Me: A Cultural Biography - Definition Through Thought
When considering the stereotypical portrayal of a United States citizen, I pretty much fit the criteria to a T. I come from a middle-class family of six - with two brothers, a sister, and a loving mother and father. My parents are both college graduates, and I grew up in a nice neighborhood surrounded by other white middle-class families. I played sports, I was involved in music, I’m Christian, and I have two dogs. Yet, when comparing myself to others with similar backgrounds, I often feel a sense of disconnect. My two younger sibling are both adopted, my sister from South Korea, and my little brother from Ethiopia. I was homeschooled through eighth grade. I don’t use social media. I took a gap year, and the first half of my sophomore year of high school I spent driving around the U.S. with my older brother, living out of the back of a van and surviving off of canned soups and tuna. To say that a person is defined by the perceived environment in which they were raised discounts the individual experiences, perspectives, knowledge, and specific nuances that act as the true defining characteristics of an individual. That does not mean my background isn’t relevant, but it does mean that it does not define me. Thus, when asked who I am in my own culture, I consider two perspectives: the culture of the world around me, and the culture I’ve created for myself.
Growing up, nearly every time someone learned that I was homeschooled, I remember being greeted with the same three or four responses. “Really?! What for?”, “Do you think regular schools aren’t good enough?”, “Oh! That explains a lot.”, and my favorite, “Do you have any normal friends? Ones that aren’t also homeschooled?” Ironically, the main reason my parents chose to homeschool me was so that they would be able to more closely raise me as an independent thinker - valuing differing perspectives, practices, and ideas. American culture is one in which perspectives are very often set. Whether that be conservative ideals versus liberal ideals or traditional schooling versus homeschooling, society perpetuates the polarization of perspectives and the seemingly concrete, unchangeable nature of them. In this sense, I would not say I fit the cultural norm. While I am by no means uninhibited by this practice, I was purposely raised with the express desire of not being subject to this train of thought. This is further compounded by the multi-racial composition of my family.
There’s nothing my family likes more than going out in public altogether. Whether we go out to eat, see a movie, or to go grocery shopping, we can always count on the stares, swivels of the head, and looks of confusion upon observing a family being comprised of more than one race. While most of the time this is likely contributed to genuine curiosity, it nonetheless stands as a testament to the immobile disposition of our perspectives. Additionally, having an Asian sibling and a Black sibling has, to some degree, granted me insights into racial experiences other than my own that are, in a sense, broader and more understood than the average white American. I by no means mean to say that I have a full, or near full understanding what living as an Asian or Black person is like. However, I do think that because these are my siblings - them being two of the closest people I have in my life, and me being one of the closest people they have in their lives - I have seen, heard, and experienced situations and circumstances that I could not have possibly known otherwise.
When asked who I am in my own culture, I’m forced to consider what defines me, and through that, what defines every person. It would be easy to go through and list off semi-interesting facts about myself: my heritage, ethnic traditions, what my favorite foods are, what sports I’ve done and what instruments I’ve played. But within OUR culture, nothing I can say or do will make me special, or define who I am. No amount of activities, interests, or background knowledge could ever actually define who anyone is. What defines me - what defines everyone - is the way we think. Thus, what I feel defines me in a society where views are set in stone, is an openness to the fluidity of perspectives. This is not unique, nor is it necessarily rare, but it is defining. Through this definition, I gain an understanding of who I am. By taking this openness and applying it to all areas of my life, I am able to craft new and varying perspectives that shape me in different ways every day. With this constant shaping, I strive to constantly be evolving my actions and the way I think, and through that, be evolving what defines me.