My Family Culture

Three items I'd take with me:

1. Family portrait (mom, siblings, stepfather)
2. Dream Catcher (my oldest sister's favorite thing)
3. My laptop (because it has many photos of my loved ones)


How Would You Explain To Others What These Items Meant To You..

I would simply make sure that the people of the host country understand that I value these things dearly because of love for my family, togetherness, as well as how important family is to me. My family and I owns and run 2 businesses, because of this we have created a very tight personal and business bond that has brought us extremely close over the years. We love each other dearly, our level of trust has grown over the years and I am so happy that the universe has allowed us to able to live comfortably and fortunately. I would simply explain that the photos are dear to me because it shows our togetherness and connectedness, and the dream catcher is dear to me because the bond that my older sister and I have created is inseparable. Not only is she my sister, she is my mento, business partner and best friend. She gives the best advice and is loving, caring and selfless. We actually both have dream catchers tattooed on our bodies.


Your feelings if, upon arrival, you were told that you could only keep one personal item and have to give up the other two items you brought with you...

Of course, I'd be extremely sad upon arrival if I learned that I could only keep one personal item and give up the others. However, i'd opt to keep my laptops which has many pictures and memories of my beautiful family stored and saved that I can also go back to access and look at when I'm thinking of and missing my loved ones. Fortunately, my computer is filled with many precious, adventurous and loving memories. 


Any insights you gained about yourself, your family culture, diversity, and/or cultural differences in general, as a result of this exercise...

I have learned the importance of being open to diversity. Being displaced and relocated to a foreign country is very possible, and realistic. Many immigrants come to the U.S. as a means for a better life and are forced to assimilate to the American dominant culture. As EC professionals, it is important that we understand the importance of accepting diversity and being open to connect and bond with children and their families in children to maintain their values, traditions and culture and have a strong sense of self. It IS IMPORTANT to preserve language and customs in a society where the dominant culture has power because it allows children to feel whole, as well as confident. There are ways to learn about what families want for their children the more you get to know families and develop more of a respect for diversity. BE OPEN TO THE FACT THAT PEOPLE ARE DIFFERENT AND WILL HAVE A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE!