Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

I spoke with one of my best friends, one colleague, and an uncle that has been incarcerated for the last 22 years on their views of culture and diversity.  

My best friend is Caucasian, married to an African American man with two bi-racial children.  When asked about her definition of culture, her response was, "It's a way of life."  She went on to share with me how she and her husband had to adapt to each other's culture from food to discipline methods in regards to their children.  Her definition of diversity was, "MY OWN FAMILY!" She laughed and said "We are very diverse, meaning different." 

My colleague is from India, and has a difficult time understanding English if you speak to "fast".  Her definition of culture was, "My beliefs, my own life practices.  When I asked her about diversity, she said she really wasn't sure what I was saying.  I didn't want to frustrate her, she tells me all the time that she doesn't understand me all the time because I talk to fast!

My uncle has recently converted to Muslim since he has been studying books in prison.  I do not speak with him very often, but he happened to call collect last night, so I took advantage of his new belief as far as religion is concerned.  He even changed his birth name.  He actually told me that was part of what makes him diverse.  He feels as if culture is the way he was raised, morals that were instilled in him.  He said that even though he chose a different path in life, he will never forget where he came from and what my grandparents drilled into him to be a good man.  He said he wishes that he would have taken life and his upbringing more seriously and he may not have ended up spending his entire life in prison away from family.

The responses to the definition of culture are pretty comparable to the definitions from the media segment and readings in this course. I mostly agree with my best friend's definition being "a way of life".  

I think dominant culture was omitted and I do believe that my colleague from India is part of a dominant culture.  She consults with her husband for everything.  She does not drive or make decisions for herself.  She has to consult with him before she agrees on anything.  I have observed this behavior myself.

I would really like to revisit the definition of diversity with my colleague and help her understand the meaning because I feel it is important to know what diversity consists of.  I will even talk "slow" so she can understand me!

My Family Culture

If a major catastrophe has almost completely devastated the infrastructure of my country....I have been told that I have to relocate to another country and I am only able to take three small items with me that represent my family culture and that are dear to me ......

The three small items that I would take with me would be my son's baby book, a Ziploc baggie of obituaries from close family members that have passed away, and photos from when I was a young child and teenager.

I would explain to others that my son's baby book is very sentimental to me.  I waited until I was 37 to give birth to him after being told repeatedly that 
I may never be a mother.  His footprints are in there and many things that will remind me of his birth and my pregnancy including all his sonogram pictures.  

I would explain that the Ziploc baggie of obituaries are dear to me because it is all I have left to remember my loved ones including my grandfather, grandmother, great- grandmother, and many aunts, uncles, and cousins.  I have collected them throughout the years of experiencing many deaths in our family.

I would then explain that photos are just special in general and carry many fond memories of my childhood.  

The insight that I gained from this exercise is that I never really thought about what things are really important to me.  I say this to say that, now that we've completed this exercise I want to keep these three things in a safe place together just in case!  I now know that the material things are not as important as the sentimental things that are dear to my heart that are not replaceable!