Racial Identity Research Paper

Words: 502
Pages: 3

Essay Journal
History of Ethnic/Racial Origin of the Person
Karen is an African American who has lived in the United States since birth. Karen’s mother is from Africa (Nigeria), and the dad is from the US.
Values Orientation
Karen believes that every person in the US deserves equal rights when it comes to health services. According to her, there are many people that are being discriminated because of their color, ethnicity, age, social status among other elements. Being a mixture of a White and a Black, Karen has a mixture of African and American values. However, she is more of a collectivist compared to an individualistic. From the way she occasionally refers to her family members, she seems to value her family much.
Cultural Sanctions/Restrictions
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According to her, she is supposed to express modesty in her dressing. She is also required to express mercy to other community members. She narrates that her faith requires her to be kind, patient and to love others. She believes in monogamy and highly disregards fornication and extra marital affairs.
Communication
Karen speaks 3 languages that include English and French. She likes communicating in English.
Health-related Beliefs and Practices
According to Karen, every person should take care of their mental health. She argues that most of the diseases are as a result of stress, depression among other psychological issues. She gives an example of the way one can develop HBP as a result of constant anxiety. Despite being a Christian and believes in spiritual issues she states that people have the responsibility of taking care of their health. Not every disease is from the devil. She argues that some are as a result of ignorance.
Nutrition
Karen prefers soul foods that include fried chicken, roots and cheese, corn bread, hushpuppies, black eyed peas and ham hock among many other types. She believes that taking a balanced diet is the most important thing in any meal. When preparing her foods, she prefers using herbal spices and uses little fat.
Socioeconomic