By Any Other Name, By Santha Rama Rau

Understanding Culture One source once stated, “Cultural identity is a broader term: people from multiple ethnic backgrounds may identify as belonging to the same culture” (Trumbull and Pacheco 9). People have the right to analyze their culture to better themselves and they should not be judged for expressing their cultures. Many have different beliefs concerning the term culture and what it means to them. One source explains cultural identity can be defined as, “When we encounter a culture that is different from our own, one of the things we are faced with is a set of beliefs that manifest themselves in behaviors that differ from our own” (Trumbull and Pacheco 10). Various aspects of a person’s life that may determine his or her cultural

In the memoir, “By Any Other Name,” Santha Rama Rau explores the British attempt to replace Indian culture with the “superior” British culture and her resistance to this change. The speaker depicts this man vs. society conflict by sharing the story of a culture clash she experienced at a British run day school. The conflict is first seen when the headmistress decides to change the girls’ names, as indicated when she states, “Suppose we give you pretty English names” (Rama Rau 35). By calling English names pretty, the headmistress is implying their Indian names are not pretty, and thus inferior to British names. She said it was because Indians cheat…So I don’t think we should go back to that school. Another instance where the conflict is evident

Cultural identity is the belonging of an individual to a group. According to the iceberg model of culture, this group typically shares the same behaviors, beliefs, and values and thought patterns. As someone whose response to the question “where are you from?” sounds more like strained sounds than actual words, I have struggled tremendously with determining the cultural identities that construct my identity. I often feel more like a cultural chameleon than an individual possessing cultural identities, the constant change from one culture to the next leaving me feeling bereft of my own. However, upon deeper reflection, I have come to realize that it is my identity that is fluid, as prescribed in the critical perspective of identity, and is in constant development, as prescribed in the interpretive perspective of identity. While my identity is adaptable and evolving, I do possess certain cultural identities. These cultural identities come in great variety, from my national identity as an American to my racial identity as a white person. As I grow, however, I have found that it is my cultural identifications of being a female, survivor, and Nomadic Culture Kid that are most salient and influential in my identity development.

When I think of the word “cultural identity”, I think of myself, and what makes up who I am as a person. My cultural identity influences everything about me, from the moment I wake up, to the minute I rest my head on my pillow at night. My culture influences the way I eat, speak, worship, and interact with people. However, I am not only affected by my own culture, but others’ culture as well. I am fortunate to have an extremely rich heritage, and I couldn’t be prouder of my cultural identity.

Cultural identity can be characterized by many factors. However, one of the most important factors that characterized culture is national identity. Language and communication also play an important role in determining culture identity. However, studies have shown that there are many other factors in which

Coming to the United States, having to learn a new language and a new way of living was a big change for me. I did not realize I have an accent when I spoke English until people started asking, “Where is that accent from?” The experience of coming to a different country made me realize I was different. Therefore, experiences are what makes a person acknowledge who they are. Cultural identity is one’s surroundings, beliefs, and experiences. Furthermore, what we do and believe is cultural identity. On the other side, there is invisible culture—invisible webs— where people see other cultures are different to theirs, but they do not see that their culture is different to others. Lived experiences is what makes cultural identity, not invisible culture.

Cultural identity is a broader term, people from multiple ethnic backgrounds may identify as belonging to the same culture. There are many things that shape our identity. Some things that shape our identity are our mother’s, T.V, and music.

When I think of cultural identity the first thing that comes to my mind is race or what someone’s ethnic background is. From this class I have discovered that culture is much more than that and includes ideas such as gender, education, religion, and financial status. The novels we have read in class this semester have successfully caused me to open my mind and think differently about different cultures. In the past I have not thought very deeply into my own culture and how it has shaped me into who I am today, but when I reflect on my life it is easy to pick out how different aspects of my culture have affected my life in various ways.

There are many aspects that make up our culture that help convey our sense of identity. When I think of culture, I think of how people live or act, but it is more than that. Some of the elements that make up culture identity include race, religion, and even age. No one has the same cultural identity, which makes each of us unique. Although having different cultures may cause conflict, it makes up who we are. My cultural identity is mostly impacted by language, but that is only one of the element that makes up who I am.

One person may be influenced by what they were taught but on the other hand may take interest in other activities and adapt to them to make them part of their daily life. Through analyzing my cultural identity I have came to an conclusion that the reason I have the characteristics I possess is due to my cultural identity. Without my cultural identity I would be lost, it makes up who I am and the views I have. My perspective may be different than another’s but that’s okay because each individual’s cultural identity is unique. Throughout life we may experiences things others may have not and that makes up our cultural identity without even thinking about it. Everyone should take time to learn about his/her culture to find out who they really are to achieve a better understanding of themselves to be able to better themselves and have a bigger outlook among cultural

Cultural identity is something that represents your ethnicity,religion,and nationality.Your culture makes up who you truly are.My cultural identity originates from the food I eat,the music i listen to,the celebrations I have,the clothes I wear,and the style of my hair.These characteristics represents who I am and what i do as a person.

Cultural Identity is the identity or feeling of belonging to a group,with means to me,is what makes you-yourself.What makes me-me is my creativity ,games,movies, comics and music.

Before continuing, though, it is important to clarify the definition of “cultural identity,” at least for this paper. One’s cultural identity is the way one sees oneself in terms of the cultures and societies that they have come from. This

Culture. This simple term expresses an entirely complex meaning. It broadly defines who a person is from their social class all the way to their nationality. If one was to ask the average person, “What is your cultural identity?” they would respond with an answer as simply as, “I am Indian.” If given the chance to ponder the question and to really dig deep and discover the true meaning of it, some may discover a whole new part of themselves that they have never put much thought into. During class, when we first started the topic of cultural identity, I was completely puzzled. I never thought about who I am with much care until now. Since I have had the chance to contemplate this question, I would come to the conclusion that my cultural identity is based mostly around my aunt and my parents.

Cultural identity is a part of the psychological self-concept that expresses an individual or group’s worldview and perceived cultural affiliations. The first step in finding a societal fit is to establish a cultural identity; this can be on an individual level and group level. Who am I? And where do I belong? These questions start to form in the human mind from an early age; it drives humans to explore their worldviews and how and where they fit in the world. Rosenfeld (1971) argued it is a deep-seated primal process that has ensured our continual survival. By finding others that think and act similarly we are offered some protection (Erickson, as cited in Carducci 2015). Erickson (as cited in Carducci, 2015) and Maslow (as cited in Mcleod 2007) argued that the need to belong is a basic building block of human development. Whatever the reason, the consensus is that humans have an intrinsic need to find a like-minded cultural group to belong to; this chosen affiliation is their cultural identity. A person may identify with more than one cultural