My Cultural Mosaic In America

Words: 966
Pages: 4

I am a collage of cultures, which makes me a unique individual. My cultural mosaic shapes my beliefs, traditions, and everyday practices. When a person thinks about a culture, they mainly think about where a person is from or their race. However, cultural identity is broader than race and origins. It is a combination of a person’s genetic and personal background that shapes their culture. This is what makes everyone special and different. The main culture I identify with is African-American culture. I was born and raised in the suburbs in the outskirts of Atlanta. While I was growing up I did not have many African American influences because most of the people in the neighborhood were White. It was difficult growing up in an area with little …show more content…
Throughout the development of American culture, Blacks have played a significant part in making America the way it is today. Originally, they have started out as slaves but throughout the centuries they have taken part in revolutionizing the people’s views of people with different backgrounds through multiple civil rights movements. One of the benefits of growing up near Atlanta is that there are a lot of historical black history monuments to learn about the significant progress Black people has made. I remember the first time I went to the Atlanta APEX museum. It made me proud to be Black because it showed that even though we were disadvantaged, we were still able to educate and empower ourselves. It is important for all minority groups to learn about their own culture and customs to further progress their culture and embrace themselves. It is especially easy for children in minority groups to be so influenced by mainstream culture, that they may lack pride in their …show more content…
“The African American woman historically has been viewed as the person in the family who is the pillar of strength and the one who keeps the family together,” (2012). The matriarch of my family is my great aunt Linda; her house is the center of all family events. She helps bring the family together during times of joy and sorrow. It is important for the women in my family to become independent because of my elders’ history with men in situation like abandonment, illness, and cheating. We are encouraged to not be dependent but to be able to stand strong and support ourselves. While I was growing up, I have never been ashamed of myself or my mother for it being just the two us. In fact, it only made me love my mother more for it and made me feel like I can do anything as an