When a person with roots in one part of the world moves to another, is it more important to adapt to the new culture, or to hang on tightly to the familiar culture?
2007-12-25 23:47:00 · 8 answers · asked by The Babe is Armed! 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Cultures & Groups ➔ Other - Cultures & Groups
It is pretty important, actually.
Cultural identity is a sum of hundreds of years collective memory and traditions and it should be valued and passed onto the next generations since it is a richness but it is actually as important to adopt to a new culture to fit in and have a better and an easier life.
It is a fair balance but when it is obtained, more richness emerges which makes one's life more fulfilled :)
2007-12-26 01:34:32 · answer #1 · answered by Ipek K 7 · 4⤊ 1⤋
Yes, you are right. Cultural identity is important to ones family in knowing where one came from including generations down the line.
I would like to share an uncanny story with you and it is true. My husband and I went to our friends party, and my husband started to talk to my friend's German neighbor. They spoke to one another in German and as the conversation developed, they learned they were cousins, twice over. They talked about all the relatives that passed on and the landmarks. That was amazing. We developed a warm relationship until she passed away last year at 98 years old.
2007-12-26 00:07:49 · answer #2 · answered by Snoot 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Where you come from is a part of you, so it is important to hold on to that, while you at the same time learn about the culture of the place that you move to. This way, others can learn from you and learn about your culture and vice versa, that would eliminate a lot of ignorance and therefore also eliminate a lot of racism.
2007-12-26 00:04:03 · answer #3 · answered by Steph W 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Our cultural identity is our own individuality, related to our education, in a wide sense, our traditions, our likes and dislikes, our social behaviour, our way of acting and reacting. It's what makes each of us unique.
Of course moving to another place does not remain without consequences as one adapts even subconciouly new cultural elements, but one has to resist in becoming copletely altered and must keep and preserve the precious characteristics of his family or nation's culture.
I never regreted the fact that my granfathers who came from Italy and established in Greece (for commercial reasons) some 130 years ago kept their cultural traditions and handed them over to the next generations:
Their love for Italian belcanto songs, for the Opera, for arts, passed from generation to generation, and gave their discendants a special and particular taste for things.
Through this time period we absorbed greek cultural characteristics, but in a very sellective way, giving birth to a fruitful mixture...
2007-12-26 05:33:36 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Both. You should be able and willing to adapt the new country, but never, never, give up your roots. Your roots define who you are. If you are able to give up your roots due to moving to a new country, I think something is seriously wrong with the person.
2007-12-26 01:24:14 · answer #5 · answered by raidiant_earth 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
adapt to the new....If I gained English citizenship Id refer to myself as English, if I moved to Nigeria Id refer to myself as Nigerians. what would be the point in countinuing to call myself American (or African American) ?
2007-12-26 02:23:14 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
When in Rome do as the Romans do. But always be true to yourself. You know who you are.
2007-12-26 04:27:07 · answer #7 · answered by helponeanother 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
not as important as people seem to think, atleast for me it isn't.
2007-12-26 01:00:15 · answer #8 · answered by FengHuaXueYue 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋