The Culture of We

I've read two completely different blogs on the subject of culture and the world's search for identity. When I first began this journey and decided to go into the subject of "the loss of culture in our society," I already expected to find new views on the subject, but nothing like this. One article spoke of an identity that has never crossed my mind before, being an adopted child. When we speak of culture, we are usually thinking of groups with something in common that allows for us to be able to group them in our minds and being adopted obviously has its own repetitive stages, emotions, and occurrences. The author said that they soon began to label themselves as "bastards" and "first mothers" because society has done so. Well isn't that what's happening to the youth now? As much as the government hopes to push the idea on us, we are not all AMERICANS. No, each of us carry a label and like the world, each of those labels vary from each person that sees it. We're "punk kids," "rockers," "jocks," and "arrogant jerks." I guess diversity crosses over racial lines and into the shades of lifestyle and individual experiences that separate us all. Ironically, as we separate into these groups, we form new circles of friendship among us.

The second blog spoke of the American way of panethnic grouping, or putting multiple groups of people into one large category. Instead of Chinese, Filipino, Vietnamese, or Korean, they are simply categorized as Asians. The author asked "Does this contribute to our loss of culture?" I believe that it does; grouping people into an assumed group only diminishes what is left of their cultural heritage. Groups in these categories may have completely different beliefs and grouping their into one broad class only robs it of its importance. Pride is at a loss. There is only blind faith in patriotism in our society. "Look there, that's the flag. Those are our stars and stripes. Do you believe in America? Do you love America?" Stop the brain wash cycle please! Where is the pride that runs inside our veins? We need to differentiate ourselves in order to blend properly into a stable society. A recipe will never work out if you don't know what you're putting into it. Society has robbed diversity and culture of its worth and importance.

I think it's about time we all took it back. I don't know exactly what compels to to search, dig, and strive for my family's culture and what is calling me from the depths of my soul to be at peace with my ancestors, but I do know that it has helped to define who I am, and who I one day want to be.


The two blogs I read:
http://persona-ingrata.blogspot.com/2008/01/adoption-loss-resilience-cultural.html

http://www.amptoons.com/blog/archives/2006/04/