Jamaican-American Culture

Without culture, we would be empty, boring shells. What is culture? “Culture is the characteristics and knowledge of a particular group of people, defined by everything from language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music and arts” (Kim Ann Zimmerman). Culture is so influential that it can influence what kind of person you’ll be. Culture is music, sports, traditions, food, religion, language and more. I am a first generation Jamaican-American, which means my parents were born in Jamaica, then they immigrated to America and had me. Honestly I am more connected with American culture than anything else, but for the sake of this paper I’ll write about Jamaica’s food, language and sports.
Probably the most iconic thing about Jamaica and Jamaicans …show more content…
Louise Fresco has said, “Food, in the end, is our own tradition, is something holy. It’s not about nutrients and calories. It’s about sharing. It’s about honesty. It’s about identity.” Most people who live near an area with a large Jamaican population have heard of or tasted a Jamaican beef patty. A beef patty is an iconic pastry that can contain fillings such as beef, chicken, lamb, vegetarian and probably more. There are countless other Jamaican cuisines that include curried goat, breadfruit, oxtail and jerk spice. I actually don’t like a lot of my culture’s foods, but fried dumpling, beef patties, and fish and crackers are my favorites.
To sum up, Jamaica is a very tiny island with lots of vibrancy and culture. I have learned a lot of things and will continue to learn as I do further research. As I do my research about my own culture, I’ll do research about other cultures too, because discovering other cultures is always an eye-opening experience. It’s always good to know where you came from, because it provides you with a certainty that you belong somewhere, that you’re a part of something, and everyone needs that