Guys, sorry!!! My family of origin presentation in combination with my under the same moon paper has been taking up all of my time yesterday, last night, and this morning. I didn't have a chance to finish the summary.


Acculturation Vs. Cultural Identity

In this article, J.R.P.C spends some time discussing “acculturation”/ “becoming more American” and the expectation that some well-meaning people put onto immigrants/minorities…under the assumption that it would be “better” or easier for them.

The purpose of the chapter: to revise and challenge the concept of acculturation and introduce the concept of cultural identity formation.

This is done through the authors presenting their personal and professional backgrounds and the ideas the conceptual ideas that led them to the creation of Transgenerational Cultural Identity Formation.

Three Different Cultural Backgrounds.

J. Ruben Parra Cardona

-came to the U.S. as a high school exchange student when he was 18.

-He expected to be something new and cool (like how Americans are seen in Mexico) but he felt like a ghost.

-He experiences overt bullying, racism, and loneliness. He felt like others were angry at him which started his process of self-hatred.

-Comparison to Americans started to take place, hated his ethnic identity, and started idealizing Americans.  

-After high school he went back to Mexico for his undergrad but then decided to return to America for graduate school in MFT. He had the experience of working with Kenneth Hardy which introduced dynamics of oppression and concepts of white privilege. This caused him to become more aware and take notice of discrimination and be able to link it back to his skin color.

-Gradually, he become more in touch with his “brownness” and the many ways that immigrants feel pressure to acculturate and blend in.

Richard S. Wampler

-Of Swiss-German decent that came to America several generations back.

-Grew up being almost unaware of cultural/ethnic diversity as his elementary school was all white