The Nature of Cultural Identity

I and my younger brother grew up in a small city in São Paulo State, Brazil. In my country couples don’t have too many kids, and 3 is considered a big family. I would love to have had more siblings, but my parents thought differently.

Talking about traditions, I don’t think my family follow many Brazilian ones. But on important holidays we used to be together. When my grandparents, both mother (Italian) and father (African-Brazilian), were alive, we used to celebrate birthday parties together and do big potlucks on holidays. From my mother’s side, as Italian descendants, they loved to eat, sing, make jokes, talk a lot and really loud. I loved to be with them. And I still miss those events a lot. From my father’s side, they usually met every other weekend to eat the main meal (lunch) together, and then stick ‘til dinner.

I lived in the same house for 17 years, until I went to college, witch was close to my hometown. It was so deliberating. I thought, “finally freedom”.

When I graduated I moved to other city, and in my first job I met my husband.

After 3 years we got married, and one year later I had my first kid. After having my second one, and last, we moved to Michigan.

And here I am now, enjoying the snow months like crazy!

These experiences shaped me in a good way. I became more mature, realizing my dreams in a place called America!

Now talking about the cultural identity, each person has their own unique identity and culture. Identity is what you show to the world, as an image. And culture is what you have in your background. It is formed by the way you are raised, and it develops better as time goes by.

According to Stuart Hall, culture is always changing, 'Far from being eternally fixed in some essentialised past, they are subject to the continuous 'play' of history, culture and power' (Hall, Stuart -  Cultural Identity And Diaspora - p.394).

After I met the “real” life, outside of the parental overprotective circle, I became more adaptable to the world. But I didn’t let my personal values outside.

Moving to United States made me think differently. I used to live in a country that Hollywood and American way of life was practically worshiped. And it tends to influence the dominant culture. Television, social media, magazines, fashion industry. All of these entertainment industries influence people’s life a lot in Brazil.

When I was a kid I used to watch the way people used to talk to each other, and I didn’t realize the reality war of ethnic prejudice. So, moving here made me open my mind and realize that the perfect world isn’t anywhere.

Based on Lustig & Koester’s table 1, my stage of cultural identity is Cultural Identity Achievement. I’m Brazilian and my culture have so much to offer to the world. But is not perfect, as American isn’t either. Now that I’m not among my family surrounding I can notice that Brazilian culture has also ethnicity prejudice issues. The difference is that for Brazilians “sempre tudo está bem”, always everything is going alright. As a way to forget about our own problems and try to be happy.

The good side of this story, is that because we try to be happy, Brazilians are usually friendly, generous, creative, problem solvers, and very… happy.

To end this post here’s a phrase that Brazilians use a lot, “Sou brasileira e não desisto nunca!”, I’m Brazilian and I never give up.