Cultural Identity Essay

Identification Identification. It is something most adults and people who have their driver's license carry with them at all times. It's how police know who you are and that you are yourself. But your friends do not ask for your identification when they see you. They know that you are you based on appearance ,personality ,stories you have told and other traits that define you. Stories are how people communicate their cultural identity to one and other. It's the main way that people share how their life experience have affected them. Professional authors and regular people share their cultural identity through literature and stories. Specifically through author sherman alexie and myself. Sherman Alexie's shows his life experiences through his writing and the story How to FIght Monsters. In the text How to FIght Monsters Alexie writes “the loser indian father of a loser indian son living in a world built for winners.” ( Alexie, 29 ). This is telling of Alexie's cultural identity because in real life he was born and lived on an indian reservation. The way he uses words like loser multiple times gives the suggestion that he thinks of himself and his father as low. He also said that he is living in a world built for winners. This gives the idea that he thinks the cards are stacked against him, that the whole idea of society and being able to succeed in it is based on preconceived ideas about prejudices and racial misconceptions. Also in the text Alexie also states “ He hugged me close. His breath smelled like mouthwash and lime vodka.” This is a quote that is taken from the story when it was still early in the morning. The text says that he was drinking vodka, this is an indication that his father is an alcoholic in the story. But in real life his parents were also alcoholics. …show more content…
My stories and memories, recent and distant, have shaped me to be the person and more specifically athlete I am today. I first discovered my athletic side when I went away to summer camp for the first time. It was a place called Honeyrock. I had decided to go when I heard a few of my friends would go. The camp overall was fun, but the one thing that I loved was their rock climbing wall. Every day I would sign up for the climbing activity. It was something I wanted to keep doing when I got back home. This experience has had a huge effect on my life. Today I rock climb at a competitive level and am at the climbing gym 9-12 hours a week. If I did not go to that summer camp 5 years ago I would not be the athlete I am today. Even though my main focus is climbing I have a love for performing arts. In my second year of the same camp I took a drama and acting class. I found the activity very challenging. But it was a challenge that I enjoyed very much. I got my basic in drama, which was the camp's way of recognizing achievement for campers hard work. I was attracted to being able to try and take on a different personality whether it was the hero the villain or just spear holder #14. When I got back from the summer camp I wanted to continue with performing arts, but I didn't know how. Then during freshman orientation I found out