I do not know much about this culture and what their customs are but I did some research to see if there was any common links between the culture of Lithuania and me and I could not find any common links. I do not listen to remotely the similar music or eat any of the same foods as they do. I enjoy their art though, I looked at some Lithuanian art and was very intrigued. I know many people from Russia were Jewish, so this fact someone has an influence on me although I am not sure if religion has much do with ethnicity but if it does than this is one thing that links us. I am half jewish, we do not do a whole lot with the religion unless my grandma is around but we do celebrate Hanukkah for a time to bring our family together. It is a really great time and I love that I have the opportunity to take part in it every year, as well as Christmas.
I think the variables that had a significant impact on the way I behave is my parents. I would hate to admit back when I lived with my parents but now that I have been away from home for a few years I have realized that I see so much of them in me as a person. The way that my parents raised me along with some bumps in the road I have over come have made me who I am today. They have always emphasized what good grades can do for me, so I have always done well in school, they also taught me how to be honest, being honest to them was the most important thing, no matter what I did wrong they would always appreciate my honesty and I would get in far less trouble then if I made up some long and elaborate white lie. They also taught me forgiveness, I am such a forgiving person I am never one to hold grudges against any one, I think this is because my parents were always so forgiving towards me. I was a trouble maker as a child and throughout high school no matter how much I disappointed them they were always still there for me. They also taught me how to love. I feel that I am such a big hearted person with so much love to give and I think that I owe it all to the way my parents raised me.
I do not think that people are aware of my ethnicity at all because I wasn't even aware of it until a couple days ago. I think that my religion is more something that people communicate different towards me once I reveal that I am half Jewish. I got made fun of for being jewish in junior high so I always hid it from people. Once I stopped caring I was proud of it and would tell people all the time that I am jewish, some of the Jewish jokes would stop and if someone said a jewish joke they would look at me weird and say sorry even though I could care less.
I would like to learn more about my ethnicity now that I have been reading some of your posts. I think I will be making a long distance call soon to chat with the grandparents:)
Question: Have you ever felt any sort of discrimination based on your ethnicity?
I can't particularily say that I have felt any sort of discrimination based on being German, Swedish, or Danish because like we've all kind of discussed, you can't hardly tell what ethnicities we each are unless we have a conversation about them. Blue eyes and Blonde hair sticks out the most for being German, and I have neither even though I'm mostly German! I think we all just kind of see each other as American or Caucasian so there doesn't seem much to discriminate about, but that's just how I personally feel! And by the way I love how your dad responded to the question, very catchy Haha
ReplyDeleteI’m glad this activity inspired you to do a little research into your ethnic background, even if you didn’t see many connections to yourself. I had the same experience. As far as your question, I personally have never experienced discrimination based on my German and Irish ethnicity. However, if I lived in a place where Caucasians are minorities I might have experienced discrimination.
ReplyDeleteI have never felt discrimination with regard to my ethnicity. With that said, if I were to travel to a place that speaks a different language, or a place that holds very specific religous or political beliefs, then I think I would feel uncomfortable in some way or another.
ReplyDeleteEven so, before I transferred to River Falls attended the U of M in Minneapolis. I have noticed from my time now here in Wisconsin that one's ethnicity plays a bigger role in Minneapolis than it does here in Wisconsin. The campuses, I don't think, are any different, but while I was riding city busses every day I noticed that sometimes discrimination, especially nonverbal discrimination, was shown to some individuals.
I do not think that I can say that I have ever felt any discrimmination against my ethnicity. I feel that being such a "mut" (a mixture of so many backgrounds) that many people are probably as well a mixture and so it is hard to discrimminate against so many ethnic backgrounds.
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