People and their Multicultural Identities

Multiculturalism

The following sample essay on: ” Multiculturalism”. People are a product of multiple cultures. People of different culture living in the same society have influenced each other in many ways.

Multiculturalism is brought by the existence of multiple cultures in a society. Every culture has different practices, but it is possible to have common practices in different cultures. Multiple cultures are brought by immigration of people. The different cultures are expected to coexist in the same society and live harmoniously. Multiple cultures have both positive and negative effects on the people.

It has brought the introduction of homogeneity, where groups of people adopt practices from different cultures. They do not identify themselves with any culture since they have borrowed from many cultures.

According to my observation, it is agreeable to say that people are a product of multiple cultures. People of different culture living in the same society have influenced each other in many ways. Global changes have also contributed to changes in cultural practices.

The new technologies, as well as policies in different countries, have enabled people’s exposure to different cultures. For example, trade policies enable people from different cultures to interact and exchange knowledge. Traveling makes people visit new places where they learn different cultural practices.

I feel I am a product of multiple cultures in different ways. In my learning institution, there are many students from different cultures. They have taught me many things in various aspects. My friends come are from diverse cultures and they have introduced me to many practices in their cultures.

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It is a brilliant idea to borrow from other cultures because their practices may be a solution to some of my problems. For instance, I have a friend whose culture believes in consuming vegetables. My friend has a lot of knowledge on various types of vegetables, and he assisted me to choose the most nutritious ones.

Another friend comes from France and is proficient in French language. He assists me to learn French and soon I will be multilingual. We form study groups and assist each other with course work. I have learnt many effective study habits form my friends. It has even been reflected in my school results. I have improved in the way I understand concepts in class. For example, I learnt that it is essential to ask questions after the teacher is through with the lecture. It does not only help me but also other students to learn more.

Being an Arab, I have always believed my religion is the only right one. After interacting with other people from different cultures, I have learnt to accept and respect other religions. I was made to understand that people have the freedom to join any religion. It is unethical to criticize other religious and assume mine is superior. Multiple cultures have influenced me to respect other cultures and practices. I have also noticed some foreign students have converted to different religions because of multiple culture influence. Other people have persuaded them to join those religions, and they have accepted.

Multiple cultures enhance cohesion in the community. I have learnt to live with other ethnic groups in harmony. Initially, I had negative perception about some cultural groups. After living in a community with diverse people, I have changed my attitude and towards people. Mainly, I had a problem with other races. Dubai has many immigrants from African, Asian, South American and other countries. I feared they would control the country and overthrow the government. Today, I have come to realize that they are beneficial to the state in many ways. I appreciate their contribution in all the aspects they have helped improve.

I have an interest in traveling, and I have visited many places outside Dubai. For instance, I have visited United States of America with my family. During the visit, we stayed with American families who shared many ideas about their cultures. My mother learnt how to cook different meals. I ate new snacks like burgers and pizza. These foods do not belong in cultural Arabian foods. They were introduced by the western culture in Dubai. Today, my mother prepares some of the foods she learnt, and they have become part of my family’s culture.

The internet has significantly changed people’s ways of life and beliefs. This is mainly observed in young people because they have fully embraced the new technology. The internet contains all sorts of information about different topics. Social networks are being used as a medium of interacting, and this is an opportunity for people to exchange cultural practices. I belong to several social sites, and I have made friends with people from all over the world. By chatting and other forms of communication, we have learnt ideas from each other.

Computer technology has changed by culture of learning and doing research. Initially, I only used physical libraries and books used in class. It was difficult to carry out research because I had to consume a lot of time looking for relevant books. Today, I just use my laptop to search any topic from the internet. It has a broad database of rich information in almost all the topics. I can also access electronic books and save time looking for them physically. The lecturers have an easy time marking essays because there is software to assist them.

Apart from positive influence, there has been negative influence. The greatest negative influence is from the media. Many movies have several negative themes. According to Arab religion, people are expected to remain chaste until they are married. Contemporary movies are encouraging young people against these values. I am among some of the students who have acquired a more liberal perception to life. This is a choice that I have to make on my own.

Some people from foreign countries came to introduce unacceptable practices in the community. For instance, in Jamaica there is the culture of consuming Cannabis sativa. Immigrants from that country have introduced it to others. There are other hard drugs, which have been introduced into the country because of having multiple cultures. People have made it a business to sell these illegal drugs, and they are making money. The government has a hard time trying to fight these illegal practices. Another notable change is the music I like. Western music has taken over local music and people seem to enjoy it more than local music. I like listening to hip-hop, jazz and classical music among other categories. I only listen to local music occasionally. With all the changes that have happened, I feel I am a product of multiple cultures.