My American Culture Research Paper

My American Culture
According to Wikipedia.com “Cultural identity is the identity of a group or culture, or of an individual as far as he or she is influence by her belonging to a group or culture. Cultural identity remarks upon: place, gender, race, history, nationality, sexual orientation, religious beliefs and ethnicity. It is a social process in which individuals participate, in the context of changing historical conditions.” My culture is also described as my thoughts, values, beliefs, and anything about me.
In the book “Like Water for Chocolate” by Laura Esquivel she emphasizes the real tradition of cooking and preparing the food before a meal or a grand event in the Mexican culture. There are many occasions in the book where Tita is preparing the food starting even
a couple days early to make sure that everything is ready and makes a big deal out of it.
In the book there is also the passing of information on to each generation. Natcha teaches Tita how to cook and prepare the food and then Tita tries to show Esperanza how to cook and take over her place. In my culture there are fewer events every year that we make big meals and make a big ordeal out of. When I was a young girl about six or seven there was a big emphasis on having to sit down and eat together as a whole family. Now as I have grown older there are fewer times that we all sit down together to eat as a family, let alone cook as a family. I think the dwindling economy and the job layoff has a big part to do with this. Everyone that has a job that are not laying off is trying to work more and maybe even getting another job to support the rising costs of all the essentials we need to live. In the story there was a great difference between feminine and masculine. The females stayed home while the men went out to make the money and be the bread winner, while the females where at home they were expected to do many
different things such as: cook, clean, sew, take care of the children, teach the children, feed the animals, and the list goes on and on. In my culture these roles are not really the same, yes I am expected to be able to have children, take care of them, cook, and do chores, but the man has taken on some of these responsibilities to help the women so that the women is able to go to school and have a career. I was taught that you have to do well in school and advance on and get a career, so this is held high in my values.