Write a paper examining your cultural identity and its impact on your life and interactions with others in terms of the following questions. Please be sure to explicitly address all of the questions in each section. Papers should flow as a narrative story rather than a question-and-answer format.
Race, Ethnicity, Geography, and National Origin: What do you identify as your nationality background, racial group, and ethnic identity? In what geographic region were you reared? Are you the product of a rural or urban environment? What values are typical of that region? Where did your ancestors come from? Why and how did you or your ancestors come to the United States? In what ways did you/they adjust to this new home? What aspects of your/their culture of origin were retained? How does this way of entering the United States and the subsequent adjustment affect your culture? On your identity?
Religion and Spirituality-What was your religious affiliation (if any) during your childhood? How did this come to be in your family? How are conflicts due to religious values resolved? What do you think this religious preference reflects about your heritage/culture? What is your religious/spiritual affiliation now (if any)? If it has changed, how did that transformation happen?
Think of significant people in your life when you were a child/adolescent (i.e. parents/guardians, close relatives, teachers, clergy, siblings, etc.). What do you remember about their attitudes and feelings toward multicultural and diverse populations? How were racism, heterosexism, genderism, ageism, classism, etc., addressed? What did you overhear them saying about multicultural and diverse groups? Who determined your family’s “social norms” and “rules”? How were they enforced? How were they passed to younger members of the family/group? What events can you remember that involved personal contact with diverse groups? What were/are your thoughts, feelings, and reactions? How many of your close, long-time friends were members of multicultural and diverse groups? In what ways, if any, were these friendships different from your friendships with friends who reflect your cultural groups? What significant events have affected your family and those closest to you? 5-7 pages
