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Saturday, March 11, 2017

"Genesis" by Marianne S


     The basis of evolution is adaptation. We conform to changes in our environment,
strengthening our weak points and letting go of pointless habits. In many aspects, this primitive
mindset of survival of the fittest has stuck; expression of characteristics that make us fit in stay in
our gene pool for generation to generation. In our efforts to remain resilient in this philosophy,
we have lost part of ourselves in the process.
     I immigrated into America from the Philippines when I was four years old: young enough
to be malleable in character yet old enough to have a grasp of my native culture. It wasn’t
difficult for me to see how differently I talked and dressed, even in my kindergarten class, and
these differences bred a feeling within me of resentment and scrutiny from my peers. When my
mom would pack me a Filipino lunch for school, I would get upset that it wasn't a peanut butter
and jelly sandwich instead, like the other kids. I rejected my roots and, in its place, I adapted to
the ways of my American friends. As a one and a half generation immigrant, my identity was
split between my new culture and my old one, although I decided within me to neglect my old
one and make the new one more apparent. Because of this, I lost the ability to speak in my first
language, Tagalog, and could only merely understand and speak in limited dialogue since my
family began speaking more and more English at home. My discovery on the euphemism of
immigrants as “aliens” as a child furthered my embarrassment of my past. I couldn’t understand
those who took pride in our home country when I neglected it. I didn't want to be seen as the
“fob” within my peers and I saw the change from a four year old girl to over a decade I became
fully enveloped in American culture.
     But as I grew older, I grew tired of the PB&J sandwiches. I regretted letting go of the
culture I was born into and wished that I could have continued learning and growing with it. I
also came to the realization of how much Filipino culture had continued to shape me, even
without my willingness and acknowledgement. Within me, I found the Filipino characteristics of
hospitality, kindness, and friendship, becoming integral parts of my character. I recalled the
classic Filipino dishes my mom would make for dinner every night, yearning for the home
cooked meals. Entering high school, my mindset widened to see how others were so open to
embracing their identity. I came to appreciate my own identity and I wanted to show my
appreciation. My background defines who I am today, and the expression of my two cultures
have become the structure in my personality. It has shaped my perspective on finding ourselves,
retrieving it from where we have lost it. My journey to becoming self evident in the discovery of
my being meant trial and error. I take pride in the cultures I belong to: my character
manufactured by experience and influenced by nature.

35 comments:

  1. I'm in a similar situation, as I barely speak my mother's tongue. When I was young, I always thought that fitting into the American culture was better idea than my parent's. Now that I'm older, it doesn't seem like it at all. Similar to your decision, I regret it as well. As my parents always said to me, "remember your roots and stick to it." All in all, I enjoyed reading this very piece of your's. Great personal reflection, Marianne!

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  2. I know how you feel. My cultural heritage originates in Kenya. I may not have immigrated ti this country like you have, but I do know what it is like to tied to your cultural heritage and how creates your values, beliefs, and your personality. My mom also makes Kenyan dishes such as: scuma wiki, gima, mokimo, etc. Personally, I value my Kenyan heritage more than anything now, but there was also a time, like you, where I started to embrace the american culture a lot more and I saw that it not only changed my personality also my values as well. Thank you for sharing your story. An amazing piece!

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  3. I completely understand how the struggles of assimilation made you ashamed of your culture. My mother is Guatemalan and constantly urged me to speak Spanish, but I refused to due to the looks I would receive from those who assumed I was only Black and not mixed with anything else. It was not until high school that I learned to love both aspects of my identity but, like yours, the process was quite long.

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  4. I really enjoyed your piece! The introduction caught my attention right from the beginning and your story continued to interest me all the way to the end due to your strong diction and details. I love how your expressed the transformation of your feelings towards your background and how it had shaped you into the person you are today. You did a great job!

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  5. I can relate to this piece because even I neglected my true origins growing up, thinking that the American culture was the right way to go. Your story was very beautiful as it showed your struggles and how you overcame them to take pride in where you come from. You did a great job on expressing how your background transformed you to who you are today.

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  6. This is a great piece! Many people who immigrate to this country want to fit in but at the same do not want lose their cultural identity. It is hard to maintain balance when you are in school because you want to fit in with everybody else. There are also some aspects of a culture that you might want to preserve to fit in with your family. You might enjoy your culture and want to continue practicing certain traditions. Overall this piece was very identifiable for me.

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  7. An eye-opening piece, in that it brought light onto the struggles of transitioning from one culture to another. Especially for immigrant children who are so vulnerable scrutiny and verbal abuse. I also loved your intro for this piece, it really caught my attention and it made me inclined to read more.

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  8. I first want to start off by saying thank you for sharing a story like this. I my opinion, this is something every young child needs to here, not only to embrace their cultural background, but just to accept themselves for who they are and not conform to what society deems right or acceptable. My family isnt from another country but half of my family is Mexican and I used to have the same mindset so i never learned Spanish and was never close to my cousins. I regret that now and try to get closer to my family so i can definetly relate to your story. The writing itself was also really good and the way you wrote made me feel some of the emotion you poured into your story.

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  9. This is a very informative piece. I feel that it shows your cultural background very expressively, especially after learning more of why you choose to stay true to your culture. Thank you for sharing!

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  10. I relate to this immensely. It's astounding that progression, and a simple change in environment can morph your outlook and mentality, especially with something as important as your heritage. I admire the growth that you conveyed in your writing, for it displays the message that in order to overcome the fear of rejection, we must optimistically look at ourselves with embracement.

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  11. This was a very relatable piece for me. This piece conveys the struggles of assimilating into a different culture. Assimilating into a different culture at young age is challenging. The roots of our native culture are shallow at a young age which is why it is easy to neglect them. Compared to yours, my assimilation was different since I moved here at an older age. Overall, this was an intriguing piece. - Jerico Dizon

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  12. I feel as if this piece was very eye opening. I never experienced this since I don't really know my background nor heritage and it was never a big deal for me. However after reading this and other peoples comments, I can see this means a lot to other people and that's great! I am glad you found your background and true self.

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  13. I really love this piece for the sole reason that my family is a group of diverse culture. Embracing native culture is a key thing for me to do, and this piece helped me to see that in more clarity. Your background feels very diverse and expressive. Great piece!

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  14. This was very interesting to me and having a different culture is nothing bad, people just have to realize that not everyone is the same. I can't relate to this but it was eye opening about what you had experienced and I'm glad you realized that there was nothing wrong with your heritage as you got older. good job!

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  15. This was a beautiful piece. I believe everyone should claim their culture because even though many try to strip us away from our roots and Americanize us, uniqueness and diversity is ultimately what shapes ups. Good job, Marianne!

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  16. The title of this story is what initially enticed me to read this. I really enjoyed your opening lines and how you carried that theme throughout the rest of the piece in order to give a truly inspiring message. I agree that people are often feel like an outcast and are pressured to conform to the typical ideals of society when they come from a different culture. This story serves a great reminder on holding on to your roots and embracing its amazing characteristics.

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  17. You give insight into cultural differences in our society, especially one that is prejudice towards people who are different. You've evolved and this piece shows a bit of pride into your own roots. The personal experience and impact makes it more relatable. You did well carrying the same theme throughout your writing of taking comfortability in who and why you are you.

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  18. This is really well written, and I honestly think it's great. It's eye opening to show that assimilation isn't necessarily due to others, but basically just an attempt to fit into societal standards and not be the odd one out among your peers. I think many, myself included, can relate to your experience and it's great that you've decided to share your experience.

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  19. This piece really opened my eyes about the ways that I've neglected my own culture in an attempt to fit in as well. I refused to learn Tagalog and I never wanted to eat Filipino food and I constantly rejected my own culture. It's obvious that others can relate heavily to your story, but I think it also allows them to see just to what extent they have tried to fit in by rejecting their roots. You did a great job!

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  20. I could relate to your piece as I have also neglected my roots in the past, essentially assimilating into the dominant culture. Its interesting how you mentioned that Filipino culture was still influencing you, even subconsciously because although you tried to suppress it, somehow it still managed to appear in your life. High school has been an integral part in me coming to terms with my identity, and I am happy that it has done the same for you. Thanks for sharing such an intimate part of yourself with us!

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  21. This piece was beautifully written. I really relate to your situation as well. I'd be ashamed of my own culture while wanting to be more like my American friends in order to feel like I belonged. However I was blinded and realized how to appreciate my culture. Thank you for sharing your own experience and to know they're are many who also experience this.

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  22. This was a very interesting piece. At the end, I am very happy that you accept your culture. You may have forgotten your first language, but at least you remember the important things that shaped you to the person you are now. Good Job!

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  23. This is so beautiful and I am so glad you shared it. I agree that it is so important to embrace every part of yourself especially your roots. I'm sure for many people this piece is relatable but out of those many people you chose to speak up about it. I understand how you were ashamed and felt somewhat embarassed about your culture when you first moved to America but the only thing that matters now is that you chose to go back to your roots and love both sides of your life. This is inspiring. Thank you for sharing!

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  24. I had a similar experience, in which I almost lost what it means to love my family's culture. Being purely raised in America, I always found that any "asian" items/ food my family gave to me were embarrassing and, as young as I was, I always hid them away from the public. Today, I regret not learning about my culture and I try redeeming it by speaking more of my language and talking to my parents and grandparents about how they lived in their country.

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  25. Wow, Marianne, your writing is incredible! I’m absolutely stunned by the elegance and power of your writing. I, too, can relate to the early stages of neglecting our culture. Not only did I dissociate myself from my Chinese culture because I was a minority among my friends, but I also restricted the relationship I had with family members in fear of embarrassment becoming too culturally different. The unique cultures that diversify our community are created by each individual, and that is why I have embraced the Chinese traditions and strengthen my relationship with family over the years. Spectacular job!!!!!! Superb.

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  26. This piece is wonderful. Growing up in a similar situation, I have found myself trying to Americanize myself many times. Holding on to your roots and representing who you are and where you come from is truly important. It's a shame that some of us feel the need to fit in with our surrounding society and hide our cultural values. Absolutely loved this, great job!

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  27. This piece was very well written and could be very relatable to a lot of people. The move for people can be weird and awkward at first to be in a new culture but its always good to stick to our roots. Overall this was an interesting story for me as I cant relate, but I can see how people feel when in this situation. Good job on this piece.

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  28. Very well said Marianne. Your story is very applicable to many immigrants or children of immigrants who have adapted to the American culture and in the process have lost touch with their native culture. It is very easy to get caught up in trying to fit in with everyone else which is why most of us immigrants seemingly abandon our cultural ways. However, I admire that you are now embracing your Filipino culture because that is what makes you unique, it makes up a large part of who you are. Great story!!!

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  29. Great Story Marianne, there are so many students on our campus alone that can resonate with your story like myself being the children of Nigerian immigrants. You went through the struggle I did, wanting to fit in with the American culture and disregarding my native culture and being felt feeling embarrassed because you can't fully escape that side of you. Overall, great piece!

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  30. I loved this piece Marianne and am very grateful that you are here today! It is evident how much you have adapted into the American culture but there is a reason they call America a melting pot, for all to be free with whatever culture they want to express and for others to accept that and broaden their perspectives. You may feel you have lost most of your lifestyle from the Philippines yet, as you said, I see many characteristics in you that are often neglected in American culture such and compassion and self-motivation. Keep prospering in whatever lifestyle you feel comfortable, it is still your culture no matter where the aspects come from.

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  31. Marianne, I found it critically important that you identified the survival instinct as one of the major reasons for why one tends to recede from their social identity when moving somewhere new, and I appreciate how personal you allowed yourself to be about it. Like you, I was able to find a stable middle ground between the cultures I know, and it really makes me content to know that others in my vicinity are making that decision and channeling that closure into confidence for the future. Overall good job buddy!!!!!

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  32. This is something that had to be said. The fact that you owned up to neglecting your roots speaks volumes for the type of person you are. We should all see the positive effect that treasuring our culture and all that comes with it can bring. I truly enjoyed your piece and can see that you want to be the best person you can be. :) Good luck.

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  33. I find it interesting that the name of your piece that is about growing and evolving shares the name of the section in the Bible in which humans did the same thing. A good piece about maturing and growing. It also conjures feelings of nostalgia of when we were that age. Well done, indeed.

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  34. This is all too real. Although I was born in the U.S. I can relate to this, I hated how when I was younger I tried to suppress my culture and everything related to that. I think the reason for that is how my elementary school made it look like it was wrong to be different, they tried to whitewash things in both a literal and metaphorical way in order to make you feel ashamed of not being like them. I think it's great how you were able to find a balance and accept both parts of your identity. -Taha Uddin

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  35. This speaks sooo many volumes and i commend you for admitting to the fact that you have once denied your roots and yet today you live proudly as the person you have become. This self expression you establish through your piece was very inspirational and interesting thank you.

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