Preview

Identity Essay: How Does One Define Their Identity

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1071 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Identity Essay: How Does One Define Their Identity
Identity Essay How does one define their identity? What are the most important things in life to you? Many can not answer this question. It’s a problem many people face and try to find a solution to. Everyone is born into different cultures, families and even communities but how we define our identity is from our personal attributes, our skills and abilities that we possess and even our interests and hobbies. If there’s something about you that you believe defines you in a big way, this could be considered your identity. Our identities are a complex interworking of genetics, our cultural and familial upbringing, spirituality, social circles, personal choice and taste, our community, as well as many other traits. I have an identity that specifically pertains to me. It’s been forming ever since the day I’ve been …show more content…
Foods like rice, wonton, chow mein and dumplings are the more common type that people know. In my family rice is a daily thing that we eat everything and has always been a part of our culture. The language that we speak is the biggest thing that has impacted my life. Whenever I’m outside of home I will speak english but when I’m at home I tend to speak the language that I find more comfortable for me and that is Cantonese. Traditions that I celebrate is Chinese New Year which usually happens once a year and during that time families get together and spend time with one another while receiving red envelopes which contain money inside. Other families celebrate Chinese New Year a different way than my family does. My family usually meet up with our cousins at a lavish restaurant and we pass out red envelopes and bond with family members and then having a huge feast with everyone. Every once a week I go to Oakland Chinatown to hangout around there and because I feel more comfortable knowing that I am with my own people there, the food is there and how everyone is similar to one another and how we all speak the same

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Personal Identity Essay

    • 792 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Identity is something human beings hold dear. Humans are very complex beings and it is difficult to pinpoint exactly what makes up who a person is or can be. Now, the most common generalizations as to what makes up an identity are: personality, likes, dislikes, experience(s), religion, soul, memories and beliefs. A physical form isn’t mentioned; because the body is a temporary thing. A body doesn’t necessarily mean that it is part of the identity since; what will last forever in not the body but the impact left by personality or ideas, for they are everlasting.…

    • 792 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    My Own Identity Essay

    • 870 Words
    • 4 Pages

    One’s own identity is derived not by circumstances, but rather by his or her experiences, moral values, as well as motivation. Especially in today’s media, people love to read or watch about impossible stories of rags-to-riches, and they try to incorporate those stories’ motivational plots into their quest to become successful. I concur with Thomas Merton in that I believe “identity is much more than the name or features one is born with. True identity is something people must create for themselves.” One’s origin does not fully account for one’s identity, but it is shaped rather by actions and perception of self. Ideals from “People Inside Me”, “Cut”, and “Commencement Speech at Mount Holyoke College” all influence my point of view regarding…

    • 870 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Louie Zamperini, an Olympic runner and WWII hero, was quoted as saying, “However dark the night, however dim our hopes, the light will always follow the darkness,” (Louie Zamperini). In the novel Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand, is the story of Zamperini’s life from his undisciplined childhood to his passionate running to fighting for his life in WWII and coming home a new man. Louie finds his identity as a young adult which allows him to seek resilience with any obstacle he faces.…

    • 934 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Everyone has an Identity, including a dog who has a home or a stray cat who has a history in the neighborhood. Identity is something that represents you and your life and how people will look at you and know you. Identity is something you create while you grow up throughout your life. You can create one and change it however you like. In three essays of the name of No Name Woman by Maxine Hong Kingston, I just wanna be Average by Mike Rose and Salvation by Langston Hughes. In these essays they all found an Identity by going their own routes they think is best for them and while following that route they create their own Identity.…

    • 1353 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Identity, according to Santrock (2012), is “Who a person is, representing a synthesis and integration of self-understanding” (p. 140). One of the theorists in this area was Erik Erikson. Erikson believed the two parts to identity is “personality and role expermentation” (Santrock, 2012, p. 141). Santrock (2012) believed identity had several parts, including the following: work path, political views, marital status, motivation, personality, body image, and religious beliefs (p. 141). Basically, life itself, shapes our identity. That includes society, as well as ones parents.…

    • 456 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Identity is who a person is. Identity is a complexly layered subject that allows people to either distinguish one from others, or generally organize a group of people who have similarities. Identity is made up of a lot of factors, but the most influential factor has to be gender.…

    • 548 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The identity plays a key role in our lives, it represents how we humans think of ourselves. Identity is a person's conception and expression of their own and others' individuality or group affiliations such as cultural Identity. Identity of a person is the characteristics that distinguish that person from others. To put it simply, is meant to find out who you are.…

    • 459 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    There is an unfortunate reality in that there are millions of people around the world who are willing to do almost anything, even lose themselves, just so they can be accepted and become part of the crowd. To keep things in perspective, wanting to be accepted, wanting to fit in is not exactly a bad thing. In fact, it’s basic human nature for survival and social growth, and it starts at a very young age. During our developmental years, we feel the need to be accepted or be worthy of acceptance. This can’t be met when you are isolated, other people have to be involved if these needs are to be met.…

    • 485 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Identity itself is asking yourself a question “ Who am I?” it might appear to be about personality, and the person you are but that’s only part of it. Although some individuals don't have other abilities, as being bilingual. There’s a lot of ways a person could find out who they are and their identity. It could be shown in your language, nationality, culture, and accent.…

    • 973 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Identity can mean many things. The definition can be as simple as someone’s fingerprint or name. It can be defined as someone's actions and how they affect other people’s lives. It can even be someone’s interests or their career. The question, who am I, can have multiple answers. So, who am I? For a girl that is more concerned about who she wants to be rather than who she is currently that’s a hard question to answer. Identity to her means more than just a fingerprint. Her identity is her persona. She wants to be outgoing. She wants to be the girl that is less concerned about what the world thinks of her. She wants to be the girl that chases after what she wants and gets it. She wants to be more than what society views her to be.…

    • 516 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Identity is who a person is. It determines how you act and how people think of you. For example, a person whose identity is bad is often bound for trouble and for others to look down on them, whereas a person with a good identity is often bound for success and treated well by others. A person’s identity can be affected by many things: where he/she was born, the person’s parents, friends and other things. Through my life experiences I have become creative, spirited, and inquisitive.…

    • 568 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The discovery of self identity is more often than not a long and painful process that never really ends, it only progresses, but it resides as a testimony to personal growth that everyone must endure. When my sister died in my freshman year of high school I was forced to confront my own individuality and identity without an older sister by my side to guide me as I was used to.. For the first time since I was born I lived in a house as if I were an only child, just my parents and I. It really is a strange thing, having someone there one moment to discuss the prospects of heaven, hell, books, Narnia, and the current crush, then suddenly be left to find your own answers. I was left crushed and heartbroken, and felt part of me had died, too, but perhaps that feeling of nothingness paved the way for me to find out who I truly am, a journey everyone has to undergo at some point.…

    • 645 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    There are many aspects to my identity that have to be analyzed and described in order to classify who I am and what I stand for. My social upbringings, values, cultural practices, and worldviews all have had large impacts on me and how I classify myself religiously, racially, ethnically, gender based, and social groups I surround myself with. Throughout time, my identity has evolved and expanded for the better. I am becoming a better man everyday. Factors like family, school, and my everyday small choices determine how my identity has developed and continues to develop now. The more I become aware of the truths and realities around me the more I become a more determined and stronger individual. However, with these truths and realities, I realize the challenges like stereotypes, prejudices, discrimination, and racism that continue to play a role in our intercultural communication contexts. Based on my experiences and reflections at the end of my day I have realized there are many ways to cultivate cultural sensitivity, empathy, understanding and competency within my everyday interactions. This essay will attempt to capture my identity based on how I classify myself, how my identity has evolved over time, aspects that challenge my identity, and ways I can cultivate peace in my interactions and communications with different cultures everyday.…

    • 1433 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Do you choose your own identity or are outside forces getting in the way of choosing it? Identity can be a choice, if you make it one. With all the pressures making you choose a specific choice, there is still the choice you want to make. It may not seem like you are choosing your identity, but all the decisions and actions you make, is you making the choice. Although external forces influence your identity, you have the power to decide what you want to do with it.…

    • 697 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    English Identity

    • 788 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The concept of identity is influenced by people, places and events. In psychology and sociology, identity is a person's conception and expression of their individuality or group affiliations (such as national identity and cultural identity). The concept is given a great deal of attention in social psychology and is important in place identity. Some people’s identity could be formed by what they see from people, places and events although some peoples may be from one of them some are from all categories. Identity is made up of personal characteristics that shape ones personality, providing them with a unique distinction from those around them.…

    • 788 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays