Family: the Root of Identity Identity is formed, shaped and defined throughout our lives. As a member of a family who has lived and functioned moving multiple times, I quickly learned that my family defined who I was. Moving as a child, develops youth and provides them a refining experience, requiring them to determine who they are. The underlying factor in a child’s self-determination is their family. Identity is both internally and externally labeled. Most crucial to an individual, Family identity determines the different aspects of their life. Coupled with social, community, religious and racial identities, it shapes actions, desires and decisions. Society has based itself upon the foundational structure of the family. “The Family: A
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As with all things in human development, race acts as an identifier of difference from an early age. Race in this case acts as the identifier of differing phenotypes which separate one group of people from another. Because of the experience of the parents, the rising generations of Americans are taught to view racial characteristics but, as the old saying suggests, not judge a book by its cover. However, race acts merely as the identifier. Because members of each race have parents who have lived through irreversible historical events that have created the tension between races, racial identifiers remain inseparably linked to ethnicity and culture. This simple understanding of history’s continuing influence, explains the once again rising tensions between ethnic groups more commonly generalized as black and white peoples. As in Anna Deavere Smith’s production of Fires in the Mirror, black children ganged up and killed a Jewish man, simply because that is what they saw the older children and adults doing. Each generation learns to identify not only others but themselves through race. Unfortunately, it continues within the rising generations as they learn of the differences and separation of racial and ethnic groups from their parents, grandparents and mentors. Therefore, each generation passes on their problems to the next, even while searching for a
As with all things in human development, race acts as an identifier of difference from an early age. Race in this case acts as the identifier of differing phenotypes which separate one group of people from another. Because of the experience of the parents, the rising generations of Americans are taught to view racial characteristics but, as the old saying suggests, not judge a book by its cover. However, race acts merely as the identifier. Because members of each race have parents who have lived through irreversible historical events that have created the tension between races, racial identifiers remain inseparably linked to ethnicity and culture. This simple understanding of history’s continuing influence, explains the once again rising tensions between ethnic groups more commonly generalized as black and white peoples. As in Anna Deavere Smith’s production of Fires in the Mirror, black children ganged up and killed a Jewish man, simply because that is what they saw the older children and adults doing. Each generation learns to identify not only others but themselves through race. Unfortunately, it continues within the rising generations as they learn of the differences and separation of racial and ethnic groups from their parents, grandparents and mentors. Therefore, each generation passes on their problems to the next, even while searching for a