Cultural Identity – Race

Cultural Identity – Race

Recognizing that race is a social construct that was developed to classify people based on several physical characteristics. Accordingly, I identify as a black person. I am a biracial person, and as such, people would think that I cannot identify as wholly white or black, but according to the one-drop rule established in the 20^th century, I am a black person. To elaborate, the one-drop rule states that any person in the lineage of a black ancestor who has the blood of a black person automatically identifies as a black person. In terms of ethnicity, I identify as an African American.

In the context of my cultural identity, people see me as part of black culture. Notably, black culture has nothing to do with African culture; rather, it was newly established centuries ago after Africans were uprooted from Africa and enslaved in America. This history of slavery and the century’s long fight for freedom heavily influenced black culture. Being part of black culture has made me aware that black people are not always treated fairly compared to other races. With this awareness, I can interact with people, knowing I might sometimes find myself in uncomfortable situations. I also know that one of the first things people notice about me is that I am a black woman, so they may or may not associate me with any stereotypes they have about black culture.

One benefit of black culture is collective identity. Notably, this is a sense of a connection between one’s personal identity and black people as a whole (Johnson & Carter 2020). Being part of black culture has made me want to root for the success of every other black person, whether I know them or not. Seeing black people achieve great things gives me a sense of pride, and when something bad happens, for example, in the case of George Floyd, I am deeply affected, almost like I knew him. On the other hand, one limitation of my culture is the high rate of insecurity among black people. There is a worryingly high rate of black people killing other people. For instance, combining black people killed in the Korean War, Vietnam War, and wars from 1980 gives a total number of 18,500, while black murder victims between 1976 and 2011 were 276,384 (Walter, 2014).

Fairness, in my opinion, is the quality of having no discrimination or favoritism. However, it is not as black and white as it sounds. For example, if one were considering hiring two people, most would say that only qualifications matter and nothing else should be considered. However, I find this unfair because there is no consideration of the conditions under which these qualifications were met. For instance, did the most qualified come from a wealthy background while the other one came from a poor one? Would both individuals have performed like the others if their lives were exchanged? The struggles and challenges one faces should be considered because treating people like they are the same is unfair because, in reality, they are not. Individuals come from different backgrounds; some go without food to school, while others get to eat whatever they want in their school. Conclusively, I believe fairness should be based on making fully informed decisions.

As a young person, I did not know much about being black; I only saw myself as any other person. However, as I grew up and learned more about black people’s history, I solidified my identity as a black person. This is in addition to other physical things like what skin products work for my skin type, hair products, make-up products, and my fashion style. Some of my personal values include honesty, open-mindedness, fairness, and kindness. These have influenced my cultural identity because I am more open to learning more about other cultures and becoming more culturally competent. Black culture values, mostly about solidarity and community bonding, have also greatly impacted my life. Consequently, I sometimes participate in marches and movements for social justice for black people.

My cultural identity has helped me improve at my job as a human services professional practitioner because I mostly work with minority groups, which is convenient because I understand their issues better. Suppose one of my identities was ignored; I would feel disappointed and a bit angry. To ensure this happens to no one else, I would help educate those around me on why being culturally competent is crucial, especially in diverse working environments. With extensive knowledge of the unfairness that black people have faced for centuries now, I feel my sense of fairness has been greatly changed by my culture. This change will impact my job as a human service practitioner because I am more determined to get a full picture when assessing what my clients need, determining whether they are eligible for benefits and how much they need according to their situation.

References

Hays, P. A. (2008). Addressing cultural complexities in practice: Assessment, diagnosis, and therapy. American Psychological Association. Washington, DC.

Johnson, V. E., & Carter, R. T. (2020). Black cultural strengths and psychosocial well-being: An empirical analysis with Black American adults. Journal of Black Psychology, 46(1), 55-89.

Walter Williams (2014). “Most serious problems for blacks rooted in culture, not racism.” The Citizen. Accessed from: https://thecitizen.com/2014/03/04/most-serious-problems-blacks-rooted-culture-not-racism/.

ORDER A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE

We’ll write everything from scratch

Review the videos and other Learning Resources. Assess your cultural identity and how it may impact your work as a human services professional practitioner.

Cultural Identity – Race

Create a minimum 500-word reflection in which you respond to the following to assess your own cultural identity:

• How do you identify your ethnicity and race? African American woman
• How do people see you in the context of your cultural identity? They see me as bi-racial due to my features and complexion
• How does your family history influence your cultural identity? My mother’s side of my family is Muslim, and some celebrate holidays differently, such as Kwanzaa. My father’s side didn’t celebrate holidays as much due to financial struggles. I grew up in low-income neighborhoods on both sides of my family. Often in drug-addicted neighborhoods. It helped me decide what I did not want for myself while learning what I did want.
• How do you see people through the lens of your cultural identity? I see people as people. We come from different walks of life. I do not judge; I try to learn from others who are unlike me. Different cultures are beautiful to me.
• Describe a benefit of your culture. ????
• Describe a limitation of your culture. There are several limitations, such as driving while black and not having the same resources that privileged areas or more affluent areas have. Being judged and mislabeled
• How do you view fairness? I view fairness as being equal. Having the same resources means having the same quality of life. Same rules and regulations. Same understanding as the white community.
• How has your identity changed throughout your life? I grew more aware of who I am and who I want to be. I have more empathy for other cultures and a greater understanding of things that I am not used to.
• How do your values and ethics influence your cultural identity, and vice versa?
• How does your cultural identity impact your role as a human services professional practitioner?
• Explain how you might feel if one of your identities were ignored and how you might ensure that the cultural identities of the people with whom you will work are respected.
• Explain how your sense of fairness might be influenced by your culture and how that might impact the work you will do as a human services practitioner.