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 factors in lifestyle

greatly impact the way one views both other people and the world. No matter what background

someone comes from, their culture directly impacts them. 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 interactions with others. Learning about different cultures not only exposes different

viewpoints, but it allows one to recognize his or her own culture on a new level. 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

Asking if culture impacts the way that we view the world around us is akin to asking if

spices affect how something tastes. Cultures and spices are comparable in that they are critical

factors in defining our perception. Culture affects people of the same background and different

backgrounds, just as spices not only exhibit their own flavors in food, but bring out new flavors

in the surrounding meal. Culture shapes perspective and allows us to better appreciate the depth

of society. It adds a new dimension to our everyday lives and impacts most of the decisions we

make. Our cultural upbringing may be ordinary or unique to those around us, depending on their

own history. 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

cultural uniqueness, 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). If any would argue that culture does not

have a major effect on our lives, this ridiculous claim could be proven illogical by the fact that

culture determines how we eat, dress, and act. Our cultural identity is, quite literally, 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 turned white

men into savage, cruel owners of slaves in the 1800s. 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

southerners who discriminate against their fellow human beings, views on slaves span a wide
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range. Mr. Haley, a character in the novel, has intensely unfair views toward slaves and their

positions as human beings. Still, he never resorts to beating them mindlessly. He cares about

treating his slaves decently, even if it is partly for the money. 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 diverse array of views from slaves as well. Some, such as Tom, push on and endure

optimistically. They respect their masters, while still holding on to their beliefs. Some become

mindless servants, accepting their fate miserably, while others rebel completely. Slaves of both

all three 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 in our everyday decisions are 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. In contrast, 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 after living in a non-industrialized country is

like jumping into freezing cold water after using a sauna; immigrants are left gasping from the

unusually different world that Los Angeles seems to be. In contrast, because of their upbringing,
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natives to the city are used to the “unending cacophony” of sights, sounds, and other sensations

within the metropolis (p. 51). Our routine life becomes mundane because we are exposed to it

every day. When we travel to a new place, we look at the world through a fresh new lense. This

view is always different, and can be calming, surprising, or even scary. The importance of our

upbringing is made obvious by the fact that it forms our standards for what to expect.

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 completely different cultural background. The father begins by addressing his

concern to the teacher: by age five his son has already been labeled as a “slow learner” (p. 75).

He tells her that in reality, Wind-Wolf has gained a greater education than those of the Western

Society. He 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. It is what he has grown up with

his entire life; it is his instinct. The drive that culture has will always be a part of people in this

way, and it will affect how they view the world around them.

Amy Tan’s essay “Two Kinds” is a perfect representation 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 in dispute with each other about what a perfect child is

according to the “American Dream”. Jing-mei’s mother grew up in China and came to America
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with a sense of hope and freedom. She had been convinced that in America, you could be

“anything you wanted” (p.18). She turns to the culture of America with hopes of influencing

Jing-mei into becoming a better individual. Jing-mei, on the other hand, does not want to live a

perfect life. She doesn’t want every mistake she makes to be portrayed as a crime. She wants to

be human and lead a normal life. Jing-mei tries to impress her mother, but nothing ever works

out in her favor. She does everything that her mother wants her to do, but she never does any of

these things for her own interest or benefit. Her mom has her own idea of what the perfect

culture was, and to her, America is that culture. At a young age, Jing-mei is put down for making

mistakes and simply being human. The people around her have a significant effect on the way

she feels about her future. She is ashamed that she isn’t perfect when everyone criticizes her; but

then again, she is totally okay with being her own imperfect self. Jing-mei never ends up being

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

expectations. She is so harsh on everything about Jing-mei. She tries to mold her daughter into a

“Chinese Shirley Temple” (p.18), changing every aspect of her child’s life. The severe treatment

Jing-mei receives from her mother is derived from the cultural conflict her mother is faced with,

which showcases another 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. I am an American, and Americans are continuously under the mind-

numbing influence of television. While watching baseball recently, I was surprised by the hefty

number of commercials shown during the program. Relentlessly, advertisements selling cars,

medications, and technology interrupted the game. It was in this moment that I realized that my

American upbringing has dulled me to the barrage of promotions that constantly surround me.

Although I have learned to block out many of the sources vying for my attention, other people
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who are not used to this experience could easily find it overwhelming. Immigrants, for example,

are not exposed to the constant enticements and endorsements in their native countries. Culture

has influenced my perspective on advertisements in America, in addition to the many other parts

of my life that it shapes.

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

multiple factors that go into a person's view of 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 own culture’s

presence and its uniqueness until they are exposed to a variety of very different views and

opinions. In addition, 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 comparably

insignificant apart, these fragments interlock to form one’s beautiful life story.
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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.

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.