Category: Cultural Identity

White Teeth is a celebrated novel published by a British writer Zadie Smith. The book delves into the social engagements of two war comrades, Samad Iqbal with Englishman Archie Jones along with their relatives in the multi-ethnic London.

Exploring the thematic significance of the novels title White Teeth it would be instrumental to argue that the title touches on the aspects of cultural identity. Consider the fact that the author explores the lifes of diverse families with distinct skin colors but all with white teeth. Therefore, the symbolism of white teeth can be linked to the ethnic or racial origin of the families.

Profoundly the novel creates a pool of pathos with humor, while in the same way demonstrates the hardships faced by the immigrants as well as their children as they are faced by challenges of dissimilar society. From such attributes the reader is introduced to British cultures which are very much diverse from those of the immigrants. Hence, these differences are illuminated through the depiction of middle and working class English cultures as embraced by Chalfens with Archie.

The significance of the title rests in that we all have our unique origin, despite personal inclination. Therefore, White Teeth reflects the challenges of multiculturalism including the hardships of encountering assimilations.

For instance, examining the pedestal meaning purpose of the teeth, it is widely accepted that white teeth are a sign of health and beauty, thus, in literal meaning, the novels title could equally be translated to convey the message of cultivating unpollinated cultures. And this would result in racism or ethnic cleansing.

Perhaps that is why Alsana is depicted as dealing with aspects of prejudices apparent in London society. Hence, the author states Black people are often friendly, though Alsana, smiling at Clara, and adding this subconsciously to the short pro side of the pro and con list she had on the black girl. From every minority she disliked, Alsana liked to single out one specimen for spiritual forgiveness.

From such perspective the author thus delves into diverse social aspects which touch on the symbolism of white teeth. More so, concerning the legitimacy of having pure cultures which translates to racism the author asserts I just sought to demonstrate that there are societies that perform well. Theres wretchedness for the manner custom is fading away but I sought to illustrate people making an endeavor to comprehend each other, regardless of their cultural dissimilarities.

As the narrative unfolds it becomes obvious that the families are not willing to let go their past, their identity and origin. This expressly anchors on the purpose of white teeth; ones pure origin ignites pride and self consciousness. And this is illustrated by the manner Samad perceives the English life being non-conducive in regard to Islamic upbringing. Yet the irony of this dynamism is shown in Magid who discards his faith to be a man of science.

Looking at the manner the theme of teeth is replayed in the novel, it would be instrumental to state that the symbolism is employed to illustrate the overchanging attributes of White Teeth. No matter the condition, tone, color, religion, country or gender, we all have white teeth.

To reinforce the significance of ones origin we have Irie becoming a dentist and this shows that she embarks on finding for unifying factors in the society. Thus, the title White Teeth touches on the uniqueness of ones cultural identity amid the growing multiculturalism.

From the beginning of America’s, freedom of expressing one’s lifestyle choices without prosecution has been the driving factor for colonization. These lifestyle choices include one’s expression and appreciation of their own culture. However, assimilation challenges these freedoms, preservation of family history, and goes againsts the very principles of what America is today. We can look back at history as see the damage that assimilation and lack of acceptance has caused in comparison to the great advances and civil advancement multiculturalism has achieved.

Multiculturalism is a prevalent component of America’s culture that has enriched it greatly by encouraging civil advancement and better understanding of each other’s cultures and backgrounds. Movements throughout the decades have led to vast civil evolution. For example, the Civil Rights Movement fought for equal voting rights for blacks and public facilities that are now open to everyone. Also Caesar Chavez’s migrant farmer movement has created a safer and more fair working environment for migrant workers, which tend to be Hispanic. Both movements have helped even out the playing field, making America a more generally accepting and moral reasoning society. In addition to becoming more accepting, due to multiculturalism, Americans have better understandings of each other and other cultures. Large American cities are homes to hundreds of different nationalities that all interlink to keep the community functioning. In these kinds of environments, children especially socialize and quickly become accustomed to new backgrounds and customs. This exposure at a young age can prepare and raise them to be more accepting and understanding later in life. Multiculturalism in America isn’t necessarily just a mutual understanding between two people anymore, but instead reaches much further. Resources like the Internet are multicultural hubs that are flooding with subcultures and niche groups. The United States is one of the largest global consumers of the Internet, in turn causing strangers to become connected despite geographically, cultural, and social differences. To conclude, multiculturalism has helped make America a more legally fair country with an open and understanding society.

On the other hand, assimilation has had a much longer and harder history in America. Due to assimilation, many ethnic groups, specifically Native Americans, lost their history and heritage. The loss of history came with the forced assimilation of many ethnic groups in America during the late 1800’s. Everyone from Native Americans, Hispanics, East Asians, Eastern Europeans, and blacks were pressured to assimilate and forget their customs in hopes of socially advancing in education and financially. This forced rejection of one’s heritage is a dark mark that many try to forget, but it is a very true reality. Similarly, many refused to assimilate, and because of this, many people died. Political and social tensions resulted in hate crime killings or worsening of social conditions, like poor housing or less successful schools. To summarize, assimilation has done more harm than good to the American people, as it has killed off groups of people and their heritage.

Both multiculturalism and assimilation are influential elements of American society. However one has helped us better civil quality, while the other has forced groups of people to leave behind a way of life and even pay their life for it. In conclusion, multiculturalism has bettered American society in that we have more civil equality and better understanding of each other, whereas assimilation has caused us to forget our history and caused the death of those who refused.

Immigration is a common occurrence in all countries across the world and it is the foundation of many countries, such as the United States. Without immigration, the world would seem stagnant and unable to understand other cultures in the correct fashion. How easy it is for an immigrant to join a community when they immigrate to another country is based on multiple societal and institutional measures in that country. A country that embraces other cultures is a Multicultural society (Song, 2017). In a society such as this, the institutions entail diverse measures to include cultures into their society. On the other hand, Assimilation involves a society in which they do not look to include foreign cultures into their existing one, they would much rather the person who is immigrating to their country conform to their way of life instead. These concepts both play into national identity, citizenship, and nationalism and spark debates about finding “common ground” among all groups in a community.

To understand the differences between Multiculturalism and Assimilation, you must first start with the history of both subjects across the world. Unlike Assimilation, which has been the standard for most countries since the beginning of civilization, Multiculturalism is a relatively new concept that has yet to be totally accepted by many countries across Europe (Song, 2017). A common way to describe multiculturalism is that it is a way of talking and thinking about the differences in society, and how societies deal with their own differences (Nye, 2007). The idea of tolerance is important in the multicultural context and one of the best definite examples of Multiculturalism can be first seen in the United States during the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s (Song, 2017). The idea of becoming a country that essentially is a “melting pot” was a new way of thinking and reputed the European idea of following the heritage of the country. As this idea became more prevalent in the United States, it was exported to Europe via American culture influence (Song, 2017). Both of these ideas are good ideas relative to where you are from. A native-born American citizen may find multiculturalism essential to a good society, meanwhile a native-born German may find it to be conflicting with their culture and believe assimilation is the correct choice.

The controversy on whether an immigrant will be able to fit into society is not a new question. There a few distinct differences between these types of integration, assimilation is essentially the opposite ideal of Multiculturalism because it entails no room for immigrants to allow for their culture to have any prevalence in its new country (Nye, 2007). There have been endless attempts across the world to force minority groups to assimilate to the culture of the majority. A fantastic example of assimilation in a historical context is the force used by European colonial empires to force the indigenous people they overtook to suddenly abide by their rules and convert to their religion (Timsit, 2019). Europe has historically been unfavorable in the context of including other cultures’ traditions with their own. The idea of assimilation has been around since the beginning of time and cultures have always had the tendency to want immigrants and outside cultures to assimilate to theirs (Timsit, 2019). Unlike multiculturalism, assimilation has endless examples of being engrained in societies.

The concept of a society being either a multiculturalist community or assimilationist has both its pros and cons. Many countries across the world have become more open to inviting other cultures into their communities and implementing policies to protect those groups (Bevelander, 2013). Multiculturalism has many benefits for a country in the sense that it allows for people to learn how to understand each other and embrace one another’s cultures. In a society that embraces and protects others which are different from the majority, there becomes more understanding and less isolation from the world. The migration and settlement of people across boundaries is the product of change and produces change, at all levels of society (Bevelander, 2013). It is hard to take the first step in understanding other people unless you allow for the integration of their own beliefs alongside of your own. On the other hand, some may speculate that if you are coming to a country that shares different values than your own and you are aware of those, then it is not your right to enforce your ideas upon those who are the majority (Nye, 2007). Multiculturalism includes not just the acceptance by the population of the country but also the policy makers (Bevelander, 2013).

Some diverse measures that can be taken by a government that pushes for a multicultural society are policies such as implementing policies in education such as consideration for dress codes and social services, health promotion campaigns in multiple languages, and cultural exceptions to law. These simple changes are what can help integrate an immigrant into a society, but a lot of European countries have created a backlash against these types of programs. An argument that is used against multiculturalism is that it refuses to acknowledge the social problems connected with ethnic minorities and immigrants (Vertovec, 2010). According to Daily Mail columnist, Melanie Phillips, the brainwashing that has occurred throughout the country is due to multiculturalism and it has caused refusal to teach Muslims and other immigrants British culture and values which has caused a divisive culture of separateness (Vertovec, 2010). According to Phillips, multiculturalism causes the moral paralysis of victim culture (Vertovec, 2010). This type of rhetoric has become popular among newspapers and journalists throughout Europe.

Multiculturalism is a process, and with any process, there are roadblocks that don’t allow for the total embrace of immigrants and other cultures. Over the recent decades, it has become a growing consensus that multiculturalism is not successful in European cultures. In 2010, leaders from France, Britain, and Germany had all conceded that multiculturalism had failed in their countries (Chin, 2017). The beginning of the large movement of immigration after the second world war showed that Europe’s willingness to accept diversity was going to be an ongoing struggle (Chin, 2017). Assimilation essentially goes against any multiculturalism in society and pushes the idea that if you are willing to immigrate to a certain society, then it is your duty to fit in (Chin, 2017). There has become a widespread perception that multiculturalism is “dead” and according to Chancellor Merkel, of Germany, it has ‘utterly failed’ (Banting, 2013). Many European commentators worry that multiculturism has over-nurtured what is known as parallel societies, and the British prime minister is one of these people. (Banting, 2013). The British prime minister argued that ‘under the doctrine of multiculturalism, we have encouraged different cultures to live separate lives from one another (Banting, 2013). Many European officials are claiming multiculturalism as a failure and claim that it is also responsible for high dependence on welfare, poor educational outcomes for their immigrant children, political radicalism, and social isolation (Banting, 2013). The chair of the Commission for Racial Equality in Britain, Trevor Phillips, stated this issue in a more forward manner saying that ‘under the baleful influence of multiculturalism, Britain is sleeping walking to segregation’ (Banting, 2013). Recent debates have made it clear that Europe is dropping multiculturalism and adopting a new approach to diversity, which is commonly referred to as civic integration (Banting, 2013). Civic integration works on the premise that they would integrate immigrants into the social, economic, and political mainstream. This also entails that the newcomers acquire the language of the country they are living in and learn about its history and norms. Across Europe, there has been a widespread demand for evidence of integration at different stages of the process to gain citizenship (Banting, 2013).

Assimilation can cause many conflicts in a community and allow for hatred to bloom among the current population. Assimilation has many pros and cons just like multiculturalism. To begin, for an immigrant to assimilate into a new society, they start to lose their own family traditions and it reduces diversity among the population. Forcing a minority group or immigrant to assimilate into a society can cause the younger generations who are entering into the school system to be disadvantaged because of different learning styles (Chin, 2017). On the other hand, assimilation can open more doors in the job sector for immigrants because it allows for them to blend into society better. An immigrant who is able to assimilate and learn the language associated with the culture should, in turn, should be able to become more successful in that society (Banting, 2013). Assimilation can also allow for people to overcome their natural differences by integrating into society through the same culture and values as the majority, thus making them a part of the larger population. France, unlike other countries in Europe, does not have mandatory civic integration courses, but it does have an assimilationist sense of national identity that is not multicultural (Singer, 2010).

The resistance of becoming a multicultural society is not an isolated problem in one country but is an overwhelming issue that has plagued the entire continent of Europe. The Muslim community has become one of the biggest targets for the opposition of multiculturalism. In recent years, many countries in Europe have established laws and policies that demand assimilation by immigrants (Banting, 2013). Currently, Denmark is trying to introduce laws to regulate the lives of its Muslim community living in the “ghetto” so that they may assimilate into the Danish culture (Timsit, 2019). The continuous rise of Muslim residents in Denmark has caused policymakers to implement new laws in order to integrate them into their society. Currently, there are 22 new measures put forth by the Prime minister of Denmark, Lars Lokke Rasmussen, that are aimed at assimilating the Muslim communities (Timsit, 2019). Young immigrants across Europe are a primary target for most countries trying to assimilate their populations. For instance, Germany has created mandatory language tests be carried out on migrant children as early as kindergarten and children trying to seek asylum are put into integration courses to learn about German culture and ideals before entering the country (Timsit, 2019). Civic integration courses were once only voluntary for migrants seeking to enter countries across Europe but in recent years, they have become mandatory for newcomers to Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom (Timsit, 2019).

Across Europe, not only has there been policies implemented to assimilate migrants, there has been a large backlash against multiculturalism and its “negative” effects on the norms in each society. The phrase “Multiculturalism is dead” has become a common conception throughout Europe. Throughout the 1990s, in the Netherlands, there were violent attacks against policies aimed at assisting ethnic minorities (Timsit, 2019). In May of 2001, riots broke out between British Pakistanis and Bangladeshi youths against the white youths in 3 different British cities and reports regarding these riots point at the separation of educational arrangements, places of worship, and social networks that led these youths to lead parallel lives thus causing conflict (Timsit, 2019). Multiculturalism has become seen as a failure among many Europeans, with many stating that there is “too much diversity” and that is causing conflict between cultures (Timsit, 2019). Britain has been at the forefront of the battle to forget about a multicultural society and assimilate with most of their public officials insisting that it be dropped. In April of 2004, Trevor Phillips, the chair of the Commission for Racial Equality proclaimed that “Multiculturalism should be ditched, because it suggests separatism among the people when there is a need for a British identity instead” and responses such as these have been provoked by public debates regarding this topic and tactics of condemnation (Timsit, 2019). The most common complaint about multiculturalism is that it has led to societal breakdown because it is promoting ethnic separation and a lack of interest in social integration into society.

The implications of policies can make or break society in terms of whether they can become multicultural or force their newcomers to assimilate. All over European countries, there has been a universal panic about immigrants and ethnic diversity. In the Netherlands, a backlash has occurred in policy and in public communication, with migrants at the root of it and being blamed for not meeting their responsibility to integrate and for practicing so-called ‘backward religions’ (llie, 2007). Populist politicians and some sections of the media have characterized immigrants as a threat to security, the welfare system, and social unity (llie, 2007). They claim that immigrants decline to integrate and that governments have lost authority over them (llie, 2007). Since the late 1980s, there has been massive convergence of refugees and asylum-seekers, especially from former Yugoslavia and Africa (llie, 2007). As a result of these composite and continual inflows, the Netherlands has moved from a sufficiently high level of ethnic homogeneity to an astonishing degree of assortment (llie, 2007). In 1983, they created the Ethnic Minorities Policy which was seen as a welfare policy for defined segregated social masses (llie, 2007). It can be seen as a prolongation of some aspects of pillarization, which handsomely financed new ethnic and religious minority communities for their own places of worship and media, and certain types of educational amenities on the same basis as pre-existing parallel institutional agreements (llie, 2007)

Currently, European countries are experiencing vivid debates about immigrants assimilating and their processes for integrating into society. European countries tend to lean more toward integration policies that favor the labor market for immigrants (Timsit, 2019). Many European leaders debate what constitutes good integration policies and each has their own observation on what works best. The assimilation process can vary for the different situations each person is in. For example, for first-generation immigrants, the largest gap they face in the assimilation process is their language barriers, civic involvement in the community, perceived discrimination, occupations, and outcome (Chin, 2017). Second-generation immigrants also still have some of these same issues and a significantly higher rate of non-citizenship as opposed to native-born citizens. Assimilation is now being seen as an important way of reducing anti-immigrant sentiment in the native populations across Europe. The Muslim population is the center of attention for the assimilation debate. The economic downfalls of many European countries tend to fuel racism and intolerance thus making assimilation for the Muslim community important to be able to avoid the brute force of hate (Chin, 2017).

From the perspective of an American citizen, the idea of multiculturalism is an amazing way to understand each other and learn from one another. In my opinion, multiculturalism is more inclusive in every manner and is important. For an immigrant to move from their home to another country it can be quite a culture shock. The preservation of cultures in a diverse society is important a can bring a lot of prosperity to a community.

Cultural identity is developed through many activities you love to do and grow to learn more about. For example, playing the piano is a way to form your cultural identity by expressing yourself, through the way, you play. Jing-mei formed her cultural identity following her mother’s idea because if it wasn’t for her mother she wouldn’t have given the piano a chance and not be able to gain her cultural identity. Frida Kahlo formed her cultural identity by painting her feelings. Pat Mara formed her cultural identity by writing poems about how she felt about society. They all similarly discover their cultural identities because they both found an activity they liked and used it to express themselves. This cultural identity essay allows individuals to delve into the multifaceted aspects of their personal backgrounds, experiences, and passions, ultimately leading to a deeper understanding and appreciation of their cultural identity. Through various creative outlets such as music, art, or literature, individuals have the opportunity to express themselves and forge connections with their heritage, contributing to the development and enrichment of their cultural identities.

Jing-mei developed her cultural identity by playing the piano. When she was young she didn’t care about playing the piano because she never gave herself a chance. When her mom died she realized she should have given it a chance. In chunk fourth, she said, “So maybe I never really gave myself a fair chance, I did pick up the basics pretty quickly, and I might have become a good pianist at a young age. But I was so determined not to try, not to be anybody different, and I learned to play only the most ear-splitting preludes, the most discordant hymns,” (p39). This is Jing-mei saying that she never gave herself a chance because she was so determined not to try because she was trying to show her mother that she didn’t want to be what her mother wanted her to be. This is important because it’s showing how she realizes she’s good at playing piano after her mother passed away. This supports my topic sentence by showing that she didn’t like to play at first because she wanted to show her mother that she, didn’t want to be what her mother wanted her to be. Then they realized she was good at it when her mother passed away. at the end of, Chunk 8 it said,” It looked more difficult than I remembered. I played a few bars, surprised at how easily the notes came back to me.”(p81 ). This is Jing-mei saying that she gave herself a chance when her mother died and found out how easy it was for her. The quote is important because this is her developing that she’s not that bad at the piano and her realizing that her mother just wants her to do good in life. By showing this, it supports my topic because it’s showing how her mother helps her throughout the development of her cultural identity. Jing-mei developed her cultural identity by first really not caring for the piano because she wanted to show her mother that, she didn’t want to be what her mother wanted her to be and then her mother passed away and gives the piano a chance.

Frida Kahlo’s cultural identity is painting because she expresses how she feels about society in her paintings. In paragraph 4 it states,” I paint my reality,” she said. “The only thing I know is that I paint because I need to, and I always paint whatever passes through my head, without any other consideration, What passed through Frida Kahlo’s head and into her art was some of the most original and dramatic imagery of the twentieth century.” This is how Frida Kahlo says she paints whatever passes through her head onto a canvas because society is not a nice place. The quote is important because it’s saying how she expresses herself in paintings and society is the reason. This supports my topic by showing how she expresses herself and how that develops a cultural identity. In paragraph4 it says,” Painting herself bleeding, weeping, cracked open, she transmuted her pain into art with remarkable frankness tempered by humor and fantasy. This is Frida Kahlo’s showing how she expressed her feelings in her paintings by painting how she feels during the 18th century and how society is a cruel world. This is showing how the painting made her feel safe and made her feel like she could express herself and society wouldn’t have to punish her for it. This is important because it’s said that her cultural identity was painting because she could represent herself through her art. These quotes support my topic by showing how the painting was a way she expressed herself and society. Society helped Frida Kahlo develop her cultural identity by making her want to paint about how cruel it was.

Pat Mora’s cultural identity is writing poems like Legal Alien because she gets to express how she feels about racism. (p.10) “viewed by Anglos as perhaps exotic, perhaps inferior, definitely different, viewed by Mexicans as alien..” Pat Mora is saying that Mexicans viewed Americans like aliens. She is showing how the two raises didn’t see each other equally. This is important because she is writing about how she feels about racism in a poem. This supports my topic because her cultural identity is writing poems because which allows her to write how she feels. (line 15-20)”a Mexican to Americans handy token sliding back and forth between the fringes of both worlds by smiling by masking the discomfort of being pre-judged Bi-laterally.” This is explaining how Mexicans are judged for trying to be like an American. She is showing the Mexican point of view on how they mask their discomfort of being pre-judged bi-laterally. This quote is important because it shows us how she feels about the racism against Americans and Mexicans. This helps my topic by showing how her cultural identity is writing poems by showing how she feels in her poems. Pat Mora develops her cultural identity by writing poems like Legal Alien.

• Cultural identity is formed by an activity you do.
• Pat Mora developed her cultural identity by writing poems about how she feels about racism.
• Frida Kahlo developed her cultural identity by expressing herself and society in her paintings.
• Jing-mei develops her cultural identity by expressing herself when playing the piano.

This helps my claim because they all found an activity to do and then developed it as their cultural identity. Finding an activity like a habit of yours, something that you find interesting or love to do. Cultural identity is formed by an activity you do like Jing-mei, Frida Kahlo, and Pat Mora. This helps you express who you are as a person and not have to worry about anything because it’s an activity for yourself.

I am a first-generation Mexican-American living in Los Angeles, California. I identify as being Mexican, an American, and being an Angeleno in other terms I identify as a Latinx Angeleno. Each piece of culture takes part in my cultural identity as a whole. As wonderful as that sounds it was not always easy. There are plenty of times when it feels as if I have to live a double life when it comes to my Cultural Identity. There are places or events in which I have to be more “Mexican” and less “American” or if I was questioned on my “realness” of being an Angeleno and my ability to represent the Westside(regarding the coastal scene). Although this battle came about through the language, traditional holidays, food, and customs an important aspect regarding one’s cultural identity to me personally is music. The clash of identifying as a Latinx and being an Angelino can be seen through music when it comes to representation, language, and lyrical values. In this case, the battle of Latinx music versus Los Angeles music (in this case American music: Rap, Pop, Hip Pop) puts a strain on one’s cultural identity.

I claim that being a Latinx individual in Los Angeles means struggling with different cultural identities. I also claim that music is if not a big and important part of one’s cultural identity. Through this paper, I will approach music as it is part of one’s cultural identity, and Latinx musical representation, and dissect the Los Angele music scene. Meaning those who identify as Latinx Angelno have a high chance of facing a struggle in combining or overlapping both cultural identities due to the separation of genres and cultures in the music itself. For example, Latin music is a category in the United States, Westside music is its own subgenre in rap in the coastal music scene. It has its own culture. Whether you are listening to the oldies but goldies Los Angeles Azuls or Bad Bunny trying to navigate both cultural identities on an individual level is as difficult as it but including mainstream media, it becomes even more difficult.

Music has always been a big part of my life. From family parties where tios and tias would blast rhythmic cumbia beats followed by some Mexican gritos, a type of yelling in the Mexican culture uses to symbolize happiness and joy. Or being a little kid and being woken up on Sunday mornings by the glorious sounds of Vicente Fernandez and Juan Gabriel. In modern-day where my friends and I are given two choices for our Friday nights on whether we want to attend a “Row” party where music is often a mix of EDM and Pop or a multicultural frat house that has musical arrangements ranging from oldies but goldies 90’s jams with Bad Bunny and J Balvin sprinkled in every few songs. We always seem to choose the latter.

Overall music has been tied to who I am, a part of my cultural identity. One’s cultural identity “is the identity or feeling of belonging to a group” according to (National Society). Along with food, language, values, and traditions, music helps make up one’s cultural identity. This is the case for the mass majority of Latinx individuals when it comes to not only identifying but celebrating their culture. In a study, “Music As A Cultural Identity: A Case Study Of Latino Musicians; Cultural identity”, a group of researchers selected a few Latinx musicians in Ohio and question them on how music is an integral part of their cultural identity. Although this study was not conducted in Los Angeles the researchers state similar results could be generated with other Latinx identified Musicians (O’Hagin, Barbara, and Harnish). The Latinx musicians reported the importance music has on their own as a cultural identity.

Musicians and community leaders are interested in creating a positive modern image for both cultural outsiders and insiders and reaching out to their community. Music also has a role in cultural traditions such as preserving oral and musical traditions as well as the emotional bond experienced within the community. They also want to reconstruct negative aspects of traditional culture such as toxic masculinity and machismo and continue focusing on the collections, strong family, and community emphasis. Latinx musicians have not shied away from this, modern-day music has continued to range from fun party beats to music that speaks out on issues(political/economic/stereotyping) Latinx people are facing. For example, some Los Angeles bases Latinx artists such as Chicano Batman, La Santa Cecilia, and La Cafeterias have a range of songs. Some pertain to the political climate such as “Freedom is free” while other songs are simply about enjoying oneself.

Latinx music has become more popular not just in Ohio or Los Angeles but throughout the states. This raised even more questions regarding the Latinx music scene in Los Angeles and the impact it has on one’s cultural identity. Did the lack of representation of Latinx musicians and music in mainstream media cause an unintentional riff between Latinx individuals living in the United States? A 1999 article from the Los Angeles Times, stated that the Latinx music scene in Los Angeles was booming during the ’90s. Breaking records and topping the charts with Enrique Iglesias and Selena Quintanilla (Valdes-Rodriguez).

The Latinx Music scene was popular yet awards shows, music festivals, and halls of fame were still lacking Latinx musicians. Even with the lack of representation, Valdes-Rodrigues states that the Latinx music scene continues to outsell other genres. This could be because of the increasing population of Latinx consumers. Although this article is two decades old, it connects to a more result article “Music representation in awards and festivals and charts this”. This article which takes place twenty years later is about the previous lineups in Coachella. Coachella is a famous music festival that has drastically increased in its popularity. Over the course of ten years, the festival has had a rise of Latinx musicians, for example, the 2018 Coachella festival had the famous Los Angeles Azules, Bad Bunny, Cardi B, and even Los Angeles Boyle Heights cumbia-punk band Thee Commons (Roberts).

The increase in representation comes from Latinx individuals speaking out both as a consumer and a producer. As the years go by Latinx individuals become more intertwined with the musical aspect of their cultural identity. This is evident in the 2019 Coachellas lines up and the increase in other Latinx music festivals. A few that take place in Los Angeles or Los Angeles county are Tropicali, Mariachi USA, Dale Fuego, and Calibash. Although these festivals encourage all types of music. Latinx music is the main focus. Some Latinx musicians who perform mix genres, such as Cumbia EDM, or Latinx Trap (Brown). Overall Latinx Musicians’ popularity in the US has risen. Shining a light on the new wave of artists/music who represent the diaspora. Latinx Music Community is a melting pot of Indigenous, Native, African, and Iberian cultures, all mixed and represented in music, food, and languages. Latinx American cultures have influenced cultures from the east coast to the west. From Puerto Rican New Yorkers’ musical beats to western Cumbia rhythms in Los Angeles (Spotify).

The Latinx music scene in Los Angeles is also transforming. With this wave of representation and celebration of the US Latinx culture, the Los Angeles music scene is beginning to evolve. Several years ago, the Latinx music scene in Los Angeles was struggling. In the article “What’s Wrong With Los Angeles’ Latin Music Scene?”. Cota stated how there was a problem in the Los Angeles music scene in recent years, more so how there is a problem regarding the Latinx music scene. Latinx Bands and musicians were becoming more and more populated but weren’t sticking as other mainstream artists.

The lack of representation in mainstream media, the musicians would often separate their music from different cultures. For example, language barriers or more so the lack of incorporating the two languages of English and Spanish, and forcing their audience to generally “pick a side” was one of the reasons why Latinx bands are not as popular as other “Los Angeles music”(Cota) and another reason as to why Latinx individuals were struggling within their cultural identity with music, having to choose between different artist for different languages. Another reason why the Los Angeles music scene was having trouble was because of the genre itself. Sticking to one genre and not merging created a riff between cultures. However, in the most recent years, the Los Angeles Latinx music scene has been shifting. Many artists have been noticing either the lack of interest from their Latinx audience or their struggle to find some identification with them and they found a way to change it. Cultural hybridity.

Throughout the journals, several researchers came about the concept of Cultural Hybridity. According to Frello who conducted a study on the concept of Cultural Hybridity. The concept states that cultural hybridity is the idea in which more than one “cultural or social theory” postcolonial, finds a balance between their values, practices, and their customs. Cultural hybridity is important throughout history showing that an increase in globalization and population has created cultural hybridity communities and clusters (Fratello).

Cultural hybridity allows for new ideas and interdependencies to grow (Fratello). Cultural Hybridity is most likely to be found or created in immigrant communities. Los Angeles is a polyglot city of dreamers. Not only do people from all over the country but the world travel to Los Angeles. According to the Census quick facts database, 48.6% of Los Angeles county is of some Latino or Hispanic descent (Census). There is bound to be a cultural hybridity occurrence. Latinx Angeleno’s cultural hybridity through music is an important adaptation taking place. This is because of the need to adapt to a new environment allowing us to find a balance between worlds (Albert). Cultural hybridization is the process in which a new identity is created that mirrors a duality of culture. The construction of a new cultural identity allows for different beliefs to merge. In this case Latinx Angelenos. The previous study mentioned by O’Hagin, Barbara, and Harnish regarding Latinx musicians and music being a part of cultural identity also reported that the Latinx musicians who were interviewed started to focus on combining their music to reach a new generation. A (first)generation that was produced by immigrants (O’Hagin, Barbara, and Harnish).

A few examples of cultural hybridity musical artists are Chicano Batman and Cuco. Both of these artists are Los Angeles-based Latinx musicians. Chicano Batman when interviewed talked about the need for an increase in Latinx musicians to not only represent but to provide an outlet for the first-generation individual (Democracy Now!). During an interview with Amy Goodman front singer for Chicano Batman emphasized that their music and message are a mixture of all their cultures; being Mexican, American, and Angeleno. Cuco also showed similar emphasis in his music. Combined English and language lyrics. Breaking Latinx machismo and showing everyone that men have emotions with his very sentimentally open lyrics. Allowing Latinx Angeles to be a part of two cultural worlds.

I am a proud Mexican-American Angeleno. Fortunately, when my family came to the states they wanted to continue celebrating where we came from but they also knew that growing up here meant learning some of the western traditions. This inevitably meant that I had the opportunity to not only learn but be a part of three different cultures. Representing the Westside, as a proud Hecha en Mexico but built in America individual. Although there is an invisible battle of having to claim one more than either (Marchi) however throughout researching my paper I have learned to encourage multiculturality especially when it comes to music.

There is a new subculture emerging in Los Angeles where Latinx culture and Angeleno culture have fused. This combination has progressed into a multicultural blend. The cultural hybridity, a cross between two cultures has taken place in the Los Angeles Latin music scene. Los Angeles Latinx artist has started to redefine their music by blending languages, transforming old traditional ideas that are outdated, and creating new positive cultural reinforcements through lyrical poetry. Music is still an important aspect of one’s cultural identity. Those who identify as Latinx Angelenos also have the opportunity to embrace their cultural hybridity and cross between two worlds. My initial hypothesis was that they were separate cultures regarding the Latinx Los Angeles music scene which resulted in a struggle for the cultural identity of both, after researching I now see that something different has been happening. I would like to hypothesize that this will soon be taking place all over the states.

Art allows artists to express their cultural identity and heritage specifically with the use of cultural symbolism. Artists use cultural symbolism to draw on insights from past and existing experiences to express a greater meaning within their artwork. Mexican artist Frida Kahlo uses cultural markers from both Mexico and the United States to show her internal battle when displaced from her home country. Cultural symbols can be illustrated in many different forms and contexts, some being personal and others being well-known worldwide. However, each symbol is equally effective in communicating the artist’s identity and encourages the viewer to reflect on how culture surrounds us all.

Frida Kahlo uses several cultural markers, to express her desired longing to return to her Mexican roots. In her work, Kahlo uses different cultural symbols from both Mexico and the United States to showcase the diversity between the two cultures. Frida Kahlo was born in Mexico and her work often expresses and celebrates her Mexican culture by using a variety of personal and famous symbols to connect her own identity with the people around her. After four years of living in the United States, Kahlo desperately wanted to return to Mexico, but her husband convinced her several times to remain in America (FridaKahlo.org, 2011). This sparked the creation of “Self-Portrait at the Border Between Mexico and the US” as Kahlo made the work to protest her husband’s wishes. In the painting Kahlo stands directly on the border between the two counties, with numerous cultural markers scattered all around her, to demonstrate that her identity is a combination of both Mexican and American culture. Within the painting, she is wearing a typical Mexican-style dress and holding a Mexican Flag, clearly identifying which country is closest to her heart (FridaKahlo.org, 2011). The combination of industrial and rural cultural markers within her artwork effectively illustrates the setting in which the artwork takes place and thus communicates Kahlo’s internal struggle of feeling detached from her Mexican roots. (Udall, 2004). Amid the mixed cultural background, a fire-breathing sun and a lonely moon are embedded with clouds, when they touch a lightning bolt is created. The lightning bolt reiterates an indigenous story about the relationship between destruction and regeneration (Lindauer, 1999). Life and Death is a strong markers in Mexican culture and therefore Frida Kahlo used this concept in many different forms and objects. The placing of a skull on Mexican soil illustrates their belief that bodies are made from earth and return to earth after death. Additionally, with the use of color, the nature on the Mexican side is illuminated with a yellow glow, drawing the viewer’s eye and making this side look more inviting. The roots from the flowers also represent the cultural and family ties that link Kahlo to her homeland (Monasterio, 2010). As well, by using fine detail, Kahlo painted one plant root transforming into an electrical cord as it crosses over the border to the US, which then connects to Kahlo’s podium. This communicates a connection between cultures and between nature and industrial materials (FridaKahlo.org, 2011). Thus, may represent Kahlo’s feeling of being connected to the U.S once she is back on her home soil. Unlike the Mexican Side, the U.S is completely devoid of natural elements and is instead a world of industrial devices and pollution. The earth bares no sight of natural materials with the sky being obscured by smoke and the ground being covered in concrete (Lindauer, 1999). These contrasting symbols clearly express why Kahlo felt so detached from her Mexican culture, when away from home. This disconnected feeling was supported when Kahlo said, “The most important thing for everyone in the [United States] is to have ambition and become ‘somebody,’ and frankly, I don’t have the least ambition to become anybody” (Lindauer, 1999). Therefore, Kahlo’s “Self-Portrait at the Border Between Mexico and the US” illuminates her internal struggle and disconnection from her Mexican culture and how even her husband didn’t want her to connect to her roots.

Overall, cultural markers combined with the artist’s personal experiences create meaningful artworks about a certain subject. In doing so displaying how art can communicate one’s cultural identity seen through Kahlo’s artwork. Kahlo’s use of Mexican and U.S cultural symbols helped her express her feeling of detachment from her Mexican roots and find a voice against her controlling husband. Displaying how cultural markers can be illustrated and perceived in many different contexts and forms, and how they can help an individual connect to their true selves and connect overall to their cultural identity.

Multiculturalism is a common phenomenon in contemporary society. There is thus a need for people to study different cultures and share ideas to accommodate a variation in the cultural behaviors experiences. The study of foods of different cultures, their preparations, and consumption is an essential step towards progressive multiculturalism. Among other non-verbal communication, food and meals are used as a means of expressing friendship and acceptance of new cultures. The link established by sharing of food among a variety of cultures is vital and thus an important consideration to study.

There is a long history of encouraging eating foods from other cultures as a means for people to learn about the cultures in Australia. It is argued that by eating a variety of foods, it indicates that the cities and regions of the country are tolerant of cultural differences (Chesters 110). The efforts are referred to as a ‘public pedagogy for official multiculturalism.’ The concept of multiculturalism in Australia is highly contested and at times, refers to theory, policy, and a way of describing cultural diversity as experienced in the country. Official multiculturalism refers to a policy whose aim is to promote the difference in cultures in a positive manner (Chesters 110). The use of public pedagogy relates to the sites, processes, and technologies that enable the public to learn about multiculturalism outside the formal system of education in Australia. They include the use of popular culture, the use of the internet, the use of museums, mass media, social media, and homes. It is essential to understand food pedagogies and how food is used as a pedagogy to promote multiculturalism in Australia.

There are various ways in which the educational policymakers, the tourism industry, the government, media industry promotes the idea of multiculturalism through the use of food pedagogy. The idea behind this movement is that by eating the food of other cultures, people can learn about themselves as well as different cultures. The concept is referred to as multicultural eating. One example of multicultural dining occurred in the 2011 Blacktown Multicultural Fiesta in Western Sydney (Wow Blacktown! 2011). The fiesta aimed at celebrating the cultural diversity in Blacktown by raising awareness, building relationships, and fostering harmony (Wow Blacktown! 2011).

Food and culture

There is a very extensive food on humanity. It can be described as a way of living. It enables people to experience their background, culture, traditions, and emotions (Demetriou 36). Food is connected to human physical and biological procedures. The kind of food consumed by people is determined by their geographical, social, religious, and economic dynamics. Food can thus be said to possess vital cultural connections to a given cultural background. Even though all humans have the same nutritional requirements, there is a vast multiplicity of diets and foods that are preferred by certain people (Demetriou 36). The children who grow up in the cultures become familiar with food habits and carry them on to the next generation. The kind of food chosen by a given culture, the way it is eaten, and prepared associates with the cultural customs. Encouraging people to learn about the foods eaten by other cultures may thus lead to cultural tolerance. As such, there is a need for people to learn about the choice of foods, how they are prepared, and how they are eaten across various cultures to achieve multiculturalism.

Food and identity

It is undeniable that food is a signifier, and that has a specific connection to a given group of people. One may get ideas about the culture of a given group of people by studying their foods (Demetriou 37). As such, food is identified as one of the most critical indicators of ethnic identity. Certain foods may be regarded as a taboo in one culture because the people of that culture considers such foods uneatable (Becuţ & Puerto 122). The same foods may, however, be eatable in other communities. For instance, the Jews and Muslims do not consume pork, whereas Hindus do not eat beef. How people classify foods as eatable and uneatable carries a message of their culture. Understanding various cultural classifications of foods and respecting them can thus lead to tolerance among multiple cultures.

Food as a symbol

Over the years, food has become a means through which communities demonstrate and maintain their identities. The foods of other communities can also be used as a tool for learning the identity of that particular group. The way humans interact with food from their culture and other cultures pass a message on how much they value and respect the cultures (Demetriou 38). Specific foods from various ethnic groups stand as a symbol to identify a person with that culture. For instance, rice is identified with Asian culture, while curry spices are identified with Indians. Learning various foods from a diversity of cultures can thus promote interrelationship among people of those cultures. Through this learning, multiculturalism is encouraged.

Ethnocentrism

Ethnocentrism refers to a belief that one’s culture is better or preferable over the other. Normally, human beings grow up believing that their culture is the best, normal, and right. Such a belief makes people unwilling to accept and learn about new cultures (Nganga 19). As such, specific foods associated with certain cultures appear awkward to other cultures. An example of ethnocentrism is the use of word Eskimo (Demetriou 40). Eskimo is an Indian word meaning ‘Fresh flesh-eaters.’ The name was used to discriminate against one group for their eating habits. Eskimos, on the other hand, referred to themselves as ‘the real people.’ The use of such terms is considered ethnocentrism as they could be believed to be meaning that the other groups are not real people. Encouraging people to learn about different cultures can reduce such behavior, thus strengthening multiculturalism.

Meals

Food can be used as a medium for communicating the sociability and hospitability of a given group of people. The relationships that exist among people may be determined by the kind of foods that they share together (Demetriou 41). Meals vary from one culture to another in terms of composition, location, length of time taken for a meal, and the communication. Eating together indicates that there are compatibility and acceptance within the community of people. Offering a meal to another person signifies friendship, and thus refusing food provided is seen as a refusal to an offer of friendship. Food, therefore, is used as a means of communication for certain feelings among people. Sharing foods among cultures is a symbol of acceptance of one another. Education aiming at teaching people about foods of other cultures is thus useful in attaining cultural tolerance among various cultures, hence encouraging multiculturalism.

Immigrants and acculturation

When the immigrants move to a different culture, there may be a need to adapt to the culture as well as the foods eaten by the people of that culture (Schaefer & Simon 970). It is similar to a person who is traveling and thus has experiences different food habits as they move from one culture to another. Changes to adapt to the new foods experienced are part of the more extensive process of adapting to a new culture. The process may be long and gradual and may lead to the development of a new social group (Demetriou 44). The new group may be a subculture possessing the eating traits of both the host and the immigrant culture. When people migrate to a new culture, they continue eating the foods of the culture that they originated from as well as trying to switch to the foods offered by their hosts. In some cases, such people eat local foods in public while retaining their own meals at home. The process of adapting to the new culture can be facilitated by support from the locals. In such cases, the locals are expected not only to provide local foods but also to learn about the foods of the immigrants. In doing so, there will be easy bonding among the cultures encouraging multiculturalism.

Food and communication

Food is used as a nonverbal means of sharing meaning and feelings with others. Food is also directly linked to traditions and culture. Food as a culture must be learned on the basis of when it is produced, how it is prepared, and when it is consumed. Methods of preparing food vary from one culture to another. The methods relate to the kinds of foods available to the community, cultural needs, and the special needs of the society (Demetriou 45). The method of food preparation is a social phenomenon and must be studied with care because it determines the regard with which the food is taken. Universally, cooking converts the available food into a form that is accepted by a given culture. The categories of cooking are thus appropriate symbols of social organization and differentiation.

Opposition to the use of food as a means of encouraging multiculturalism

There are, however, other researchers who argue that the consumption of food from different cultures by white people is a form of pleasure (Flowers & Swan 6). It is used as a spice to withdraw from the dull common mainstream foods. The authors argue that eating foods from other cultures is not about learning about cultures. From this viewpoint, the culinary, cultural exchange does not lead to progressive multiculturalism at all. They argue that one can eat food from other cultures but keep the boundary. The viewpoint is, however, a subject to debate.

Some researchers argue that eating and cooking foods from other cultures can lead to various cultural exchange hence fostering multiculturalism. Multiculturalism does not just involve meeting in festivals and public places but also the intercultural encounters on a daily basis, such as at the office, streets, and family gatherings. Power and politics have an important role in daily multicultural interactions (Flowers & Swan 8). There is thus a need to examine the process of eating and cooking foods from other cultures and its intent in everyday encounters. A focus should be placed on Anglo-Australian whiteness and white foods to enable understanding of the complexities regarding different ethnicities.

Research indicates that it is the food the economically dominated cultures or the third world that is readily consumed by middle-class whites. The middle-class white people are ashamed of their white food heritage (Welton 636). They, therefore, opt to practice food adventuring. Food adventuring refers to an attitude and a spirit of distortion that pushes the middle-class white people into trying novel, authentic, exotic, and dangerous ethnic foods (Flowers & Swan 9). They use this as a project to pursue status and distinction.

In food adventuring projects, the people who are not white are used as a resource to aid the food adventuring by white people. In return, they earn authenticity and novelty. The novelty of the food provided is essential for food adventuring projects. They believe that the methods and ingredients used must thus be out of reach of other groups (Flowers & Swan 9). With the knowledge about the preparations being spread at a higher rate, the novel foods will soon turn to be familiar. As such, the adventurers will regard the foods as being dull the same way they think of the mainstream white food.

The adventurers believe that the foods, restaurants, and their ingredients need to be authentic. However, authenticity depends on the opinion of the white eater (Julier 173). As such, the white adventurers can manipulate the other cultures as they seek the unending authenticity, which, in the real sense, does not exist. The current day food adventuring is following the practice of white colonial masters to manipulate other cultures (Flowers & Swan 12). Those from the different cultures who seek white people’s approval are thus at risk of losing their culture and turn to a resource for white person realization. The food adventurers, just like the colonial masters, see the ethnic food as a resource that should be taken and used to their satisfaction.

In conclusion, there is a growing rate of cultural multiplicity due to the high rate of migration of people in currently. People encounter new cultures in their daily lives, and at times the experience is not very pleasant. There is, therefore, a need to understand the existence of cultural diversity and welcome it. The interaction among different communities must be taken as an opportunity to exchange information and learn about new cultures. Food can be used as a means of intercultural communication. Sharing meals is a symbol of friendship, understanding, and accepting each other. It can thus be exploited as a tool to encourage.

Works Cited

1. Becuţ, Anda Georgiana, and Kàtia Lurbe i Puerto. ‘Introduction. Food History And Identity: Food And Eating Practices As Elements Of Cultural Heritage, Identity And Social Creativity’. International Review Of Social Research, vol 7, no. 1, 2017, pp. 1-4. Walter De Gruyter Gmbh, doi:10.1515/irsr-2017-0001.
2. Chesters, Janice. ‘Book Review: Dispossession, Dreams And Diversity: Issues In Australian Studies’. Journal Of Sociology, vol 43, no. 1, 2007, pp. 110-111. SAGE Publications, doi:10.1177/144078330704300110.
3. Demetriou, Christina. ‘Food As An Instrument For Connecting Multicultural Societies By Christina Demetriou’. Multicultural Perspectives, vol 13, no. 2, 2012, pp. 1-52. Informa UK Limited, doi:10.1080/15210960.2011.571548.
4. Flowers and Elaine Swan. ‘Eating The Asian Other? Pedagogies Of Food Multiculturalism In Australia’. PORTAL Journal Of Multidisciplinary International Studies, vol 9, no. 2, 2012. University Of Technology, Sydney (UTS), doi:10.5130/portal.v9i2.2370.
5. Julier, Alice. ‘Exotic Appetites: Ruminations Of A Food Adventurer, By Lisa Heldke.’. Food, Culture & Society, vol 7, no. 2, 2004, pp. 171-174. Informa UK Limited, doi:10.2752/155280104786577851.
6. Nganga, Moses. ‘Cultural Ethnocentrism In Europe’. SSRN Electronic Journal, 2018. Elsevier BV, doi:10.2139/ssrn.3200161.
7. Schaefer, Christoph Daniel, and Bernd Simon. ‘Opportunities For Immigrants’ Acculturation And Identification Varieties’. Political Psychology, vol 38, no. 6, 2016, pp. 959-975. Wiley, doi:10.1111/pops.12381.
8. Welton, Michael. ‘‘No Escape From The Hard Things Of The World’: Learning The Lessons Of Empire’. International Journal Of Lifelong Education, vol 22, no. 6, 2003, pp. 635-651. Informa UK Limited, doi:10.1080/0260137032000138185.
9. Wow Blacktown! Multicultural Fiesta 2011. Online, available: http://au.wherevernow.com/?event=137651589635180

Introduction

Culture is a characteristic or identity of people who live in a certain area. It is arises from daily actions taken by the community to create habits and finally became the culture of the community. So, we can say culture affects people’s lives in socialization, consumption and modernization. Therefore, culture create characteristics of people. In business, people also bring their culture into the business. Business is people’s activity who is connected with products and services to achieve a goal, which is profit or money. If the business expand to other regions or other countries, understanding the region or country culture is necessary.

Communication becomes one of the key success in business, especially for international business (Gibson, 2002, p.1). In international business, every organization tries to utilize theirs cultural specialties to communicate among others. Verbal and non-verbal communication is important to run the business. Most International businesses would employ domestic and foreign people. This builds diversity in the company. Usually, people do business with people they like, trust and in the same culture. The company should anticipate this issue by combining all domestic and foreign employees. Besides employee, culture can determine success and failure of the business, it helps the company for taking the decision and negotiation (Schwartz & Davis, 1981). Negotiation with different culture is harder. Miscommunication is usually the main problem in negotiating because the point that we want to deliver is not the same and also leads to different ideas. Tolerance in culture is not only applied in businesses but also applied in daily life and environment. People’s personalities can be changed by their environment, specially for millenials. In this paper, I will analyze the cultural differences in Germany and Indonesia. The reason I compare Germany and Indonesia because I grew up in Indonesia and now I live in Germany for a long period.

Findings

Cross-cultural began to see everywhere in the country. For example, in international offices there will be foreign employees and mostly people who do cross-cultural more tolerable. Indonesia is located in South East Asia and it has 16,056 islands, the islands make Indonesia has more than 300 ethnics (Kusnandar, 2019). And Germany is located in West Europe and becomes the highest population in Europe (‘Where is Germany?’, 2015). The similarities of Germany and Indonesia in business is: they are leading businesses among their respective continent (‘Index of Economic Freedom: Promoting Economic Opportunity and Prosperity by Country’, 2019).

According Browaeys & Price (2015), there are eight components in cross-cultural framework. In this paper, I will take four components to compare Germany and Indonesian cultures, which are time focus, power, action, and communication. As stated in the introduction, communication is important in running the business. According to Browaeys & Price (2015), There are two kinds of communication in cross-cultural, which are high context and low context. In Indonesia, high context communication means the communication is not well received. In a high context culture, the communication more focus on how to deliver the message rather than the meaning of the messages because they argue open communication leads to conflicts. On the other hand, German has different ways to communicate, which is low context communication. The information on this communication will represent the whole meaning of the message.

Times focus in Indonesia are polychronic because Indonesian people are more flexible for the times. Polychronic means the speed of culture is more relaxed, maintaining harmonious relationship is more important, so time is used more flexibility (Kristof, 2019). Based on my experiences, in Indonesia, especially in Jakarta, when I want to do my group meeting at 1 PM, usually it will be delayed for 2 or 3 hours because we can accept the lateness reason and also we try to avoid the conflict about times. However in German’s people are monochronic because they are more strict to their times, German’s people believe time can not be repeated, so they need to use their time efficient and effective. Monochronic is a concept that explains time as linear and divided (Kristof, 2019). More specifically, the monochronic view of time is the time should be managed and shared by scheduling and agreements. Their activities are structured and scheduled linearly, based on the objectives, the efficiency of implementation and the progress of the economy. Monochronic culture argues be on time will be fix everything. Based on my experience living in Germany for 4 months, people here more punctuality. One day, I had a group meeting at my university at noon, and I came late for an hour when I arrive all of my group members already arrive and start the group meeting. At that time, I feel embarrassed because I came late.

For power in cross cultural, there are two kinds, which are hierarchy and equality. In Indonesia, the power in Indonesia’s company is hierarchy. Hierarchy cultural or large power is based on structure and control (Mischke, 2009). it’s is more formal and strict. The value of hierarchical culture is consistency. The advantages of hierarchical culture are reliable planning so produce high quality products and services, timely delivery and low operating costs. Management must ensure job certainty and predictability. When I did my internship in oil and gas company, I did observation. The company always held meeting regularly to control the company. The power in Indonesia is different with German. German company’s power is equality, equality is the other side from hierarchy. Equality cultural or small power is more flexible, sometimes, it leads to bend the rules (Mischke, 2009). All employees are equals so they can share their thoughts to the managers.

The company’s action is important to running the business, unfortunately, the region of the company affects the way the employee works. There are two kinds of actions, which are doing and being. In cross-cultural framework, polychronic and hierarchy are recognized as doing cultures. Nonetheless, monochronic and equality are reflect on being cultures (Knight, n.d., 2019). Indonesian company uses doing cultures for their business, it means the employees work together to finish their jobs, meanwhile, it’s hard for employees to get a promotion in the company. And also the employees can share their opinion with their senior not directly to managers. However, in Germany, the action is being cultures. The employees work individually because position is important for them. Education titles also important for German people, to show their status in society.

Conclusion

In conclusion, German and Indonesian have different cultures. I believe cultural differences lead to issues. Nevertheless, the differences in cultures does not mean negative way. In this era, adaptation is a necessity because it helps people in real life. But, adaptation of cultures is also not easy, I have experienced this situation. Since I grew up in Indonesia and I just move to Germany. In the beginning, it is not easy to do adaptable and feel uncomfortable, but, day by day I got used to it.

In this paper, I differentiate German and Indonesian based on a cross-cultural framework from Breaways & Prices (2015) especially in businesses. There are four components in this paper, which are time focus, power, action, and communication. Every component explain the characteristics of business model in the country more details. From the framework, there are differences in running businesses. In Indonesia, the employee working in a group, office hours for Indonesian employees also flexible. The employee in Indonesia is unable to express their opinion freely due to the working environment provide, only certain employees that have the same status can deliver opinions freely. And also the communication among employees are complicated because they try to avoid misunderstanding. However, in Germany, the employees do their jobs individually because they are looking for promotion, the office hour in Germany more strict than Indonesia because German people think time is very important and can not be replaced. In a group discussion, the employee can state their opinion freely to increase company performance, for communication, German people state their thoughts directly. This paper also recommends people who want to live outside. Firstly, open-mindedness is important. Cultures create people’s personalities, meanwhile, it is hard to change it. Secondly, to understand other cultures. As an immigrant, culture is important to avoid misunderstanding. And lastly, prepare the mental to decrease culture shock.

References

1. Browaeys, M., & Price, R. (2015). Understanding Cross-Cultural Management. Harlow, United Kingdom: Pearson Education Canada.
2. Gibson, R. (2002). Intercultural Business Communication (p.1). Retrieved 22 November 2019, from https://books.google.de/books?hl=en&lr=&id=qa3Vhhd4IGsC&oi=fnd&pg=PP10&dq=communication+in+business&ots=ewBemPE_B6&sig=k68rBrUGXJg1QmNXbpK_bX89xeY&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=communication%20in%20business&f=false
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10. Schwartz, H. and Davis, S.M. (1981) Matching Corporate Culture and Business Strategy. Organizational Dynamics, 10, 30-48. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0090-2616(81)90010-3
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All individuals have their own unique points of view on racial identity. It is important because it gives us the right sense of direction in life. Racial identity is influenced not only by biological factors but also by the environment and culture in which one has lived. A person who has established an incorrect racial identity may have wrong prejudices, and this may lead to discrimination. We can analyze our racial identity through many different categories. I identify myself racially or ethnically as a Korean. I didn’t have to worry about race issues in Korea because I was always in the majority, but I had to think a lot about this issue and study more as I immigrated to the United States. I am trying to embrace a new culture without forgetting my racial identity. There are a number of factors that I can identify myself by racially and ethnically, and these have been very important parts of my life. This essay will help me become a healthy member of society by analyzing and establishing my racial identity from various perspectives.

The cultural identity essay offers a valuable opportunity to delve into the intricate dynamics of race, ethnicity, and personal experiences, allowing individuals to navigate their sense of self within a diverse and ever-evolving society. By delving into multiple perspectives and dimensions, these essays enable individuals to establish a comprehensive understanding of their racial identity and contribute to fostering a more inclusive and harmonious community.

The mountains are closely linked to my identity in an ethnic and emotional way. Since Korea is a mountainous country with 70 percent of its terrain consisting of hills and peaks, anyone can easily visit any mountain if they leave the house without any special plans. For that reason, the mountain is the object of affection for Koreans and hiking has been one of the popular sports activities. I have been hiking with my family every weekend since childhood. I consider the reason that Koreans visit the mountain frequently to be connected with the spirit of loving and protecting nature from ancient times. My mother is a painter and she has always loved to paint mountains. Once I asked her why she drew so many mountains, and she said it was because mountains embody the spirit of our people. Our ancestors attached importance to the attitude of living with nature and liked to inherit the mountains’ spirit. The ideas of our ancestors who loved and cared for nature were handed down to me who lives in modern times through mountains. I can say everything about mountains reminds me of my heritage and makes me feel more Korean.

Korean music makes me think I am Korean and reminds me of what I am and who I am. Koreans are especially music-loving people. Since ancient times, they have continued a rich tradition of musical culture. I grew up listening to traditional and old Korean music due to my father collected vinyl records. Thanks to him, I was able to understand the culture and lifestyle of the past by listening to music. I consider a good example that explains my ethnic identity is Arirang. Arirang is the iconic traditional Korean folk song, it embraces the joys and sorrows of the Korean people. Arirang played an important role in forming the identity of the Korean people and binding the community. It makes me feel the “PungRyu spirit” as a Korean. PungRyu spirit refers to the spirit of communicating with God through songs and dances, enjoying nature, and honing Taoism. Music is the best way to identify with a particular culture.

Food culture is an essential element in establishing racial identity. Chopsticks are an integral part of Asian’s daily life since ancient times. Since I was a very young child, I have learned how to hold chopsticks from my parents and table manners. The elder members of my family placed emphasis on the importance of handling chopsticks and were strict in teaching me etiquette for using them. Looking back, they must have wanted to give me a sense of yangban, the Korean noble class. Because Yangbans valued the right etiquette while dining. Likewise, chopsticks are not just the tool we regularly use for meals, but it is a link that connects me with my ancestors from thousands of years.

I interviewed Claire Kim, one of my Korean-American friends, to get a deeper and broader understanding of racial identity. One of the questions I asked her was “were you always proud of your heritage or was there a time you rejected it?” She stated that she did want to try to reject it, but she respects her parents too much to reject her Korean heritage. The characteristics can be inferred from her answer are identity confusion, respect for her parents, and discrimination by appearance. Claire briefly suffered from an identity crisis in her adolescent years, after thinking about who she was and talking at length with her parents about her identity, she concluded that she was Korean. Her parents did not blame or force her identity confusion. They understood it was natural since she was born and raised in America, and she came to respect her parents who fully embraced her. In the United States, in addition, Asian Americans are perceived to be different from others just by their looks and tend not to belong to a majority group. All human beings, regardless of their appearance, have an equal position and should receive the same treatment since our diverse physical looks are not of much significance. To stop perpetuating prejudices and discrimination, it is important for us to expose ourselves to different cultural ideals and beliefs.

The characteristics one can associate with Korean parents who decided to immigrate to America in particular include devotion, enthusiasm for education, and risk-taking. I asked her how being Korean-American has affected her relationship with her parents. She said her parents always expected her to be smart and stressed the importance of education. In fact, Asian immigrants as a whole have a higher education completion rate than the overall U.S. population (Malik). Asian immigrants who decided to immigrate to America tend to give up their comfortable lives in their country and they are passionate about giving a better education to their children. However, first-generation immigrants face difficulties in their daily lives because of linguistic barriers. In particular, as the first English speaker in the family, their children often act as the spokesperson for their parents. but such a process allowed their children to become closer to them. They may have to bear the financial and mental risks of immigration, but they are committed to the good education and future of their children.

Before the interview, I thought she would define herself as an American because she was born in America but lived longer in America than in Korea. However, my perceptions and ways of thinking changed completely with the interview. She affirmed her identity as a Korean since she had more time to belong and grow up in the Korean community regardless of where she was born. I eventually realized that race distinct on the basis of social characteristics rather than biological. Through my essay, I recognized once again that I was 100 percent Korean and valued the heritage and traditions I inherited. There are a lot of habits and traditions that I grew up with that are still part of my life today, and I look upon these traits with pride because they are part of who I am. I am certain that our histories and experiences shape our communities and mold us into who we are today.

Work Cited

1. Malik, Sanam. ‘Asian Immigrants In The United States Today. Center For American Progress, 2015,https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/immigration/news/2015/05/21/113690/asian-immigrants-in-the-unites-states-today/. Accessed 18 Apr 2019.

Australia is regarded as a high functioning multicultural society; policy and institutional structures that emanate the aspect of cultural diversity have been centered in the past decades (Koleth, 2010). However, there are mixed sentiments concerning this facet among several individuals of the country. These adverse viewpoints, deriving from things like the amount of knowledge an individual has, their domain, media eminence of specific diversity issues, have emerged various outlooks towards multiculturalism (Malik, 2015). Moreso, immigration in Australia has become ultimately controversial in contestation. Beyond question, if multiculturalism has become a key factor in the nationalism of the country, what have been the substantial impacts on Australian society? As validated in the article by Knight (2008), Australia has undergone the success of multiculturalism, though it is undeniable that being a well-known country of having diverse cultures, also has its acquired challenges.

Moreover, I do believe that as a multicultural society, there is a need for the aspect of multiculturalism to be engaged in the subject more often. Arguably, one may say that cultural diversity issues have only resonated in small groups of communities as multiculturalism varies nationwide (Forrest & Dunn, 2006). This can be a reason why some Anglo-Australians do not know much about it and its active consumption in society; thus, it is difficult to discern the essence of the extensive policy regarding multiculturalism. Besides this, it is mentioned that despite the approach, there has been an underlying sense of racism that continues to raise certain implications as observed by some Anglo-Australians. Beyond doubt, multiculturalism is transformative of the practices and identities of minority groups. Issues that emerged such as discrimination may have originated because of Australia’s own past experiences of ethnic and racial prejudices. For instance, I have learned that such conflicts or riots were the results of multiculturalism that allowed people to engage in certain cultures; these aspects were regarded incompatible with the values of Australian society (Koleth, 2010). At some point, it is apparent that these elements have disintegrated national cohesion and social stability that may still be seen up to this day. Not to mention, despite the multicultural aspect embedded, racism persists in the society in which indigenous and minority groups are greatly affected by racist attitudes and concerns.

On top of this, it was denoted that the majority of Anglo-Australians do not realize their inclusion in multiculturalism. I agree with the statement that it seems as though the Aboriginal people are displaced in the existing framework of Australian society. The corresponding belief that since the Aboriginals have long stayed in society, these individuals may have already accepted the new form of national identity by the policies of multiculturalism (Forrest & Dunn, 2006). As such, it may have been ingrained for them to embrace cultural diversity as a privileged status of their identity. Furthermore, the new term ‘integration’ as discussed in the article, addresses the goal of celebrating shared destiny instead of differences. I do believe, however, that this may have fragmented lines, as integration focuses on the lack of political and economic characterization rather than the cultural aspect. It is in the means of appraising things like opportunities for wealth and improvement of democracy (Busbridge, 2019). That said, it is in uncertainty what exactly happens to immigrants themselves. Moreso to what extent can immigrants allow their own cultural background to cultivate in the process of adapting to the community as a citizen? Definitely, it is a matter of weighing whether integration can achieve a greater substantial impact than what the government believes that multiculturalism does less to society.

In an immigration country like Australia, it is also difficult to discern what exactly do Australian values compose. As noted, the government wants to assemble immigrants in a process wherein they adopt new citizenry in the country. However, in my view, it is quite difficult to assess the inclusiveness of a particular national identity, if Australian values are not expounded. As such, it may limit certain practices and beliefs that can affect social harmony between individuals. Moreso if the people are not truly aware of what makes someone Australian, this can become an arbitrary prospect and may even lead to prejudice rather than authentic values (Collins, 2013). All things considered, I believe that multiculturalism still plays an important role in an immigration country like Australia. A sense of balance between this aspect and integration is required to attain a successful multicultural society. What must be considered is a precise and meaningful precept of national identity, but then again, this should not impede the valuing of ethnic and cultural diversity. In addition, it is vital to critically assess the policy framework in the country for integration to work efficiently (Collins, 2013). With the fluctuation of the success of multiculturalism, the government must consider the potential disadvantages to the immigrants themselves and for issues like racism to be rectified; this is justified as minority groups and some Anglo-Australians are still subject to discrimination up to this day. Certainly, I believe that certain factors are taken into consideration, this can ensure the success of multiculturalism in the country.