In Search of Her Own Identity

In Search of Her Own Identity

Introduction

Like it or not, everyone or everything in this world falls into some category. In the scientific arena living organisms are categorized among others under species, family and genera. Domesticated animals may be categorized more specifically by breed, or in the wild as simple as predator and prey. It is no different where humans are concerned, with simple categories being male or female and adult or child. Human relations feature more complicated categories that include culture, race, ethnicity and at times religion. It is a widely held view that the different human categories have similar experiences within each one, whether that group is by culture, race or ethnicity. Another widely held perception is that people from very strong cultures tend to stay within or keep the identity of that culture. The experiences of one person and how it relates to his or her cultural identity and to intercultural communication will be evaluated. The evaluation will also seek to show that however these experiences may relate, each person will seek to establish their own footprint in this world

Cultural Resource

The subject in question is Vanuda, a 23 year-old single female of Indian heritage. Having grown up in Mumbai (India), Vanuda and her family immigrated to the United States six years ago and settled in Philadelphia, PA. Since that time, this individual has already experienced quite a bit of what the United States and American culture has to offer. She attended and graduated from the Fox School of Business of Temple University in Philadelphia with a bachelor's degree in Business Management. She was recruited right out of college by one of America's largest employers, The ABC Company, and has been in its rotational program for new college hires for the past one and a half years. Having spent the last year and five months in Southern California, Vanuda was recently assigned to the Philadelphia facility for six months. Her family is still in Philadelphia, so she considers it going home. (V. Manam, personal communication, March 24, 2006).

Cultural Background

India has the second largest population in this world and the country's diversity and complexity is immense. It has more languages, religions, political convictions, local cultures and traditions than any other country in the world. (Sen, 2001) Mumbai is considered the entertainment and commercial capital of India and awash in Western culture. The ample economic opportunities and higher standard of living in Mumbai attracts many migrants into the city, making the number and variety of communities and cultures within this city very high. (Wikipedia, 2006) Interaction among different cultures are more common in this and other major urban centers where the practice of caste system that still exists in India is more relaxed than in the rural areas. Otherwise known as a class system, this practice has been a source of conflict between the different groups within this society just as race and ethnicity has been for the United States. (Daniel, 1999-2005, Information on India - caste system)

Adjusting To a New Culture

Having been exposed to the interaction of various cultures, including the Western culture and learning English during her developing years, adjusting to life in the United States was not a total culture shock for Vanuda. (V. Manam, personal communication, March 24, 2006). Her family settled in Philadelphia, which is only about five miles from Millbourne, the only town in the United States which has an Indian population as a majority. Indians make up 63% of the total population in this small town of less than a thousand and Millbourne is a center for community and faith for many Indians. (Young, 2005, Indian Majority in Millbourne) Having this community very close buffered her adjustment into the new society since it almost felt like being in Mumbai. (V. Manam)

Barriers to Adjustment

Even if the culture shock was not there, Vanuda was still under the immense pressure of a very strong culture that featured a class system, the subjugation of women, and the loyalty to parents and family. As a Westernized adolescent, Vanuda's views, goals and dreams were not in harmony with that of her parents and culture. (V. Manam, personal communication, March 24, 2006). The role of parental authority in Indian culture is very important and almost never questioned by the children, who believe that the life experiences of their parents make them uniquely qualified to plan their future. Parents usually dictate the aspects ones education, vocation and marriage. The loyalty to the family also discourages individualism and the pressure to conform can be very heavy. (Sharma and Vaid, 2005) Vanuda's parents had desired that she pursue a career in medicine since it was a highly respected profession for Indians and would have presented multiple benefits for the family. However, Vanuda decided to pursue a career in business, though she did acquiesce to her parents wishes that she study close by so she could continue living at home. She sometimes wondered whether this was the right decision as she had to endure familial pressures while studying at Temple University. (V. Manam)

Integration into the New Culture

Vanuda considers her experience at Temple University as normal and mundane. While she was under pressure to excel in school by her parents expectations, Vanuda also ran into some of the adolescent pressures of trying to fit in socially. During her first couple of years at Temple University she mainly associated only with other Indians. She did feel some distancing or animosity from some students, but she could not say for sure if it was due to jealousy over her scholastic achievement or cultural tensions. For the males of her heritage, the barriers to cultural communication were more evident. When she started associating with others of different