Questions
- Do you have traditions?
2) Do you speak a different language or dialect at home?
3) How do you feel now that you are “away from home” – what has become most important to you?
Answer
- Importance of Traditions
In this modern day and age, one may ask if traditions are still important and relevant in today’s society. The answer is definitely a yes. For one, tradition is meant to preserve the centuries-old practice of the forefathers, not allowing it to dissipate or weaken over time. Preservation of cultural heritage is vital to maintaining a healthy society. It has been said that without tradition, society is a boat without a rudder. So with tradition holding such a high importance, why do some people choose to ignore it or label it with a stigma? Traditions provide an important tie to the past. It helps us to understand our ancestry and past cultural heritage. In a world that is rapidly becoming homogenized, in which we are becoming more and more Westernized, it is important to maintain the cultural tradition of our individual races. This is a challenge, especially for global minorities, such as the Hmong or Australian aborigines. For these groups, the challenge is to create a meaningful interface between their traditional culture and the pressures of the contemporary world. Traditions have various functions. In its totality, tradition provides a sense of identity and comfort. It is a link to the past and a bridge to the future. A festival such as Thanksgiving or Halloween is a good example. These are perennial rituals that are passed down through the years, and in many cases, generations. The celebration of the ritual becomes a custom and the custom becomes a tradition. The continuation of this ritual helps to bond together a family. It provides a stable and secure foundation for the family unit. When a child’s life at school and home is marked by repeated experiences of a time, place, and activities that are warm and secure, the child is given the opportunity to develop a sense of security and self-confidence.
1.1. Preservation of Cultural Heritage
By upholding their traditional cultural heritage, immigrant communities not only gain a sense of pride and self-respect but also strengthen family bonds. Traditional values are often the foundation of family dynamics and can help to maintain close-knit family structures. By encouraging the practice of these values, immigrant parents can instill in their children a respect for the importance of family and a sense of obligation to preserve these ties by assisting other family members. A study by Kibria on Bangladeshi immigrants in the United States found that parents often use socialization techniques to instill a sense of duty to assist and respect for parents that is derived from traditional values into their children. This can be contrasted to the individualistic influences of Western cultures that encourage children to move out and be independent and provide care for themselves only. The study found that children of Bangladeshi immigrants were less likely to adopt the individualistic ideals and that a strong sense of obligation to family did prevail. This helped to eliminate generation gaps that are sometimes experienced when immigrant children fully assimilate the values of the host culture, which tend to differ from traditional cultural values. It also ensured that the family would not become assimilated into the host culture because cultural preservation is not something that is done deliberately, rather, it is an automatic process that occurs as long as people continue behavioral traditions.
1.2. Strengthening Family Bonds
Much learning takes place in the family. Observation and imitation of parents are the primary ways in which children are socialized. Through the variety of activities that are held in the family, the child participates and picks up the what, the why, and the how about his/her culture. In the hustle and bustle of today’s society with both parents working and preoccupied with other responsibilities, the family time is being decreased and this has a profound effect on today’s children in the understanding and experience of their culture. For most families, the only time to get together and take part in a cultural activity is during festive seasons. Whether with preparation for the activity or the activity itself, this is one of the rare occasions that the family can get together and spend some quality time. This builds not only the child’s identity and understanding of the culture but family bonds as well. This is indeed because the cultural knowledge is so important and relevant to family ties, that studies have shown that families who have the knowledge and take part in cultural activities are more likely to have a close-knit family.
The family is the fabric of any society. When the family unit is strong, the society is strong. In this respect, the preservation and teaching of cultural practices and rituals and passing them on to the next generation plays a key role in strengthening the family. The family is the natural environment for a child to learn basic values, it is the source of his/her identity. It is the place where each child should be given an awareness and understanding of his/her culture. Parents are usually the major influences and identity builders in their children’s life.
1.3. Sense of Belonging
A.E. Burger, in her reflective essay on her Australian-German identity, recalls a childhood in which her sense of being different to other Australians was marked by her variable ability in both languages and corresponding social experiences. However, it was a trip to Germany at the age of 11 which highlighted to her that belonging can be a peculiar blend of incorporation and alienation. While relatives were happy to see her rediscover the “sight, sounds and smells” of Germany, others displayed hostility to her perceived Australianisation. This experience epitomises her conclusion that developing a cultural identity involves gaining a sense of belonging to the culture. She states “cultural identity is not something that is lost or maintained…rather it is something that evolves as individuals and their cultural accompaniments are experienced in new ways”. It was at the Australian German community school that E.B. Burger found acceptance. The school provided a culturally supportive environment in which she acquired a mix of both cultures, and established an intercultural network of friends that remain to this day. The feelings of acceptance and support were integral in developing her sense of belonging within the Australian-German culture. Whether an individual feels they belong to a particular culture has significant bearing on their cultural identification and acculturation.
- Language and Communication
2.1. Multilingualism at Home
2.2. Language as a Cultural Identity Marker
2.3. Language Maintenance and Shift
- Adjusting to a New Environment
3.1. Feeling “Away from Home”
3.2. Coping with Homesickness
3.3. Building a Support Network
- Shifting Priorities
4.1. Reevaluating Values and Beliefs
4.2. Embracing New Experiences
4.3. Nurturing Personal Growth
- Identity Formation
5.1. Balancing Cultural Identity with Integration
5.2. Exploring Cultural Roots
5.3. Self-Reflection and Identity Development
- Challenges and Opportunities
6.1. Cultural Adaptation Struggles
6.2. Embracing Diversity
6.3. Expanding Worldview