Cultural assimilation and the impact it has on self identity.
I am a stronger person because I now realize I have the power to claim my own identity. I no longer allow people to label me. It is my hope that this story reaches those who do not believe culture is important. I also wanted to claim validation through the telling of my personal struggle. I am in a current struggle with my own children, trying to teach them a culture that is strange to their American customs that surround their everyday lives.
Through the telling of my story I hope to reach those who have had similar issues surrounding cultural identity. I spent most of my childhood in between two worlds, always feeling as though I had to choose. Now that I reflect back, I realize I don’t have to choose.
California, specifically, has a population booming with hybridism surrounding identity. Because so many people in California originated from other places, many find themselves in a struggle with assimilation. They want to assimilate to make everyday life easier, but fear the loss of their home culture. It is my hope that people can go against society’s norms and not pick one side of the fence. Each person’s identity is unique and different. This should be embraced. Xenophobia is a huge issue in schools today, especially in Los Angeles. I myself, in my story, admit to playing into it. However, through my own struggles with identity, I can now relate to the cultural struggle immigrant children face. I never want to make anyone feel as though they should be ashamed of whom they are. I think my story could be used to teach school aged children about the importance of culture and accepting that others may have different cultural identities.