Identity

The focus in Holliday’s compilations is ideas about identity. The readings centers on what others think and what one thinks about him or herself. At times we are faced with the task of educating others. In Parisa’s case, she had to teach her coworkers about her background and show them that she does not fall under the typical stereotype. By doing this, she was helping their image of her, them, and people they meet in the future. One way they we can bring this to our own world is by correcting people when we here stereotypes or derogative comments. We need to be the people to share our knowledge so that people around us are no longer ignorant. Relating to that, people need to be mindful of the image that they are portraying. Other people are watching, which is something that people forget. Actions can be seen and conversations heard by people other that the intended recipient. Another idea from Holliday’s reading is defining who we are. By being a bilingual education major, I have learned the importance of home culture and language. Many people see Americans and want to be like them in every way by abandoning who they are. They need to find that balance between old and new. If old ways are lost, there is no one to carry them on to future generations and they are lost forever. This especially happens when Mexican families come to the United States. Many parents just want to children to learn English as soon as possible, no matter the consequences. These students often lose their native language, because of it. The parents need to realize that it is best if their children learn English, but keep practicing their Spanish, as well. What are the benefits to finding a balance between cultures?

Paulenko’s article was about the identities of people coming to America. When immigrating to America, people had the culture forced upon them. There were many great quotes that illustrated this. In a piece compiled by Panunzio he says, “I have come to love America as I do my very life- perhaps more arid yet they still call me a 'foreigner.'” This shows that even though he had been in America for nearly twenty years, grew up here, was educated here, is a citizen here, he is still not considered “an American”. Which bring me to the question, what does it mean to be an American? I like to think that our diversity defines us. However, in the early 1900s this was not the case. People who already lived in America wanted things to stay the same. They were not very welcoming of diversity because they wanted everything to be uniform. I think that we have finally come to the realization that this will never be accomplished, but more importantly that it is a good thing! Antim states, “Now let any one compile a biographical dictionary of our self-made men, from the romantic age of our history down to the prosaic year of 1914, and see how the smell of the steerage pervades the volume!” This quote shows that the diversity of America is what defines the country. America is made up of people who came here by boat and worked hard for the country. Americanism is not something that can be taught, it is something that is lived. The backgrounds and experiences of the people who are here now make America what it is, which is something to celebrate.

Culture in TESOL

Culture and its meaning play a vital role in TESOL. Although there are anthropologists that believe the notion of culture should no longer exist, I disagree. Even though the word “culture” in not directly mentioned in the title of TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages), culture is represented in the background of the speaker and the language being learned. One should not learn a language without learning the culture that goes with it. Culture is what defines the language. It represents meanings and traditions. However, I do agree that the definition of culture needs to be revised in TESOL. When it comes to the different views regarding culture in TESOL, I identify with the one that moves away from the received view but still sees culture in the sense of shared values. I choose this middle view because I still think it should exist, but there is no clear-cut definition that is applicable in all cases. The term culture is used in different senses so it is flexible and forms to its context, just as people do when they are in a new culture.

Identity ranges from self to civilization. When on the topic of self, people tend to see themselves as desirable. They compare themselves to others, which leads to community. The awareness of others around and one’s relationship with them allows people to be interdependent. People who view themselves as a part of a community function as a whole, while individuals see themselves an independent. There also exists the issue of culture and civilization. These closely linked words have similar meanings because they both involve interconnectedness and not strictly defined boundaries. A civilization is just the broadest cultural identity. This is what causes cultures to flourish. Cultures all draw from one another. Each culture is a mix, so no culture is in its purest form. Because of this, cultures are always evolving and drawing influences from other cultures. That is why identity is constantly evolving, as well. Culture makes up identity and when it changes, so does a person as a whole.

When it comes to essentialist versus non-essentialist, I identify with the non-essentialist for the most part. Cultures should be seen as multi-dimensional. They is a transition between cultures, it is not just black and white. Some of the narratives in Intercultural Communication addressed this issue. If someone is black, but is born in Asia, what cultures do they technically identify with? There is no clear dividing line in this case and in many others. Also, when it comes to cultures, they are recently portrayed in negative light, which is something I did not notice before. Culture is something that people identify with, so therefore should not be seen as negative. People need to be aware of different cultures, but that does not mean that they should be taught to people through stereotypes, which is sometimes the case.