One of the cultural characters that are privileged is for the westerners having permission to visit prestigious places like national parks, game reserves, and hotels without any restrictions. A cultural identity that is oppressed is for the whites not permitted to gather and inform people about something without the notice of the authorities (Keuss, 2010). Westerners are privileged in Africa because they can visit some places like parks easily unlike the Africans who must have an apparent reason to do the same. When a white person collects people to address them casually, it is seen that there is a hidden agenda so they must acquire permission from authorities to do so, but the blacks can do it without any problem.

I see myself as coming from a more individualistic family whereby society gives one room to exercise rights without being perceived negatively. There are no limits on how to do things so long as you satisfy your self. My individualistic family upbringing is similar to the individualism associated with U.S. dominant culture in that the culture of the Americans is more individualistic than collectivist (Keuss, 2010). In the culture of the US, one is permitted to practice any culture irrespective of what the other people might see it. Unlike in for instance Uganda, where there are some practices perceived to done in a certain way, the US culture allows people to carry out traditions in their way that seems to please an individual’s desire (Falicov, 2014). When practicing these cultures in the US nobody will perceive you to have done anything wrong or anything contrary to the perception of the nation provided that the actions do not interfere with the living of the other citizen of the land.

Cultural awareness and cultural identity should be used as a uniting factor and something to help society. My cultural knowledge and cultural identity can be used to benefit the community and not a factor to demonize other people. For instance, Dr. Kamya was a role model and a figure of unity between his country and the US. He was a professor who taught clinical practices and trauma among other units and originated from Uganda, and he never allowed culture to drag him down professionally (Falicov, 2014). He incorporated his people back from Uganda with the US, and it is evident that many students went to America to pursue shared programs between the two states. The families in the Llerena Quinn and Mirkin article also teach the importance of cultural identity in that there was a concept of people born outside the United States and those from the US interacting. The fact of serving all the people including the immigrants is witnessed. Working with an immigrant individual or family needs a lot of care and caution. It is very critical to note that people migrate to other countries because of different reasons (Falicov, 2014). For me when i am working with an immigrant family, I will try very hard to establish the cause as to why the family became an immigrant. If it comes to my knowledge that it was for instance due to war, I will try as much as possible to talk about peace. In any career that I might be pursuing, I will ensure that I give priority to the immigrants individual or family.

References

Falicov, C. J. (2014). Latino families in therapy.

Keuss, J. F. (2010). Freedom of the self: Kenosis, cultural identity, and mission at the crossroads. Eugene, or: Pickwick Publications.