping, and attempting to figure out just what was being said.
My family continues to keep our ethnicity alive through multiple means. Food has a large role in my culture. Traditional dishes of each ethnicity have been passed down through generations onto my mother and father. Throughout the year and especially on traditional holidays, food brings my family together. In Japan, there is an entire festival dedicated to rice and process of pounding rice into various dishes. To others this special occasion may seem unnecessary; to us it is the standard. In addition to using food as representations of our culture, decorations and clothing stand as important
As a young child, I was always curious about my family. I wanted to know everything. I remember asking countless questions to anyone that would listen. Growing up my friends and I were often oblivious to the uniqueness that existed among us. As children we most often notice the characteristics we have in common, and forget to question the rest.
Being an individual of mixed ethnicities, I often am questioned as to where my family “comes from.” At first, this took me a few minutes to respond to. As I grew familiarized with this subject, my response became natural. My family comes from the United States. As natives of Chicago, Illinois my grandparents, parents, and sister are no stranger to diversity. Especially after moving …show more content…
My father is Japanese, my mother Polish, German, French, and Canadian. In traditional American families ethnicity may or may not have as strong of a presence as within my own. Respect and honor are two concepts, highly visible within my family structure. We were taught to have admiration for our elders. Shoes were never worn inside of our home and were taken off at the door each time we entered. Education was key, an idea communicated to both my sister and I ever since I can remember. To this day, and throughout my childhood, I knew I was in trouble when my parents called me by my middle name. I would attempt to get away with things from time to time, but the moment I heard my middle name, I knew the situation was …show more content…
Growing up English was spoken to one another, in and outside of the household. My grandparents on my father`s side were raised to speak Japanese. While they both learned English living in America, they were still able to switch between languages. Japanese became a sort of code whenever significant conversations were held between my grandparents. We often made a game out of eavesdropping, and attempting to figure out just what was being said.
My family continues to keep our ethnicity alive through multiple means. Food has a large role in my culture. Traditional dishes of each ethnicity have been passed down through generations onto my mother and father. Throughout the year and especially on traditional holidays, food brings my family together. In Japan, there is an entire festival dedicated to rice and process of pounding rice into various dishes. To others this special occasion may seem unnecessary; to us it is the standard. In addition to using food as representations of our culture, decorations and clothing stand as important