Identity is defined as “condition or character as to who a person or what a thing is”. People have different ways of identifying themselves and each person has their own reasoning’s for how they see themselves. Some people use their social groups to help define their identity. We see this in adolescents. Their music, social- clubs, and peers define what they do and how they accomplish everyday tasks. If their favorite band/group has recently been on the television claiming that they want to burn all and any black shirts because they think it is offensive to the African- American community, more than likely these juveniles will do the same. They are letting this band/group determine what they will do and how they think.
People who live in close knit families also influence each other’s thought process and how they will act on things. There are Tio Taco’s and Uncle Tom’s in our society and more than likely they have children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, etc. whom they influence and make these children have a certain view of how they identify themselves. The point is that people who are in our immediate social circle or in our homes, neighborhoods, and communities influence and sometimes determine how we identify ourselves.
There are many different people in the United States and it seems that when an immigrant first comes to this country they come to Los Angeles, New York, and Miami. Living in Los Angeles, we see all sorts of cultures living close to each other. There is a constant struggle/fight to be different and to maintain true to who you are. By keeping a sense of ‘pride’ of your parents and where they come from plays a major role as to whom we are and acting on these things determines our identity. People come to the United States believing that this is the land of opportunity and that once they are here, things will go better. Those people are right, this is the land of opportunity but what they are not aware of is the