Cultural Background

Description

Describe the background of their parents/primary caregivers in regards to family culture. In addition to looking at some of the research describing people from your background, interviews with parents/significant family members are a useful source of information. Areas to include in your paper are listed below: a. Personal racial/ethnic/cultural background and identity (your background may include a single heritage or multiple heritages (e.g., multiracial, multiethnic); you may choose to include information about one or all; include the ones that have had the most influence if not all). (The term “cultural background” which includes racial/ethnic/nationality etc. will be used from here forward in this section.) b. When did you first become aware of your cultural background (e.g., your specific group(s) and its impact on you of this awareness of being part of a specific or multiple groups) c. Aspects of your cultural background that are important to you and your family; what features (food, humor, family relations, communication patterns etc.) contribute to your way of thinking; the strengths you see of your cultural background d. Impact of your cultural background on your family of origin/extended family members (e.g., parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles) e. Role your background has played in your marriage (if appropriate), social/leisure interests, educational and vocational pursuits f. Effect of your background on your spiritual journey g. Your gender and how gender roles and gender differences function within your cultural background h. Social norms/rules from your cultural background on your family of origin and how they impact you today i. Information about your family’s cultural background not previously known j. Any other information you feel that is pertinent in your cultural background k. How you were impacted by the information you researched? (For some cultural background may not play into current circumstances/traditions; write your reaction to this.) 

a. African American.

b. I first became aware in 5th grade when I left an all-black school and attended a racially mixed school. c. The memory of slavery. Christianity. d. Grandparents are sensitive to Caucasians, scared even, because of past visual experiences. e. Not married. I have dated women of other ethnic groups, but they turned to not be relatable. I have thus stuck to dating African American women. I even tried a Jamaican woman, was engaged to her, but her culture was still old European. f. I have been confused about Christianity because of the history of slavery. My ancestors were forced not to worship then later forced to worship. Nevertheless, I have remained consistent in Christianity. g. As a man, I am expected to follow God and lead my family. It can sometimes be difficult to feel mainly in America, as an African American man. h. The norms are of a standard African American home. i. My great great grandmother on my mother’s side and my father’s side, were both White women. So, both of my great great grandmothers were White. j. I joined the army but many African American men, feel the army is not for our culture. But the Army was the best thing that ever happened to me; lifelong friendships, income, they paid for school, and I’m a proud African American Christian Veteran.