Personal Narrative: My Cultural Identity

474 Words2 Pages
What is culture? Culture is the customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a particular nation, people, or other social group. Everyone has different cultural identities that impact their lives in some way. The different aspects of life that we surround ourselves with shape the kind of people we become, even if it does not seem like it. To me, culture is: family, religion, and music. My family has had the biggest impact on my cultural identity. Family is what surrounds us the most in our daily lives. I grew up with my mom, dad, and two older sisters. We have many traditions, such as going camping every summer, or just cooking dinner each night. My mom grew up camping and being outdoors a lot, so that has impacted a lot of…show more content…
My mom was raised in a Catholic household, and my dad in a Christian home. Although they were each raised with slightly different religions, I’ve grown up as a Christian. I went to church every Sunday morning and Wednesday evening with my sisters. We also pray before large family meals. Even though I don’t actively participate in my religion like I should, it is still a large part of my life that affects the decisions I make. Music is a very important aspect of my life. It is such an important part of my cultural identity because it is a way for me to express myself and my feelings. Music has been a huge part of who I am since I began playing the violin eleven years ago. Being in orchestra and playing an instrument has taught me responsibility, commitment, and many other important life skills. Each song has a story, so it is very easy to express myself while playing music by relating some part of my life through it. I don’t have a favorite genre of music since I listen to such a vast array of it. One minute I might be listening to country or pop, and the next I’ll have on rap or even some kind of classical piece. There are many other elements that make up my culture besides family, religion, and music. Whether it be family traditions, religious practices, or the kind of music we listen to, culture makes us who we are, even if we don’t realize how much of an influence it has on our
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