I have always believed that culture is learned. We are not born with it like brown, blue, or green eyes. We absorb it from our family, friends, and society at large.
Culture is not static, it changes. It morphs. It adapts. We create it. We adopt it.
Culture is a beautiful thing that we can embrace and celebrate.
Culture or the acknowledgement of culture has always been big in my life. Perhaps because I am an American born Latina raised by a single Mexican mother, I became aware at an early age that the culture infusing my home was not the same as what most Americans experience.
As an adult I celebrate and pass on culture to my daughters a mi manera and even traditions that I didn’t grow up with I now claim. In other words, I retro-culturate*
¿Por qué no? Why not?
I’ve always veered toward retro anyway.
I am so excited to begin celebrating Día de los Muertos with my family and making it our own.
What’s up papel picado? Imma cut you up!
And calacas muy catrinas here I come!
Chocolate Abuelita calientito, do you remember me because I could never forget you?
I spent an amazing day listening to fellow citizen journalists* (blogueras) talk about what culture means to them and how they manifest cultura in their lives. Their stories touched and inspired me to the point of tears.
There have been many times in my life where I have felt between cultures: neither here nor there. Not Mexican enough, not American enough.
Today, I know that I am most certainly enough!
How do you celebrate culture/cultura? What does culture mean to you?
Disclosure: I was the guest of Nestlé, makers of Chocolate Abuelita and Nescafé Café de Olla, on 10/2/2012 for an exclusive Día de los Muertos Experience. I received a gift bag and was compensated for my time. All statements and opinions are my own.
*Citizen journalists (referring to bloggers) and retro-culturate are both terms that I heard at the event for the first time ever. I love them and will be using them from now on.
So true. I’ve felt like an “in-between” forever. Great article.
Ohhh. I used to buy Abuelita for my step-children. They went to a Spanish Immersion school and we had TA’s from all over the Spanish Speaking World. It was wonderful.
I’m telling you, a cup of Abuelita brings back all kinds of sensory memories.
Muertos is definitely one of my favorite holidays. And there is so much I could say about what culture means to me but I think you already understand (and already said a lot of it too). For a long time I struggled with living in two cultures and my identity (ni de aqui ni de alla) and now I can see what a blessing it has been and will be for my son.
Hey Claudya! “Retro-culturate”? Cool. Reminds me of an old Dilbert cartton – “I read your marketing report, and circled all the words you’ll find in no dictionary.” What a rich and wonderful (“rinderful”) language we have. Indigo x
I don’t feel I have any culture as such. I’m a KIWI… whatever that means.
If you were to come live here, you would become aware of all the cultural things you take for granted because things would be different.
Culture! Thanx for posting one of my fav subjects Mami -♥
My pleasure. Hope you are well.
My ancestors have been in America for generations and in fact some of them are Native Americans. But I am inexplicably drawn to the whole Dia de los Muertos celebration. The skulls are just beautiful!
looks like the trip and event went well. “retro-cultrate” – interesting term. I do believe one’s ethic culture appeals more to your generation than it did to my mother’s generation. She was an immigrant from Slovenia. This change of view is good.
The only way we have celebrated our culture is in our foods yet that has mostly passed on with the older generations who did all that cooking. I only make on traditional bread at Christmas. I realize that this is kind of sad but we just fit in with all the others even though I am 100% Bohemian. I hardly new other cultures growing up. Now being in Southern California for 24 years our children grew up with other cultures all around them.
Good morning, Mami.
You are so right about the importance of culture. I guess like many of us, I didn’t appreciate the culture of my country until I had children – then it suddenly became sooo important.
I realised I’d taken what was round me for granted. Not seen it or heard it, I suppose. So I was determined to ensure my sons were immersed in their birth culture from day one…. ok , day 14 when I could walk again!
They would live it; breathe it; savour each experience; be the bastions of the beauty about them.
The outcome of the last 25 years of educating my offspring?
They have no concept or appreciation of what they have around them. They take it all for granted…
But then, they haven’t got kids either!
L x
I’ve done it again! I’m trying to make my fizzogg fit in the little box like everyone else. How do I do that?
Go to disqus.com and fill out a profile. You can add a picture there and link your url, that way whenever you go to leave a comment any place that uses Disqus your profile pic will automatically appear and your comment will link to your url.
Oh! Thanks for that. Sorry for the delay in acknowledging your reply Mami, I’ve only just found it!
LAK
Lx