Running head: A GLANCE AT CULTURAL IDENTITY 1

A Glance At Cultural Identity

Chad P. Bell, Ethan R. Timm, Hannah N. Worthington, Jessica D. Haug

Tri-Valley High School

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Abstract

Culture is defined as the beliefs, customs, and behaviors of a society. These ways of life greatly

impact the way one views others and the world. Slaves, Indians, immigrants, and Americans are

all directly impacted by their culture. This essay examines the effects of culture through personal

experiences and textual examples, including excerpts from multiple short stories. The impacts of

commercialism, industrialization, and slavery are all shown to have major implications on

culture. The essay also illustrates how one’s background is revealed through new occurrences.

Learning about different cultures not only exposes different viewpoints but allows one to more

fully recognize his or her own culture. By reading this paper, readers will gain a greater

understanding of culture and its effect on the perspectives of individuals.

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A Glance At Cultural Identity

Does culture impact the way that we view the world around us? Do taste buds affect the

way that we taste? Obviously, culture and taste buds are equally critical factors in defining our

perception! They each determine how we react to new occurrences that we may encounter. Like

a pair of 3D glasses, culture shapes perspective and allows us to better appreciate the depth of

society. Culture adds an otherwise unperceivable dimension to our everyday lives and impacts

many of the decisions we make. Our cultural upbringing may be ordinary or unique in relation to

those around us. These different perspectives are what drive the conflicts in stories like Uncle

Tom’s Cabin, “An Indian Father’s Plea”, and “Two Kinds.” Although we might not recognize

our own culture, it is an important factor in determining who we become. Elise Trumbull and

Maria Pacheco (2014) define these unseen elements “as invisible webs composed of values,

beliefs, ideas… and socially constructed truths” (p. 9). Some may argue that culture does not

have a major effect on our lives. This claim is illogical because culture determines how we eat,

dress, and act. Our cultural identity is who we are. Though everyone might have different

cultural perspectives, all can relate to the importance of culture in our lives.

Literature is a source that thoroughly reflects this difference in culture. In Uncle Tom’s

Cabin, for instance, Harriet Beecher Stowe shows how conflicting cultural identities affect

various people in the harshest of forms. Specifically, it demonstrates how prejudice has turned

white men into savage, cruel “owners” of slaves. They are brought up to view black people in

this way, and it is, unfortunately, a defining part of their culture. Even within this faction of

discrimination, views span a wide range. The character Mr. Haley, while still having intensely

unfair views toward slaves and their positions as human beings, still never resorts to beating

them mindlessly. He cares about treating his slaves decently, even if it is just for the money.
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Simon Legree, however, has a different idea. This man reacts with absolute rage when things go

any way but exactly the way he wants them: “‘Ye’ll learn a pretty smart chance of things ye

never did know, before I’m done with ye!’ said Legree, taking up a cowhide, and striking Tom a

heavy blow across the cheek, and following up the infliction by a shower of blows” (p. 302). Of

course, mistreatment such as this creates a wide and confusing range of views from slaves as

well. Some, such as Tom, push on and endure optimistically, respecting their masters, while still

holding on to their beliefs. Others become mindless, accepting their fate miserably. Characters of

both these types appear in Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Slavery and the cultural aspects that come with it

have significantly changed the way these people think and see others around them. The novel

gives a disturbing yet accurate perspective of the many ways cultural identity can affect people’s

views.

The enormous impact of cultural identity on our everyday decision making is also

defended in writing, such as Pico Iyer’s essay “Where Worlds Collide”. He describes a group of

immigrants and their awe inspired reaction upon reaching the United States. As Americans grow

up, they are dulled to the ever-expanding rush of commercials and advertisements that surround

everyday life. Immigrants are not exposed to these elements until they enter America. Their

native country might be less industrialized, so an immigrant's’ view of “normal” is very

different. Entering a big city such as Los Angeles is like jumping into freezing cold water;

immigrants are left gasping because of the unusually different world that is L.A. In contrast,

because of their upbringing, natives are used to the “unending cacophony” of sights and sounds

in a large city (p. 51). Our routine life becomes mundane because we experience it every day.

When we travel to a new place, we look at the world through someone else’s point of view. This
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view can be very different, surprising, or even scary. This helps to explain the great importance

of our upbringing- it changes how we see the world around us.

Culture not only affects how we see the world, but also how the world sees us. Robert

Lake describes this scenario while writing to his son’s teacher in “An Indian Father’s Plea”. He

provides several ways his son, Wind-Wolf, is affected by his own upbringing by entering a

school with a totally different cultural background. The father begins by addressing his concern

to the teacher, that at age five his son has already been labeled as a “slow learner” (p. 75). He

tells her that in reality, he has gained a greater education than those of the Western Society.

Wind-Wolf is not culturally “disadvantaged,” but he is culturally “different” (p. 77). If one were

to ask him how many months were in a year he would respond with 13, seeing that this is how he

has been taught his whole life. Personal background affects a person more than simply learning

new things. Culture can also influence them to act in certain ways; Wind-Wolf looks outside

during class to analyze the animals and leaves changing colors. His father explains that this is

because of his instinct to meet with his people and gather fish. Cultural drives like this will

always be a part of people, and it will affect how they view the world around them.

Amy Tan’s essay “Two Kinds” is the perfect description of how culture can affect

someone’s perspective and how much influence culture has on a person. The story is an outline

of two very different perspectives fighting against each other on the topic of what a perfect child

is… according to the “American culture”. Jing-mei’s mother grew up in China and came to

America with a sense of hope and freedom. She thought that in America, you could be “anything

you wanted” (p.18). She looked at the American culture in hopes to influence Jing-mei into

becoming a better individual. Jing-mei didn’t want to live the perfect life. She wanted to make

mistakes, be a human, and lead a normal life. Jing-mei tried so hard to impress her mother but
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nothing ever worked out in her favor. She would do things that her mother wanted her to do, she

never did anything for herself. Her mom had this idea of what the perfect culture was, and to her,

America was that culture. At such a young age, Jing-mei was put down for making mistakes and

simply being human. The people around her had a great effect on this. She was ashamed that she

wasn’t perfect but then again, she was totally okay with being imperfect. Jing-mei never ended

up being the child her mother wanted. In a sense, Jing-mei’s mom didn’t even live up to her own

expectations. She was so harsh on everything about Jing-mei. She made her daughter into the

“Chinese Shirley Temple” (p.18), changing every heritage aspect of her child’s life. Jing-mei’s

mother’s severity may have been influenced by the way her culture functioned, which showcases

again one of the many ways culture can guide one’s views.

I recognize the guiding impact of culture on my life from the personal experience of

watching sports programs. Americans are continuously under the mind-numbing influence of

television. I was watching baseball recently and I was surprised at the large number of

commercials. Relentless advertisements selling cars, medications, and technology interrupted the

game every couple of minutes. My American upbringing has dulled me to the promotions that

constantly surround me. Although I have learned to block out many of the sources vying for my

attention, people not used to this experience would find it overwhelming. Immigrants are not

exposed to the constant enticements and endorsements in their native countries. Culture has

changed my perspective on commercials, in addition to shaping many other parts of my life.

Cultural identity is an important influence on the various aspects of one’s life. There are

multiple factors that go into a person's view on their own culture, but it isn’t until they are

opened up to a new world that it becomes apparent. Many times people don’t notice their culture

is unique until they are exposed to a variety of very different views and opinions. In addition,
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culture affects how one views the world; life can be viewed through nature’s insightfulness, as

seen by Wind-Wolf, or by eyes clouded with commercialism. Cultural identity is also shaped by

ancestors, who embed principles and beliefs that are handed down from generation to generation.

All of these factors combine to form unique individuals, like separate puzzle pieces joining

together to make an extraordinary puzzle. Though insignificant apart, these fragments interlock

to form one’s beautiful life story.

References

Iyer, P. (2014). Where worlds collide. In Betty Barnett & Doug Waugh (Eds.), Springboard:

English Language Arts. (51). Indianapolis: College Board.

Lake, R. (2014). An indian father’s plea. In Betty Barnett & Doug Waugh (Eds.),

Springboard: English Language Arts. (75-79). Indianapolis: College Board.

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Pacheco, M., Trumbull, E. (2014). What is cultural identity? In Betty Barnett & Doug

Waugh (Eds.), Springboard: English Language Arts. (9). Indianapolis: College Board.

Stowe, H. B. (2005). Uncle Tom’s cabin. Mineola, N.Y: Dover Publications.

Tan, A. (2014). Two kinds. In Betty Barnett & Doug Waugh (Eds.), Springboard:

English Language Arts. (19-25). Indianapolis: College Board.