The Nature of Cultural Identity
Until the age of 7, I lived in Makassar, Indonesia. It was and still is a predominantly Muslim city. I only remember growing up in one big house. But I am often told of stories of the first family house I had ever lived in. Back then, my grandfather was a well-known Adventist preacher in Indonesia. As you can probably imagine, a Christian evangelist in a Muslim country did not bade well in the community. Not long after I was born, the first family house I ever lived in was burned to the ground by our neighbors. Stories of my mother running around the house grabbing all the paperwork and sentiments resound in my head. Persecution of Christians was common in cities that are predominantly Muslim in Indonesia. Statistically, about 85% of the cities in Indonesia were predominantly Muslim. But I also remember how every Christmas, my family had made gift baskets for the 'pete-pete' as we like to call them in Indonesian. The 'pete-pete' were common transportation in Indonesia made of bikes and drivers who would bike a family of 5 all day long in the scorching sun just to make a living. Our family was known for these gift baskets so every Christmas, a line of pete-pete would wait outside our door. This soon became a family tradition that were modified and brought to the States when the US finally became my home.
At 7 years old, I hopped on a plane and flew to a country whose language I barely knew besides singing "Somewhere beyond the blue". If we had stayed in Indonesia, my family would be comfortable. We would certainly be well off. But at 7 years old, I remember walking into the 2-bedroom apartment in Dover, NH. One bedroom were my cousins, the other bedroom was for my parents, my sister, and me. I'm proud of my parents and I'm proud of my family because we have certainly come a long way in 15 years. But looking back, I'm grateful to have such experiences and to be able to be reminded of where I came from and the struggles we had to get to where we are now. The journey of green card and citizenship definitely was not easy. And to be honest, it's not easy as we see our church members going through the same struggle and having a less fortunate outcome than us.
Cultural Identity
Based on Lustig & Koester, "cultural identities are formed through a process that includes three stages; unexamined cultural identity, cultural identity search, and cultural identity achievement."
To me, cultural identity is the feeling of belonging to a group. It is formed by society, by certain values or beliefs, by upbringing and more. Rigid adherence to the culture of our youth is much desirable but not as feasible as it used to be. Some can argue that this may be caused due to technology and the addiction of technology of our youth today.
Cultural identity, to me, is more of a nostalgic notion than a reality. We as a carnal individuals desire to belong to something. We long to have 'cultural' norms and long to seek pride in our identity, in who we claim to be. Cultural identity is not in its pure form due to the fact that it is a feeling that is created and molded by a specific group of people. As cultural identity shifts from generation to generation, there is no longer any form that could be labeled as 'pure'.
If someone asked me to explain my identity, I would say that I am Indonesian-born, Asian-American raised woman who believes in the doctrines of Adventism. I genuinely feel that my characteristics and personality has been formed by my cultural background as well as my beliefs and values that has been cultivated by my choice of religion.
"Minory Majority" Nation
The United States becoming a "minority majority" nation may actually be a great thing! As a minority, I feel that this will influence cultures to mingle and assimilate. People will be pushed to grow out of their ignorance and learn how to treat others as they would like to be treated. The dominant culture values that currently exist may no longer be dominant. Instead, cultures will level out across the board.
Generalizations of Life in the States
Unfortunately, the relationships between social attitudes and television does not accurately reflect. We all know that broadcasters use their streaming power to influence their viewers.
An exchange student may believe based on television shows that the United States is the land of the free, where anyone and everyone can peacefully come...
They may believe that if they follow their dreams, it's enough to get them to achieve their dreams...
They may believe that all non-American cultural stereotypes are true...
Stages of Cultural Identity
I am at the Cultural Identity Achievement. I'm Indonesian, Manadonese to be specific and I'm proud to be a Manadonese. I'm even more proud to have achieved United States citizenship so that makes me Asian-American. Granted, there are qualities of the Indonesian culture that I may not like or may not agree with, but regardless, I know who I am and I'm not ashamed.
Cultural Identity
Based on Lustig & Koester, "cultural identities are formed through a process that includes three stages; unexamined cultural identity, cultural identity search, and cultural identity achievement."
To me, cultural identity is the feeling of belonging to a group. It is formed by society, by certain values or beliefs, by upbringing and more. Rigid adherence to the culture of our youth is much desirable but not as feasible as it used to be. Some can argue that this may be caused due to technology and the addiction of technology of our youth today.
Cultural identity, to me, is more of a nostalgic notion than a reality. We as a carnal individuals desire to belong to something. We long to have 'cultural' norms and long to seek pride in our identity, in who we claim to be. Cultural identity is not in its pure form due to the fact that it is a feeling that is created and molded by a specific group of people. As cultural identity shifts from generation to generation, there is no longer any form that could be labeled as 'pure'.
If someone asked me to explain my identity, I would say that I am Indonesian-born, Asian-American raised woman who believes in the doctrines of Adventism. I genuinely feel that my characteristics and personality has been formed by my cultural background as well as my beliefs and values that has been cultivated by my choice of religion.
"Minory Majority" Nation
The United States becoming a "minority majority" nation may actually be a great thing! As a minority, I feel that this will influence cultures to mingle and assimilate. People will be pushed to grow out of their ignorance and learn how to treat others as they would like to be treated. The dominant culture values that currently exist may no longer be dominant. Instead, cultures will level out across the board.
Generalizations of Life in the States
Unfortunately, the relationships between social attitudes and television does not accurately reflect. We all know that broadcasters use their streaming power to influence their viewers.
An exchange student may believe based on television shows that the United States is the land of the free, where anyone and everyone can peacefully come...
They may believe that if they follow their dreams, it's enough to get them to achieve their dreams...
They may believe that all non-American cultural stereotypes are true...
Stages of Cultural Identity
I am at the Cultural Identity Achievement. I'm Indonesian, Manadonese to be specific and I'm proud to be a Manadonese. I'm even more proud to have achieved United States citizenship so that makes me Asian-American. Granted, there are qualities of the Indonesian culture that I may not like or may not agree with, but regardless, I know who I am and I'm not ashamed.
5 comments
I enjoyed reading your story! It was so inspiring, and I had no idea that your family went through that type of struggle being Christians. It makes me feel so thankful for growing up where I did. I am also happy that you know your cultural identity and proud to say where you are from because I believe that is so important! Thanks for sharing :)
ReplyDeleteWow, what a powerful story! I'm sad to know that your family went through such difficulty in the past,but the silver lining is that you all are here, safe, and growing well! This is what I hope to see, that the United States remains a place of refuge and opportunity instead of what we have today, a nightmare of bigotry and hatred against those who seek refuge and a better way of life. What a journey you have had, I am glad to know that you get to embrace all the cultural identities that make you who you are, it makes the world a richer place to live! What a beautiful story that you have, thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteYour blog is inspiring. It reminds me of Maya Angelou's poem Still I Rise. Your family has triumphed over the past thus allowing the current generation to continue to pass on a rich legacy.
ReplyDeleteReading this blog post is very warm and encouraging. I could feel the love and connectedness your family put forth to make sure that culture, character and love would not be lost. Even though you didn't remember former homes where some traditions may have originated from, stories were told to bring you up to speed and include you even through you weren't present at the time. it reminds me of what God does for us through his holy scriptures, including us in our heritage (and inheritance) even though we weren't there when they originated.
ReplyDeleteChelsya,this was a great post about your cultural identity. As a person who migrated to America as well, your story resonated with me. Your grandfather exemplified bravery. I know you are proud of your family's cultural and religious heritage.
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