My culture is composed of several other cultures: American, Washingtonian, LDS or Mormon, BYU student/alumnus, and Hawaiian culture. Below, I've found artifacts that I believe represent the different facets of my culture.
American
God Bless the USA - Lee Greenwood - this song sums up many of my beliefs about being an American and part of the United States of America.
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| US History Collage |
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| History - all about PERSPECTIVE |
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| The Constitution |
I love the history of the United States and look forward to teaching it in schools! I am also extremely grateful for the freedom my homeland provides and the people who have worked and continue to work to make it such a great place. I am grateful for the Constitution and the laws and protection it provides.
I love the culture of my state. I am from Yakima, Washington, which is in Eastern Washington. Even though I may mock Western Washington on occasion, I love visiting the other side of the mountains. I am proud of my state, it's culture, and the influence it had on me while I was growing up.
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| My Heart is in Washington |
Apples - I'm from a town that produces most of the world's apples - my home is surrounded by orchards, some of my friends own orchards, and working with fruit, including apples, is a common summer job. Apples aren't just a fruit to me - they symbolize hard work, a great source of income, and remind me of home.
You Know You're From Yakima When...This sign is a bit of a joke around my hometown - yes, Yakima does have pretty mild weather and grows amazing fruit, but it also has a few other characteristics that can make it a little interesting, including some that are listed in the linked article above.
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| Please Recycle |
This is an important symbol to my culture because in Washington, particularly on the West Side, but also on the East Side, recycling and conservation efforts are very important. There are many different places to recycle around town, my high school had recycling bins in the lunchroom, and my family was able to easily recycle a lot of what we used. This represents the
-LDS
The use of Symbols within the LDS religion, part of the LDS culture is seen throughout this next section with the usage of buildings, books, and other symbols to inspire.
The Book of Mormon contains values and beliefs of the LDS culture, but is also a symbol.
Value of service, sacrifice, and missionary work
The LDS Church values families and my family is very important to me. They nurture me and support me in all that I do.
Family (LDS Value) and Temple (LDS Symbol)
BYU Student/Future Alumnus -
This is the university where my dad went, and where I currently attend. BYU is steeped in tradition, and honors values and beliefs, which is shown by the implementation of the Honor Code that all students attending BYU are to follow.
True Blue, Through and Through
BYU embraces and perpetuates the values of service and school pride
 I currently attend BYU with my younger brother! |
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And my youngest brother has hopes of coming to BYU as well. The BYU football field, pictured in the background is not just any place - it is a symbol of many people's favorite team and sport. BYU sporting events are a cultural tradition, and for some people, a belief system.
BYU education - Obtaining and completing my education is an accomplishment that is not only valued in my religious community, and at BYU, but also by my family. I believe in education and the power it has not only to change my life, but also in the power it has to change the lives of those around me.
Hawaii
Israel Kamakawiwo'ole (IZ) is one of my favorite Hawaiian singers. This is one of my favorite songs - it is my go to when I need something calming and is a sweet reminder of growing up in Maui. IZ is not just a great singer, but is also a symbolic representation of Hawaii and Hawaiian culture.
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| HAWAII FIVE-0 |
This reboot of the classic series isn't very "Hawaiian", but it contains just enough of the wonderful elements of the Hawaii I knew and love to keep me hooked on this TV series!
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| Da Jesus Book |
This is a very valuable cultural artifact. Da Jesus Book is one of the best examples of the written use of the Hawaiian Pidgin language. This book represents pidgin to me. While living in Hawaii as a child, I became fluent in Pidgin because it was what my friends and classmates spoke. When I moved to Washington during Middle School, I found that it was harder for people to understand me and there was the potential that others would think I was uneducated because I couldn't (or wouldn't) speak English properly. This portion of my culture was very valuable when I lived in Hawaii, as it allowed me to communicate with and understand many of the people around me, but when I moved to Washington, pidgin was a hindrance, especially in school settings. I had to adjust my language so I could be understood and respected in my new cultural context.
REFLECTION: I learned that the different parts of my culture mesh pretty well together, but this exercise helped me to realize where I had disruptions and conflict between cultures, particularly the Hawaiian pidgin in conflict with the proper English that was spoke at school. My experience in Hawaii is extremely valuable as I have had the opportunity to be a part of minority. This could be a help in school as I could notice and help those who are also minorities. Even though I viewed speaking pidgin at school as a hindrance once I moved to Washington, I can use that experience adjusting and acclimating to English to help those of my students who may not speak English as their first language.
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