Globalization has sharply exacerbated the problem of identity and culture, which today is considered by scholars of various specialties: political scientists, sociologists, philosophers, and psychologists. It is a reflection on identity that gave rise to the concepts of ethnicity, race, and nationality, which are increasingly becoming part of public discourse. These categories are operated to examine one’s behavior, perceptions of the world, political views, and even the essence of the individual. However, even strict criteria for selecting literature can hardly guarantee the comprehensiveness, completeness of coverage, and impeccable objectivity of consideration of such controversial topics. At the same time, the honest narratives of different cultural representatives and their experiences in society can reveal the nature of identity and the role of race in contemporary society.
Identity is a multi-component concept that encompasses both ethnic and cultural elements. It is important to highlight that identity implies an individual’s and the community’s awareness of its real place in the natural and social world and the drawing of a boundary between one’s own and the other’s. Hispanic locals note that cultural and psychological moments are the most crucial in identity formation because identity is a discourse of one’s legitimization in the space of the symbolic universe of culture (PBS, 2016). The actualization of identities that absolutize anthropological differences between people is primarily due to expansionism and colonialism.
However, another phenomenon affecting the culture and identity of residents is gentrification. Although urban renewal is a good intention, attracting wealthy citizens destroys the whole city’s culture and identity (PBS, 2014). The idea of civilization and industrialization likewise gave rise to the race topic. While it was initially thought that civilization was available to all humans, the viewpoint was later questioned. Even Britain, where racial discrimination did not seem to exist, was a state with prejudice, as evidenced by the Notting Hill riots of 1958 (Starr, 2015). Thus, racial markers become the basic ones in constructing the own-others relations. Even transracial people suffer from prejudice, as their experience shows that parents prepare their children from preadolescence for a brutal reality without justifiable reason (NPR, 2014). The problem of poor treatment of people of color is still relevant nowadays. However, as research shows, to combat the discrimination crisis, white people should be involved as the best partners in moving toward a more equitable society (Vega, 2016). Moreover, a dual identity is an equally important concept with unique characteristics.
Despite the non-obviousness, the representatives of multiple identities often exhibit less ethnocentrism. As the experiences of such individuals show, they are proud of their history and want to continue the traditions of both ways of life (Gallegos, 2013). Moreover, dual identities often positively impact an individual’s well-being and success in life. As an example of American Italians, particularly Mario Cuomo, not everyone knows that one of the most realistic candidates for president of the United States from the Democratic Party spent most of his life in Italian society, comprehending its culture (PBS, 2015). It indicates that the overlap of different cultures is not a concern; on the contrary, representatives of dual identities are well-rounded and successful. Culture undoubtedly affects each individual’s life, but the principal thing is a person’s essence, soul, and intentions (PBS, 2017). Everyone has the right to choose their life path and follow their traditions, but identity in all its manifestations cannot be the cause of discrimination.
Thus, identity implies concepts such as uniqueness, similarity, and likeness. Nowadays, there continues to be a crisis of cultural and racial identities. It has turned out to be associated with the destruction of numerous familiar norms, the ephemerality of social processes, the difficulty of integrating past and future, and different communication flows. There are multiple cases of non-acceptance of identity, which has become the cause of racial discrimination. However, the modern world is gradually moving toward multiculturalism, and more individuals are presenting dual identities, increasing their chances of success.
References
Gallegos, R. (2013). Mexican American cultural identity. [Video]. YouTube. Web.
PBS. (2014-present). Gentrification along racial fault lines and cultural shifts [Video podcast]. PBS. Web.
PBS. (2015-present). Breaking through [Video podcast]. PBS. Web.
PBS. (2016-present). Cultural identity [Video podcast]. PBS. Web.
PBS. (2017). A place in the middle [Video]. PBS.
NPR Staff (2014-present). Growing up ‘white,’ transracial adoptee learned to be black [Audio Podcast]. NPR.
Starr, H. (2015). Black Britain: Rise of racism in the United Kingdom. [Video]. YouTube. Web.
Vega, T. (2016). What white people have to say about being white [Video]. CNN Business