Culture: Nature vs. Nurture

Culture. Is it something you're born with, or is it something you're born into? I was born and raised in the U.S. I learned and speak fluent English, I went through public schooling, I eat American food, I have a diverse group of friends, I go to church, and I watch American TV shows. On the other hand, I'm 100% Chinese by blood. I grew up in a Chinese household, I celebrate all of the major holidays, I speak Mandarin, I eat Chinese food, I have a Chinese name, and my entire extended family lives in China. So does that make me American or Chinese? Can a person identify with multiple cultures? How does that affect their lifestyle? What if a group of people struggle to define their culture? How does that impact them?

Wangari Maathai has a chapter in her book The Challenge for Africa entitled "Culture: The Missing Link?" in which she discusses the importance of having a culture and the detrimental effects of not having one. She describes culture as the the thing that gives people self-identity and character. She states that without culture, a community loses self-awareness and grows weak and vulnerable. Wangari believes that Africans are losing their cultures, destroyed and overpowered by other more constructed ones. Many African cultures have been molded and shaped by foreign cultures. Wangari uses the example of her Christian name that was given to her after she was baptized. She lost her traditional name "Wangari" and adopted the biblical, European name "Miriam." To her this was a sign of a foreign culture overshadowing her native one. Through self-reflection and her own motivation and dedication, Wangari was able to learn and discover her true identity and decided for herself that she wanted to embrace her African descent. Wangari notes that many Africans struggle with culture identification, and as a result, the entire communities in which these people live are vulnerable and experiencing this sense of loss and confusion. They are more susceptible to foreigners who try to force their culture upon them. They struggle to think for themselves. Their culture is being uprooted from beneath them. Even the people with the most power and wealth find themselves unable to protect their land, people, and ways of living. They fall into the danger zone of being culturally dominated by others. In the case that Wangari brings up, culture has become more nurture than nature. Africans have become more adept to adopting cultures that surround them rather than looking inward and appreciating and developing their own traditional, native one.

For me, I identify as having both American and Chinese cultures. I do not believe that culture is solely nature, nor is it all defined by nurture. Having two cultures is advantageous in my opinion because I have the opportunity to look at situations from two perspectives. Just because I identify as both American and Chinese does not mean I have an identity crisis. I know that my sense of culture will continue to change as I grow older, but for at this moment, I am just appreciative of the ones I have.