Confident Writer
Introduction
An individual’s identity evolves gradually. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines identity as the distinctive quality or traits of a person (n.p.). There is an obvious notion that a person’s identity is mirrored off a person’s encounters in life. As Berger et al. point out in Jade Myths and the Formation of Chinese Identity, a person’s identity can be defined either by oneself or by other people (1). This can help us to understand the different models of identity. The distinction between Western and Eastern identities shows how the world is diversified. Identity is an interesting topic since it is affected by our culture. This essay will examine various models of my identity, how I acquired them, and some of the distinctions between my identity and those same identities in other cultures.
What are some of your different identities and how did you acquire them (racial identity, ethnicity identity, religious identity, gender identity, nationality, personal identity, cyber identity)?
I acquired my male Chinese gender identity through birth. I can describe my personal identity as responsible and kind. I am also optimistic and social. An ethnicity is a group of people who have a similar origin (Berger et al. 1). When I was a child, I spent most of my time with my grandparents so that my parents could go to work. This a Chinese tradition where grandparents raise the grandchildren to enable the kid’s parents to go to work. Since I was a kid, most grown-ups who visited us gifted me with a red pocket and this has become my most important memory of the commemorations of the Chinese New Year. This is still the most popular traditional commemoration in Asia today and it is usually a public holiday. My online personality is not distinct from real life. Rather, my online personality is an integral part of real life. I do not have a religion, but this is not surprising since China leads the world in having a population without a religion.
What are some differences between your identities and those same identities in another culture, such as Japan, Mexico, Turkey, and so on?
Since Japan is an island off China’s coast, the former’s identity was greatly influenced by Chinese Culture. Additionally, China’s position as one of the earliest civilizations in East Asia meant that some of its neighbors improved or emulated its identity and culture. Whereas most Chinese are atheists, most Mexicans are predominantly Taoist, Buddhist, Catholic, or belong to other religions. Most Turks are Suni Muslims whereas most Chinese don’t have a religion. There are also differences between the Chinese and Vietnamese identities. Even both of these countries are extremely Collectivist because of Confucianism, which stresses on social harmony and teamwork, China is more inclined to Individualism. Whereas the Vietnamese give attention to the whole society (Collectivism), the Northern Chinese mostly do what is good for their families (Individualism). The Southern Chinese are collectivist similar to the Vietnamese (Tran 4).
Conclusion
This essay examined various models of my identity, how I acquired them, and some of the distinctions between my identity and those same identities in other cultures. Some of these identities are defined by ourselves or by other individuals. Some people who share a similar ethnic identity with me have also adopted identities of the nations where they relocated to. We should all be proud of our nationality, racial, and ethnic identity since they remind us of our origin.
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