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Introduction
Despite the intention to create an unequal and fair world, many people continue experiencing diversity challenges and discrimination on gender, race, class, ethnicity, or sexual expression factors. It is wrong to believe that if a person suffers from gender inequality, he or she might avoid other social justice problems like racism. Therefore, intersectionality is a commonly applied concept in modern society to underline the presence of visible and invisible multiple identities that affect personal development, attitudes, and behaviors. I am an African American woman raised by immigrant parents with an invisible disability and living in a predominantly white American town. Relying on my experience and background, the intersection of four identities is recognized. According to Packnett (qtd. in Juarez), intersectionality shows how people from different oppressed groups may be subjugated at different levels. My life in the United States is not simple, but there is no reason to complain but learn what cultural interventions to offer and solve my issues. This paper will contain the examination of the cultural context of my four identities and the discussion of education, cooperation, and data analysis to support my identities in American culture.
Cultural Context Examination
In my case, there are four major identities for evaluation, namely gender, race, ethnicity, and disability. Each of these identities has a specific impact on developing relationships with different people under various conditions. The problems and benefits emerge within the cultural context, and their understanding depends on my implications of the identities. The prevention of inequality may be promoted in various ways, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers the social-ecological model with four levels being separately discussed: individual, relationship, community, and societal. It is not always possible to understand what level of relationships is more influential on identity because of the current worldview issues and social forces.
Gender identity is one of the oldest concepts in interpersonal relationships. According to Fausto-Sterling, gender is “a person’s self-representation as male or female or how that person is responded to be social institutions on the basis of the individual’s gender presentation” (531). This quality is a natural baseline that cannot be shaped by the environment or personal experience. Gender roles are determined as the consequences of society’s view to promote appropriate behaviors and clear responsibilities (Robinson-Wood 272). At the individual level, gender is a matter of the person’s identity. The major benefit that is expected from me, as a woman, is to give birth to a child. At the same time, I am at risk of rape and violence. At the community level, I experience restrictions in payment, employment inequality, and education shortage. Talking about the societal benefits, I might obtain the maternity pay and leave because the government creates appropriate conditions for modern families and women in particular.
African American identity was recognized when the first slavery outcomes occurred. It was necessary for people to cope with racism that was associated with cultural values, and racial identity was positively associated with collectivism and familism (Johnson and Carter 59). On the one hand, I belong to an African American family where I obtain support and education from my parents at the individual level, which increases my self-esteem and confidence in my roots and history. On the other hand, being raised in a predominantly white society, community support is not always as high as wanted. Thus, I can still notice some judging sights, negative attitudes, and police prejudice toward the citizens of my skin color. However, the U.S. government has already taken many steps to protect Black Americans and remove racial boundaries at the societal level. I am able to address the court to prove my rights and co-exist in American culture as its equal member.
I must also understand the impact of my immigrant identity and the necessity to live in a society where my native traditions are not followed. This type of identity is usually negotiated in self and society intersection (Svensson and Syed). Therefore, addressing any level of interpersonal relationships, I should remember acculturation as the only alternative for choosing appropriate behaviors and values. I am free to follow my native country’s beliefs with my family, but I cannot expect other community members to accept my interests and values. Therefore, identity formation is my developmental task during which I create a sense of self and determine the impact of time, place, and situation (Svensson and Syed). Conflicts with native citizens are not always easy to avoid, but the examples of my parents and communication with peers help understand what kind of relationships are preferred.
Finally, I cannot ignore my disability identity and the inability to neglect my visual problems even if they remain invisible to other society members. According to Mueller et al., this type of identity is unique because it is based on the person’s sense of self as an individual with a disability. At the individual and community levels, any disability should be accepted by a person who possesses it and close friends and family members. The government and other professional organizations develop multiple interventions and programs to support people with disabilities. Such approaches help people who do not understand how to treat their disabilities choose the right ways and cooperate with the community. I know that not many Americans believe that people with disabilities deserve equal rights and opportunities. Until my community does not recognize my disability, I avoid unnecessary and biased judgments, simulated compassion, and limitations.
Cultural Interventions
There are many ways to work through and live with my identities for better identification and creating a better world for a living. I was really hurt to find that racial segregation cannot be eradicated from American society. Most Blacks from poor neighborhoods do not have solid educational and economic opportunities to solve their problems and remain in the same settings during their lifetime (Roy 57). Therefore, education and collaboration are solid approaches for individuals with different backgrounds to improve their self-images in society. As soon as people start collaborating and learning new material, they get access to credible sources of information and analyze data.
The impact of my identity on my relationships with my family, friends, and other community members remains great. As a woman, I know that sometimes, it is dangerous to walk outside because of violent male behaviors and attitudes. I prefer to learn what different feminist movements explain and support; however, today, it is not obligatory to be a part of some organization but share common ideas to be identified as a feminist. Personally, I do not want to belong to some feminist movements but to believe in equal relationships between men and women. At the same time, I am proud of those who joined the Black Lives Matter protests because it created a good framework for new activities and remained one of the largest movements in American history (Buchanan et al.). Disability justice also has a meaningful impact on my identity development because I find more people with common interests and in need of additional support and recognition. Twitter campaigns like #CripTheVote establish disability culture online and in real life to help people discover they are not alone (Carmel). All these events push equity for everyone and motivate minorities.
Summary, Reflection, and Conclusion
Four identities affect my life quality and my relationships with other people. I know that intersectionality of identities is never easy, and my task is not to impose my opinions and beliefs on someone else but to learn how to co-exist in a world full of diversity and inequality. Being an African American woman in the United States means facing multiple challenges in education, collaboration, and communication with police officers. I should prove my innocence and readiness to cooperate to minimize risks and demonstrate my awareness of local social and legal norms. My life is closely connected with such concepts as inequality and injustice. Being raised by immigrant parents, I understand the worth of acculturation and the inability to find support in the community every time I need it. I am happy to find common themes in social media sources and newspapers where people share their fascination with recent achievements in feminism, disability, and racial movements. Still, if I have to search for some evidence and prove my identity as a crucial factor in my development, there will be some social problems in which future generations have to live.
Works Cited
Buchanan, Larry, et al. “Black Lives Matter May Be the Largest Movement in U.S. History.”The New York Times, 2020.
Carmel, Julia. “‘Nothing About Us Without Us’: 16 Moments in the Fight for Disability Rights.”The New York Times, 2020.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “The Social-Ecological Model: A Framework for Prevention.”CDC, 2022.
Fausto-Sterling, Anne. “Gender/Sex, Sexual Orientation, and Identity Are in the Body: How Did They Get There?” The Journal of Sex Research, vol. 56, no. 4-5, 2019, pp. 529-555.
Juarez, Krissy. “Video – Living at the Intersection.”Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 2019.
Johnson, Veronica E. and Robert T. Carter. “Black Cultural Strengths and Psychosocial Well-Being: An Empirical Analysis with Black American Adults.” Journal of Black Psychology, vol. 46, no. 1, 2019, pp. 55–89.
Mueller, Carlyn, et al. “What Is Disability Identity Development, and Why Is That Important?”Tennessee Works, 2020.
Robinson-Wood, Tracy. The Convergence of Race, Ethnicity, and Gender: Multiple Identities in Counseling. 5th ed., SAGE Publications, 2017.
Roy, Amanda L. “Intersectional Ecologies: Positioning Intersectionality in Settings‐Level Research.” New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development, vol. 2018, no. 161, 2018, pp. 57-74.
Svensson, Ylva, and Moin Syed. “Linking Self and Society: Identity and the Immigrant Experience in Two Macro-Contexts.” Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, vol. 64, 2019. Science Direct, doi:10.1016/j.appdev.2019.101056.
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