Cultural Identity
A self-reflection on my own cultural identity and how it shaped the way I communicate
I culturally identify as an Asian American young man that is able-bodied, middle class, Athiest, a native English speaker, child of immigrants, and born and raised in California. I believe that my cultural identity has not limited my communication in the workplace as I speak my mind when I want to interject. I have a few experiences that made this clear to me.
I worked in retail and interned at the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. Both of these experiences allowed me to capture how my cultural identity did not limit me in any way. It has not stopped/prevented me from voicing my opinion. While it did not get in my way, I like to fit in because I do not like putting myself out there as much, unless I have something on my mind that is urgent or important. Another point that I want to address is whether or not I hide depending on what the dominant culture is.
Most of my life, I went to schools with people predominantly of Asian ethnicity, meaning I was a part of the dominant culture. I did not feel the need to hide my cultural identity as many faces were similar to my own. I was apart of the majority and that made it easier for me to communicate with others since we had alike backgrounds. What makes me particularly proud of my identity is tradition.
I am always proud of expressing my cultural identity when Chinese New Year comes around as it allows for celebration with family and friends. It allows us to share special foods whenever we go to parties and to see relatives that you rarely see normally. It brings everyone together in one place for a big celebration of the new year.
