Cultural Identity

The question we are discussing is...How do people identify themselves with a particular culture?

Some people may have an easier time defining their cultural identity than others. Some may be Irish, Chinese, German, Mexican, and still think of themselves as Americans. Some may have a mixture of various cultures and therefore cannot identify with just one. People can identify themselves with a religious, ethnic, racial groups or a country, language, dialect, set of foods, holidays, names and more. Culture identity is sometimes passed down from generation to generation. Some say that once we have gone far away from the place our original culture was, we started adapting to another culture that opened our perceptions. We have the ability to learn a new culture and language, rules and values. Also some believe that once we have adapted to a second culture, it is easier to adapt to more.

"Even while I try to explain my cultural identity, I realize that the person who has just asked me this commonplace question is not interested in a complex answer. In a way, my cultural identity is within three nationalities and not entirely in either."

(quoted on http://www.digitrends.com/crossingcultures/page1.htm)