Global and Multicultural
Being an exceptional leader requires acceptance of all cultures. I grew up in small town called Thomasville, Georgia, which now has a population of 18,718. Of those 18,00 people about 45% are White, 42% African American and the remaining population identifies as Hispanic or other. My father is one who identifies as Hispanic. My grandmother was born in the Dominican Republic, and my grandfather was born in Puerto Rico. My mother and her whole side of the family are of African American descent. Growing up in this part of Georgia did not give me a glimpse of cultural diversity, and I was not aware of my own cultural diversity. My unconscious incompetence was cultivated in that environment, where I was ignorant to the fact that I was not culturally sensitive.
Culture is defined as a learned meaning system that consists of patterns of traditions, beliefs, values, norms, meanings, and symbols that are passed on from one generation to the next. Because I spent most of my time with my mother’s family growing up, I inherited most of their cultural patterns and styles. For instance, my mother’s side of the family has about 500 immediate members, and we are all very close with each other. Because my family has been deeply rooted in the church for years, we have all gone to the same church for generations. My father’s side of the family, on the other hand, is not as close as my mother’s, and I did not see them as much when I was younger. Because of this, I claim my African American side more than I claim my Hispanic side, and share more of those cultural beliefs and norms. When people see me they automatically think I am African American, which is not wrong, but I have learned that I have other identities as well. This ties back into the Iceberg Model of Communication’s surface level and intermediate level cultures, because people automatically claim me as African American without knowing me, due to what pop culture has shown them, or due to the fact that I share many values, meanings, and norms of African American culture.
One experience of my life that changed my view of culture and the view I had of myself was moving to New York City in 2004. That was a pivotal moment for me, because I was now in a big city, where cultural diversity was apparent no matter where I went. I remember asking my mom why Muslims wore a hijab, or why no one shared the same southern accent as us. It was a whole new world of exposure for both my mom and I. This helped me realize that there were other cultures and racial identities beyond what I knew growing up. As the years went on and I learned more about different cultures, I was able to interpret cultural norms and flourish within different environments. However, in high school I found myself back where I started. I went to a predominantly white, all girls Catholic high school called Holy Family Academy. I grew up in a Christian church, and learning Catholic principles was a new experience for me. This opened my eyes to a religion that was not mine, and helped me broaden my religious horizons. Fortunately, I was able to take a world religions course in high school, which allowed me to further expand my horizons and continue my cultural journey.
Now, I am a junior at Mason, and I credit my knowledge and cultural sensitivity to my up bringing and curiosity to learn more about different cultures, and why people think the way that they do. Here at Mason I have a culturally diverse group of friends who continue to teach me about their values and beliefs everyday. I have been fortunate enough to travel to Hungary with my friends who have family there, to learn about their culture and everyday practices. I myself have been exposed to other cultures, and have seen a significant change within the way that I think and within the way that I relate to others. I am continuing my experiences with a study abroad trip to Italy, where I plan to immerse myself into the culture.