Culturally Influenced By Joseph Biancardi: Cultural Differences

In this essay I’m going to discuss what makes Joseph Biancardi, Joseph Biancardi. I will go over six different cultural dimensions that differentiate myself from other people. The six points that I will go over is my gender, race, socioeconomic status, religion, sexual orientation, and weight. I was born male, and I am still that gender today. Being born a man is probably one of the biggest influences in my life because it has directed my hobbies and interests since I was a young. Like many other males I liked more video games and sports as a child. I took an interest in computers as well, which has helped decide what degree I will receive from college. Being male has majorly affected my identity. My ethnic background is mostly Irish and Italian. My grandfather was an immigrant from Ireland that came to America in the late 30s,
early 40s and signed up for World War II to gain citizenship. He faced a time in New York when Irish immigrants were heavily discriminated against. My mother has always let me know the significance of my Irish heritage, being a first generation immigrant herself. My father’s side is Italian mainly, my great grandfather immigrated from Italy. My heritage has influenced my identity because I have always known myself as an Irish-Italian American. I came from a middle class family from Northeastern Indiana. My father has his own small business detailing cars and my mother is a nurse. Socioeconomic status greatly affects a person's identity because it plays into the limitations that you have growing up. We were by no means poor, but my brothers and I learned about how to work for what you have an appreciating it. It has given me my more conservative outlook on finances, which is a part of my identity. My household was Christian growing up.
Most Sundays we would go to church at a local contemporary Christian church. This affected my identity because I grew up believing in the religion, but, like my brothers I eventually became skeptical and now lean towards a more agnostic viewpoint. I don’t like to think that my religious views define my identity because I’m very interested in it. My sexual orientation is heterosexual. I don’t think my sexual orientation has a lot to do with my identity, especially because it falls into the majority. I have been with my girlfriend for almost five years, so that would affect my identity but not my being heterosexual. My final personal characteristic that defined me and my identity was my weight. When I started middle school, I began gaining weight and was “fat” throughout my middle school and high school career. I felt it was something that someone would see immediately about me and then it would affect how they would treat me. It affected me negatively like bringing down my self-confidence but eventually when I was able to gain more control over my weight it gave me more strength and
discipline.