Running head: CULTURAL SELF-ANALYSIS 1

Cultural Self-Analysis

Courtney Hallam

Coastal Carolina University

Professor Susan Foley

EDUC 215

Section HQ3

September 8, 2019
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Autobiography

Currently, I am taking a course entitled EDUC 215: Schools and Diversity. In this course,

one of our major assignments is to complete a Cultural Self-Analysis. The purpose of this

analysis is to show me that diversity exists everywhere and that it is important to recognize all

cultures, especially in a classroom. Also, I will learn that even though all people are very

different, they still deserve the same opportunities in the classroom and life. This assignment has

been divided into three sections. In this section of the assignment, I will be writing my

autobiography.

For the Cultural Self Analysis, I reflected upon my life. I am a 19-year-old Caucasian

female. I grew up in a middle-class family in a small farming town in New Jersey. My family

consisted of my mother, my father, one older brother, my identical twin sister, one younger

brother, and my grandmother. In 2012, my parents divorced, and in 2013 my stepdad came into

the family. I was born in Long Branch, New Jersey and lived in Howell, New Jersey until I was

four. My family was set to move into a house built just for us in Jackson, New Jersey. In the

meantime, we lived with my older brother’s father in Brick, New Jersey. I, along with my sister

and younger brother, called him Uncle Bob, as we grew up around him. We lived there for six

months until my parents bought a house in New Egypt, New Jersey. I lived there for 16 years. At

the age of 18, I moved to the Carolina Forest area of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. I have now

lived there for one year.

As a Roman Catholic, I attended the Church of the Assumption in Wrightstown, New

Jersey. I went to Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) classes where I learned about my

religion using the Bible, crafts, movies, prayers, workbooks, and textbooks. I attend CCD from

kindergarten to 8th grade. I also made four of the Seven Sacraments while at CCD. After I
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completed CCD, I went to Church for Easter, Palm Sunday, and Christmas Eve. Believing in my

faith is important to my family, but attending Mass is not stressed in my household. Therefore, I

do not attend any Churches in Myrtle Beach, but I still practice everything that the Church taught

me.

My ethnicity is Italian and Polish. However, I grew up more Italian since my maternal

grandfather came to the United States through Ellis Island from Italy. He required a sponsor to

live in the country and had to learn English as his second language. I do not know him as I only

got to meet him when I was an infant. He insulted my older brother who was only eight or nine

at the time. Therefore, he was cut out of the family and I truly have no desire to meet him. My

paternal grandmother was the first generation in her family to be born in the United States, rather

than Poland. From my grandfather, my family picked up different Italian phrases and words that

we occasionally use. The only language that I am fluent in is English, but I do know some Italian

and I have a French minor at Coastal Carolina University. I am hoping to become fluent in both

English and French by the time I graduate college.

My interests and hobbies include softball, volunteer work, and activism for animals’

rights. I played softball from the ages of four to 16. I played for my town’s recreation team,

middle school team, and my high school team. I began volunteering in high school at a local

food pantry and learned a lot about the people in my town. I loved volunteering and continue to

do so today with several organizations. I am extremely passionate about animals’ rights. A farm

in my hometown in New Jersey was filthy, so I reported it to an organization dedicated to

preventing abuse and neglect to animals. They came in and ordered the owners to clean the farm.

Currently, I volunteer with the Grand Strand Humane Society in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

as a dog walker. I absolutely love it as it combines two of my interests and hobbies.

My biggest success thus far in my life is attending Coastal Carolina University. I get to

experience my biggest success every time I walk on campus and turn in my work. I am a first-

generation college student and I was always told in high school that students “like me” would not

be able to succeed in college. However, I have proved them all wrong and I have even done

better than I thought I would initially. I made it onto the Dean’s List and the President’s List, I

was invited to join the HTC Honors College, I was inducted into the Phi Eta Sigma National

Honor Society, I worked with different professors on campus for a panel on first-generation

students at Coastal Carolina University, and I became the Vice President of a student

organization dedicated to helping first-generation students on campus. I am extremely proud of

everything I have done so far and cannot wait to do even more during my collegiate career.

The biggest challenge I have faced thus far in my life would have to be the passing of my

grandmother and great-grandfather within one month of each other. I lost my grandmother on

November 21, 2016 and my great-grandfather on December 20, 2016. I was very close to both of

them and losing them was difficult for me, especially my grandmother. I used to stay at her

house on the weekends for years as a child. Then, from eighth grade until she passed, I had been

staying over every weekend because my father lived there after my parent’s divorce. In order to

avoid thinking about either one their deaths, I began focusing heavily on my schoolwork. This

allowed me to develop my present work ethic. Eventually, I was able to think about all of the

great memories I had with both of them, rather than thinking about their deaths. This challenge

enabled me to put extra effort and time into my schoolwork, which allowed me to get to the point

that I am at today.

Biography
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During this study, I interviewed someone with a different cultural background than me.

His name is Luke and he is a 21-year-old, Native Hawaiian male. I have only met Luke a few

times as he is my cousin’s friend that he met when he began his college career. He was born in

Honolulu, Hawai’i. Luke was adopted by his family as an infant from his biological parents that

lost him to Child Protective Services due to illegal drug use. His forever family is small

compared to mine as it consists of only his mother, father, himself, and one younger sister. His

sister is his biological sibling and she was adopted as an infant as well. Luke was raised as a

Baptist and he attended the Waikiki Baptist Church. Religion is extremely important to his

family, so he attends mass every Sunday, assists with Sunday school programs for younger

children, and he tries to go to every event held by the church.

Luke is Polynesian and Spanish. He follows mostly Polynesian traditions with his family

as his parents are Hawaiian and Samoan. Luke does not mind fully participating in his Spanish

culture as it reminds him of his biological family that he does not contact. Luke is fluent in

English and Samoan. However, he is learning Spanish in school and he likes the language.

His interests and hobbies include surfing, working on cars, and beach cleanups. Luke has

been surfing for as long as he can remember. His grandfather taught him how to surf when he

was a young child and he has loved it ever since. He tries to go surfing at least once every week

to help him clear his mind and de-stress. Luke learned how to wrap cars when he was sixteen

from his father. He only does it for his friends and family members. He enjoys doing it, but he

has no plans on doing that for a career. Luke likes wrapping cars because it allows him to spend

time with his father, not because he can make a large sum of money. The beach is a huge part of

Luke’s life as he has been going his entire life and he has always lived near it. Cleaning the

beaches is something that Luke is passionate about. In high school, he began volunteering with
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his school at beach cleanups in the area. With his friends help, he organizes beach cleanups for

locals to volunteer at. Honolulu’s beaches are going to be extremely clean soon with the help of

Luke.

The biggest success in Luke’s life thus far would be his acceptance into the Honolulu

Police Department. Luke patrols District 8 in Honolulu which consists of 15 cities. Luke loves

being able to protect and serve his community. He was just sworn into his department in

February 2019 and, since then, has been dispatched several times for different calls. Luke loves

the work he does with his department and his family definitely backs the blue. He has done youth

outreach programs in his community through the HPD and has shown his community that their

officers are on their side. Luke is proud to be an officer and cannot wait to spend the rest of his

life serving his community.

The biggest challenge he has faced in his life so far would be not getting to know his

biological family. He was unable to meet his biological grandparents, cousins, aunts, and uncles.

Luke loves the members of his forever family, but he has always wanted to meet his other

biological family. Being adopted at such a young age allowed him to remove himself from the

negative aspects of his family, but along with that came removing the positive people from his

life. Luke has always wondered what it would be like to meet them and increase the size of his

family even more. He hopes to reconnect with his biological aunt on the mainland someday, but

until then he is happy with the family he has gotten.

Cross-Cultural Analysis

Courtney Both Luke

19 years old Enjoy Volunteering 21 years old

Female Male
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From New Jersey Police Families (my brother From Hawaii

Moved to South Carolina is a police officer) Adopted

College Student Love the Beach Police Officer

Fluent in One Language European Ethnicities Fluent in Two Languages

Roman Catholic Faith Family Oriented Baptist Faith

Occasionally attended Church Christians Always attends Church

Identical Twin Cut Ties with Some Family Native Hawaiian

Larger Family Challenge is Based on Family Smaller Family

Caucasian

Reflection

From writing my autobiography and biography, I realized several things about myself

and how events in my life have shaped who I am now. Working on the Cultural Self-Analysis

assignment has made me more aware of what makes every individual unique. For instance, I am

“me” because of my experiences in life and my family. A big part of my identity is being an

identical twin. Without my sister, my life would be completely different. My ethnicity is the

reason I celebrate many traditions that other people do not.

My family made me who I am. Without their support, heritage, and values, I would be a

completely different person. I would not love and support my family unconditionally, I would

not be able to make all of the ethnic Italian dishes that I can, and I would not be best friends with

my siblings. Without my mother and grandmothers, I would not be able to cook and bake as

much as I do. They taught me everything I know and made me love being in the kitchen as that is

where everyone gathers to talk. Without my older brother being a police officer and my great-
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grandfather being a WWII veteran, I would not have so much respect for America’s law

enforcement officers or military. They made me realize that there are good people that serve this

country both at home and abroad. They instilled a deep sense of respect in me for people that risk

their lives to protect mine.

Adoption is a huge part of Luke’s identity, and without it, he probably would not be the

same person that he is today. His life is different from mine in that his family is not the one he

was born into. It was one created by his adoption and one that he would not trade for the world.

Since he has always lived in Hawai’i, he celebrates many Hawaiian traditions. Luke loves the

island his family lives on and has no plans of leaving. The state he lives in gave him his unique

ethnicity and makes him stand out among other Americans.

Luke’s adoptive grandfather and father shaped who he is today. If his grandfather had not

taught him all about the ocean and surfing, then he would not have two of the interests and

hobbies he has today. Without his father, Luke would not be able to wrap cars or even be slightly

interested in it. This Cultural Self-Analysis has allowed me to realize that every person has their

own unique story that only they can tell. The world is a diverse place with people from all walks

of life and the course I am currently taking, EDUC 215: Schools and Diversity, will allow me to

explore it more.