Every student at San Luis Obispo High School has a nationality that is worth showing off. It determines the type of environment they grow up in, the traditions they adopt, and the beliefs they embrace.

  “A person’s understanding of their own cultural identity develops from birth and is shaped by the values and attitudes at home and their surroundings. Cultural identity, in its essence, relates to our need to belong,” said World Youth Alliance, an organization dedicated to protecting the dignity of people.

   “I think all aspects of a person’s life tend to have some sort of effect on them. It’s difficult to say exactly what traits those experiences either bring out or suppress. You could easily imagine a person’s country of origin to have an impact as well as the language spoken at home, economic status or simply birth order among siblings,” said Social Sciences teacher Seamus Perry.

  The way a student grows and develops depends heavily on their cultural background. Someone with many different cultural backgrounds may grow to become more open to the traditions of others, due to their exposure to many ideas and traditions. Someone who grew up surrounded by fewer cultures can become immersed and heavily influenced by their ideals and ways of life.

   “I think kids with many origins often have a more global viewpoint than those with one origin. However, those with one origin can feel rooted in a place or community in a way that those with many origins sometimes don’t,” said Perry.

   “Being Irish has definitely been a big part of my life. It’s kind of how I describe myself. I’m interested in their food and all of the activities that they do. That’s why I took up Irish dance and every Saint Patrick’s Day is a really big deal for me,” said freshman Marina Warren.

   In today’s day and age, there are fewer people who identify with one main origin. As generations grow and change, people stray away from their original culture.

   “I think it’s pretty rare to find people with a small amount nationalities. Most people are a weird mix, especially Europeans. It’s not like someone can ‘just be from Europe’, most of them come from multiple countries that are buried away in their past generations,” said freshman Kiki Murakami.

   As new generations and traditions arise, it’s important to keep in mind the roots of our past and appreciate the developmental impact they have had on us since birth, and the important mark they leave in history.

Source: World Youth Alliance