Running head: MY CULTURAL DIVERSITY 1

Portfolio Artifact #1: My Cultural Diversity

Stephanie Mora

College of Southern Nevada

September 14, 2017

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My Cultural Diversity

There are many factors that affect who we become, what we believe in, and how we

behave, but I believe that our culture plays the biggest role of all. In the textbook, culture is

defined as “people’s values, language, religion, ideals, artistic expressions, patterns of social and

interpersonal relationships, and ways of perceiving, behaving, and thinking”, so as one can see,

culture determines just about everything we are and everything we do (Manning, Baruth, and

Lee, 2017, p. 23). When I think about who I am, three things come to mind: being Hispanic,

most specifically Mexican, being part of a family (my parent’s daughter), and being Catholic. I

think these three realities have shaped who I am today.

I am Hispanic. Both of my parents grew up in Mexico, and even though I was born in the

United States, my parents roots and customs have become my own customs and beliefs. All

Mexicans feel a special connection and devotion for the Lady of Guadalupe, so being able to

celebrate her on the 12th of December is always a very special and important time for us. During

the nine days before the festivity, we get together to pray the rosary and afterwards have pan

dulce (sweet bread) and hot chocolate. On the 12th of December, we all dress up in typical/ethnic

clothing and pray, sing, dance, and eat. Another celebration that is customary in Mexico is

hosting posadas and having a novena for baby Jesus. During the posadas, we sing villancicos

(songs similar to Christmas carols) and reenact the time in which Mary and Joseph where

seeking shelter. During the novena, we pray as we await the birth of Jesus, and as always, we end

these things by having something yummy to eat.

As one can notice, for Hispanics, food and music have a very important role in all

celebrations and reunions. The food that we eat and the music that we listen to are usually always

traditional or typical Mexican food and music. For example, for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and
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New Year’s we tend to serve tamales and atole (a warm milk beverage) or pozole(a soup/stew

with meat and homily) instead of turkey or ham. Also, for celebrations like quinceaneras(15th

birthday party) or just regular family reunions or get togethers we like to listen to mariachi,

banda, or norteno music. However, that does not mean that that is the only type of food or music

I like because I do enjoy trying new food and listening to country music as well.

Another part of my ethnic background that has shaped who I am and how I behave is the

belief that speaking Spanish and cooking traditional Mexican food is a way for us to preserve our

customs, heritage, and culture. It is because of this reason that I am proud to be able to speak

both languages. Lastly, I have found that being Hispanic has allowed me to grow up in a very

family oriented home. I don’t know much about other cultures, but I know that Hispanic families

are very close and they tend to really value and care for all of their family members. This is

something that I have personally experienced in my family and something for which I am very

appreciative for. My whole family feels a duty to care for and look after everyone else, so

whenever we need a helping hand or anything really, there is always someone there to lend a

hand.

This leads me to the second main aspect that has made me who I am today. I will always

see myself as a part of a family and as my parents’ daughter, so I feel like many of the things that

I believe and do are a reflection of what my parents have taught me. My parents have always had

very strong attitudes about certain things like school and religions. For as long as I can

remember, my parents have always stressed the importance of going to school and going to

Church. My parents would constantly tell us that we had to go to school because that would

allow us to get a good job, a job where we didn’t have to “break our backs”, but they didn’t just

tell us, they made sure that we had everything we needed in order to be successful at school. It is
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because of my parents’ example and insistence that I value and care so much about education,

and why I decided to pursue a college degree. Another thing that my parents really instilled in

me is going to Church. I confess that as I child I did not really see the point of going to Church

every Sunday, but as I have gotten older I have grown in my faith and have really come to enjoy

and look forward to going to Mass every week. Just like my parents held certain things with high

regards they believed other habits were deplorable. For example, they always made their opinion

about smoking and drinking obvious. They never drank or smoked, and they always discouraged

us from doing such things. I personally took their words to heart because I agreed with their

viewpoint, so I have never been tempted to drink or smoke.

Along with their beliefs on certain practices, I think the most important thing my parents

gave me was an example to follow. I was blessed enough to have two parents who showed me

the importance of respecting others, working hard, being responsible, and being reliable. By

passing down these values to me, I believe they gave me all I need to be successful in life.

The last aspect of my life that has molded me into the person that I am, is being Catholic.

The rules and beliefs of the Catholic Church have allowed me to differentiate the good from the

bad and have guided my decisions and behavior. I know that some of the ideas of the Church

may be unpopular or may seem antiquated, but I choose to follow and live by these ideas because

I believe that they are right. I also think my religious beliefs may have had a slight influence on

my career choice because instead of choosing a career that makes me lots of money, I chose a

career that may be underpaid and underappreciated by some, but it’s a job where I will be able to

continuously serve and help children.

One way or another our culture, our parents, and our experiences shape us into the person

that we are. They affect what we believe in and how we behave. The factors that have made me
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who I am are being Hispanic, considering myself my parents’ daughter, and being Catholic.

Although I did not always understand how these elements were molding me, I am thankful that I

was able to become the person I am today because of those influences.