What Is Culture? - Personal Essay

... Maybe it's the weather, I thought after landing at the airport in California. Everything was distinctively unique in terms of the geography and climate of the place. There was green grasses and spring flowers still blooming - I had never seen so many healthy plants in my life - which added a soft feel to the environment. Also, I was used to hot scorching heat in Georgia during the summer; however, in California it was simply warm, with a soothing breeze. A paradise, I concluded, with a unique culture...

Culture differentiates people's beliefs and traditions, which define their uniqueness. At the core there is a family's culture, which includes the languages spoken, the food consumed, and the religion practiced. Also, because of the raging technology development, I must say technology plays a part in culture as well. In addition, geography is included in defining ones culture. The geography of an area itself has its own history, ethnicity, clothing, and in some cases religion. I believe that I have a physical connection with America, because it is where I was born; however, my mental and emotional bond remains with my heritage.

My ethnic background comes from my parents. Many factors go into identifying that ethnic group, such as language, food, and religion. Since, I speak only one language at home, which is English, I do not have a foreign dialect ethnicity; however, I do speak three other languages, German, French, and Japanese. Anyways, even though the food that my family and I eat does not necessarily define us, it certainly is a testament to our unique ethnic background. For one, my mom is from a small rural area in Florida, which means she is accustomed to hefty home cooked meals everyday; she has adapted to the city life, which my father was previously used to. Furthermore, we are all African Americans born in America that has its own preference for food. Basically, it is evident that the foods we eat tell the story of the cultural similarities with other people.

On the other hand, religious identity is based on personal morals. For me, in part for being Christian, feel that a constituent of my culture belongs to the church. For it is there I share a mentally and emotionally connection with who I consider to be God. And although, my family has no religious traditions that influence the way they act, I have my own traditions I choose to follow. During my trip to California, I met a Hindu girl about my age. She was a strong believer in her heritage, her history. She was mature, which was a requirement place upon her by her parents, but was really caught me by surprise was her knowledge in her own religion. In Georgia, people will claim a religion they know nothing about. A religion they have no connection to. A religion is set guidelines to your beliefs, and realizing that some people at a young age understand their culture inspired me to find out more about mine.

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