- How does your outward appearance (i.e. clothing, makeup, hairstyle, accessories, etc.) reflect your cultural identity?
I dress to endure the day. Simple, functional, and often times dirty pants. I've got my jacket and backpack- I look like a college kid with no cares about image. I stand in society in a very specific place, the young generation just starting their life. We're working and trying to get through our education. I often times wear a lot of black too which indicates a job in the service industry. I guess I look like a kid just trying to get his life together.
- How do your behaviors and practices (i.e. rituals, daily activities, routines, habits, etc.) reflect your cultural identity?
As far as rituals go, I'm not sure if I have any, or that I don't have as many as I used to. The older I get the more I see old habits fall away. I used to play too many video games, watch too many movies, and eat too much unhealthy food. My cultural identity then was just this- a kid wasting his life away with absolutely zero future. I wasn't going to school, I didn't have a job, and I didn't go out very often. The one thing that gave my life any sense of fulfillment was becoming a filmmaker. It was the one thing I was producing with my dead beat life. I was a dreamer if anything. Not a lot of the other Asian kids were though, their lives were pretty set whether they wanted it to be or not.
- How do your beliefs and values (i.e. opinions, commitments, memberships, principles, etc.) reflect your cultural identity?
I'm a jaded, former Christian, and I couldn't tell you where I'm at right now. A pessimist, I guess. I don't commit too much thought on what I should be believing because it bothers me deeply; the implications it would have if I made a final decision on "what I was". My parents are staunch Christians, and I don't think they could handle me not being one as well. So I simply hide it. My wife is Christian, and my heart is torn to keep with the faith. In some sense I still do hold some Christian beliefs. But ever since the loss of my baby son, and the betrayal of other Christians with whom I was close with in the past has made me lose faith in the values of Christianity. I simply do not want to bother upholding these values for some God, I'll uphold the values I find to be good and true and I'll do it for people I love, people in general, and myself.
- How do your dietary and domestic practices (i.e. hygienic routines, meals and mealtimes, food choices, daily chores) reflect your cultural identity?
My wife and I are Ovo-lacto Vegetarians. We consume animal products but not the animals themselves. We also avoid produce that are known to come from an unethical source. Even though often times it should be too expensive for us, we buy organic, cage-free and wholesome products from farms who care for their animals. Somehow we've made it work thus far. Although I can't say I feel as strongly on these issues as my wife does, I conform to them mainly because I want to support her, and I agree with these values for the most part. Also because it's healthier.
- How does your region or location in the world reflect your cultural identity?
We live in North Hollywood, so make your guess of what a couple of college age students are trying to do so close to Los Angeles. We're just a couple of kids amongst an ocean of people who are trying to make it into the industry. This group of people are quite depressing, for often times this industry and this city will chew you up and spit you back up. Few are successful, and not enough to warrant the masses of people who flee to this town with some hope of achieving an empty dream. I've seen many people come through my store and it's always the same story. They have a hope of becoming famous and leaving some immortal mark on the world, but so often then not the industry neither cares for them or will use them and throw them away when they are no longer useful to it's needs.
- Describe a time when you were judged, excluded, or misunderstood because of one of the cultural traits noted above.
Honestly I can't think of a time I was done wrong because of anything noted above. I have faced minor discrimination for being Asian, but nothing too vile or aggressive. Sometimes people expect me to be smarter, which is never too bad, but come on I'm a barista working at Starbucks you'd think I'd be here if I was smarter? Sometimes people treat me poorly because of my job so maybe there's this attitude towards young people working this service industry job, which I'm fine with, I don't expect people to give me respect or treat me nicely all the time. Often times when I was working with older Korean guys in a sushi restaurant it was normal to be yelled at.
Works cited:
Simchock, David J. Crowd. N.d. Warren Haynes Christmas Jam 26. David Simchock Photography. Web. 22 Jan. 2017. <http://davidsimchock.com/portfolio/music/crowd-shots/>.
Simchock, David J. Crowd. N.d. Warren Haynes Christmas Jam 26. David Simchock Photography. Web. 22 Jan. 2017. <http://davidsimchock.com/portfolio/music/crowd-shots/>.