cultural identity & self expression

Jacqueline Larsen & Ella Krane

When thinking about the topics of cultural identity and cultural heritage, we normally think of the origins of our family, as well as the key factors that make us, us. The formal definition of cultural identity is “a part of a person’s identity, or their self-conception and selfperception, and is related to nationality, ethnicity, religion, social class, generation, locality or any kind of social group that has its own distinct culture.” It stems from our ethnicity and nationality but relates to how we present ourselves to our peers or our community.

Self expression is defined as “the expression of one’s feelings, thoughts, or ideas, especially in writing, art, music, or dance.” At Menlo School, many people’s cultural heritage affects the way they express themselves.

Isabella Brosious, a sophomore at Menlo School, provided a perspective on how her Hispanic cultural identity influences her self expression. Her unique outlook on Hispanic heritage is influenced by her Basque traditions and her Basque culture. When asked how she expresses herself in relation to her cultural identity, she talked about how she participates in a lot of Basque traditions. “When I was younger, every Sunday for two hours, I would learn and perform basque dancing,” Brosious said.

Brosious makes sure to stay in touch with her culture. “Even though a lot of people in my community do not speak Basque, I learned the language when I was younger to stay connected to my culture,” Brosious said.

Food is another way she expresses her culture. “My mom and I make traditional basque salad and other traditional foods,” Brosious said. When people come over to her house Brosious makes lots of Basque dishes to share.

Brosious feels comfortable expressing her cultural identity. “I cannot name a time when I was uncomfortable expressing my cultural identity.” Brosious said,“When I participate in events from my culture, I am usually around those of the same cultural background as me.” She expresses herself by cooking traditional dishes with her extended family, Basque dancing in front of large crowds at the local community center, having a traditional get-together and feast, or visiting family in one of Europe’s oldest and strongest cultures, Basque Country, in Northern Spain.

However, her cultural expression is limited by her community outside of her home. “I do not express my cultural identity at school as much as I do at home, because not many people share my culture at school,” Brosious said.

Arthi Abhyanker, a member of the junior class at Menlo, also spoke about how her heritage influences her self expression.

Abhyanker has less familial ties to her culture than Brosious. “My parents didn’t teach me much about my heritage because they both grew up in the United States and didn’t know much,” Abhyanker said.

However, Arthi joined several affinity groups at Menlo in order to learn more about her culture: “I am a part of [the South Asian Affinity Alliance] and [Asian Affinity Alliance].” Abhyanker’s religion has also affected the way she views her culture.“I converted to Christinaity and feel out of touch with my heritage,” Abhyanker said. “[But I] enjoy celebrating different cultural events that happen throughout the year with friends and family.”

Abhyanker stated she feels comfortable expressing herself culturally. “I go to church, and sometimes express myself through jewelry,” Abhyanker said. Lastly, sophomore Arrianne Avila openly expresses her culture. “I am very public about the fact that I am Latina, because I am very proud of it,” Avila said. She also talked about how her Latina culture influences her personality, because that is what she grew up with. “If I talk to my sister, I will talk to her in Spanish. I will do my hair sometimes too.”

However, she mentioned that she mostly expresses herself at home, especially during certain times of the year. “I don’t really wear clothing [that reflects my culture] unless it’s a holiday,” Avila said. Avila’s cultural identity influences who she hangs out with. “I am part of the affinity group Latinas Unidos at Menlo and I hang out with them a lot,” Avila said.

After interviewing multiple people, it is evident that cultural heritage is a very important part of a person’s life, but it doesn’t necessarily show up for them in their day to day life. Our interviewees will not go out of their way to express themselves culturally, unless they are doing it in some form of a group. Despite this, Isabella is part of Latinos Unidos and Mixed at Menlo, Arthi is part of both SAAG and AAA, and Arrianne is part of Latinos Unidos. This is where cultural heritage comes into play at school. Affinity groups at Menlo have provided students with the ability to connect deeply with their culture and with peers who share their same culture.