Cultural Background

Personal Background
My family culture is African American. I grew up in Miami, Florida. My parents are both
from Georgia; my mom is from Perry, Georgia, and my father is from Montezuma, Georgia. I
identify as an African American, and this has been my ancestral heritage. I do not come from a
mixed race as my family is predominantly African American. I grew up in the 70s. Back then, it
was clear that we were different based on our skin color. I thus became aware of my culture and
background quite early. It was, however, not in a nice way. I realized that I was treated
differently because I was different from other people in my class and my neighborhood. We
experienced a lot of bigotry, and our parents made sure we understood exactly what was
happening.
Racism was quite common in the 70s. We have made a lot of progress as a country when
it comes to racism, and while there are still issues that need to be addressed, it is evident that
things had changed from how they were when I was a small child growing up in Miami. Studies
collaborate on my experiences with racism during the 70s. There had been a major development
among the African Americans as they fought for equal rights in America. However, between
1970 and 1990, the civil rights movement experienced a weakening and a rapid decline in its
committed membership (Mercer & Beckett, 2022). This was mainly because it had achieved
success in eliminating racism in major areas such as voting, employment, and housing. Many
African Americans had therefore taken a backseat as they tried to take advantage of the new
opportunities created by the successes of the civil rights movement.

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Another factor that led to a decline in the civil rights movement in the 70s was the death
of most people within the movement’s leadership. People like Martin Luther King and Whitney
Young died in 1968 and 1971, respectively (Mercer & Beckett, 2022). Other respected leaders
such as Roy Wilkins and Philip Randolph retired at around the same time. The leaders who took
over lacked the experience and leadership charisma, talents, and skills that their predecessors
possessed. White conservatism also grew during the same period, and this too affected the
success of the civil rights movements. Such events affected my life growing up in the 70s. I
learned that we were discriminated against, and not many of the successes achieved prior to this
period had a positive effect on my life. Understanding my cultural standing in society then
impacted my interactions a lot. I understood that I had to choose my social spaces carefully so as
not t subject myself to discrimination or other hostilities prevalent at the time.
My cultural background affected my values, the customs I learned, as well as behaviors.
Looking back, I would not say that our communication patterns were affected by my cultural
background. On the contrary, I think the age gap prevented us from communicating effectively.
My family is big, and I am the youngest of seven children. There was a gap of more than a
decade between my oldest sister and me. Currently, I am 49 years, and she is 62 years old. This
gap affected our communication because there was not much in common between us. I was a
child when she was a teenager, and by the time I reached teenage, she was already a mature
young woman.
However, culture affected other aspects of my life, such as our lifestyle. For instance, I
knew that there were some lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and hypertension that I had to be
wary off simply because of my cultural background. We, therefore, made food choices healthily
so as to ensure that we did not increase the risk of such illnesses. According to Mainous et al.

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(2014), African Americans face an increased risk for hypertension and diabetes mellitus. Further,
African Americans residing in the country’s rural areas have historically had decreased access to
medical care, and this exacerbates the risk. My family’s decisions were made in light of such
information, and we made choices according to promote our health.
Additionally, my cultural background has had a direct impact on my spirituality and
religion. Growing up, I attended several different churches. I observed that our church programs
were different from what was happening in predominantly white churches. For instance, we
loved singing rigorously, but that was not the case in white churches, which were largely relaxed
and laid back. Additionally, our Sunday services lasted for three hours, and we engaged in many
activities. Among them, and what stands out for me is the way we praised and worshipped like
we were in a celebratory mood. Jones (2022) states that music plays a significant role in black
worship, only coming second to preaching. In fact, African Americans will forgive a bad
preaching experience if the music or worship experience is good. Something else that was
different was how we dressed. I wore my Sunday best clothes to church, but in other churches, I
observed that they dressed casually.
Lastly, my ancestors were farmers. They owned watermelon farms in Georgia. This could
be connected to their history in the country. Historically, African Americans were slaves, and
they worked in plantations owned by the white people. I do not know at what point this changed
for my family, and they became landowners. However, I know that they indeed had farms in
which they grew watermelons. They also owned dry cleaners.
Similarities and Differences between my family of origin and the predominant Culture
My family of origin is of African American descent. The predominant culture is white,
and this has been the case historically. Being of African American origin, my family and I have

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been subjected to discrimination, and we have had first-hand encounters with racism. There has
been a systemic form of inequality in the country, advantaging the dominant culture and
disadvantaging minority groups such as African Americans. For instance, my ancestors were
farmers because they missed an opportunity to acquire an education during their youth. They
toiled harder to even acquire the property that they had during their time. The case is different
now, with opportunities being availed for everyone.
However, while present racism is different from historical racism, the country still
struggles with the problem. Economic inequality seems to disproportionately affect the African
American community. In the Old South, the black underclass situation continues to worsen. The
black ghetto dwellers in the country today are a community that has been set apart (Loury, 2022).
They are highly susceptible to stigmatization, stereotyping and social isolation. Additionally,
people within these communities experience an internalized sense of despair and limited access
to community networks. The recent past has shown how systemic racism affects the treatment of
black people by police officers. The cases of George Floyd and numerous other black Americans
that have died at the hands of security operators indicate that we are still facing the problem of
racism (Barrie, 2020). Our ancestors may have experienced it differently than we were, but it is
undeniable that racism still persists.
Impact of my Cultural Background on my Cultural Identity Development
The research and knowledge that I have gained about my family’s cultural background
have an impact on my perspective on cultural/ racial identity development in a number of ways.
First, I have realized that some of the experiences I had were because my culture has been
historically disadvantaged in the country. We have for a long time been excluded from societal
associations, and at some point, even our civic rights were restricted. I understand some of the

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educational and career choices I have had to make in the course of my life. These have been
largely influenced by my family’s cultural background. According to Stanford et al. (2021),
people reflect on their potential to achieve as well as their desired level of stability in their
selection of occupations. Having come from a family whose ancestors were farmers and did not
have an experience with formal employment, I did not have many experiences to borrow from.
However, I knew that I needed to develop professionally and achieve financial stability.
Since African American communities have been historically disadvantaged, they have
adopted more collectivistic values. This explains why most are in educational and social work. I
understand that cultural identity development is directly linked to one’s cultural background.
Experiences during one’s early years of development tend to shape the formation of their
identity. According to Eric Erickson, there are three domains that affect the formation of one’s
identity. These include social identity, personal identity, and ego identity. Cultural background
falls under the social identity domain.
Social identity is determined by how well an individual’s ideals relate to those of the
larger group within which they belong. Thus, the development of one’s cultural identity will be
aligned with their cultural background. There is an inclination towards one’s background during
identity formation. Thus, some of the things I believe in, as well as some of my actions, are
informed by my cultural background. For instance, I still watch the food I eat consciously
because my parents taught me to do so since I face a higher risk of certain lifestyle diseases
simply because of my cultural background.
Further, collectivism is cultivated early in a person’s life. Collectivistic values from part
of one’s cultural identity development and are informed by the cultural background. Since
African Americans have had a rough past where they were oppressed and discriminated against,

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they tend to value communal socialization. The family and its values are thus a core part of the
formation of the black identity. Kin groups and families establish a network of relationships, and
this, in essence, defines the black identity. Additionally, racial/cultural identity can influence an
individual’s occupational decisions. Studies show that race salience determines how an
individual conceptualizes their career interests. Therefore, having a strong identity can help in
the development of a substantial occupational persona. A study by Walker and Tracy (2018)
revealed that African Americans with strong internalized cultural identities have a higher interest
in entrepreneurial and social vocations. This explains my ancestors’ interest in farming and
entrepreneurship.
My view on Social justice and Client Advocacy
Social justice and client advocacy are achieved best through a multicultural lens. I
understand that different clients or individuals will have various needs and require unique
attention based on their cultural backgrounds. Enhancing multicultural awareness is necessary as
it ensures that individuals of culturally diverse backgrounds are well understood and have access
to appropriate opportunities and services (Grimes et al., 2019). Individual development is
affected by cultural background. Therefore, to be able to foster individual development, it is
important to ensure that the services offered cater to a culturally diverse background.
Further, with social justice advocacy in mind, it is necessary to understand historical
barriers affecting people of certain cultures and come up with ways to offer unique support to
such individuals for them to overcome such challenges. For instance, in light of racism and white
supremacy, if I am dealing with two clients, one of black descent and one of white descent, my
approach to each of them would be different. As I advocate for their rights, I would use different

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approaches because their cultural backgrounds are different, and this means that they are faced
with different challenges.
Social justice should be focused more on advocating on behalf of historically
marginalized groups. It also entails ensuring that even the issues of communities that may not
necessarily have been marginalized historically are well taken care of. Understanding the impact
of one’s cultural background and some of the issues they may be exposed to solely based on their
background is important in ensuring that the services provided are culturally competent.
Further, in client advocacy, understanding a client’s cultural background ensures that one
is in a better position to provide services that enable the Client to make the best decisions for
themselves. Also, understanding some of the stereotypes and inequalities that a community is
exposed to ensures that services that tailored to meet the unique needs of such a group.
Therefore, understanding a community’s cultural background is very important in social justice
and client advocacy. It ensures that interventions made are culturally competent and that the
needs of individual groups are met.
The knowledge I have acquired about my cultural background has made me more self-
aware of some biases that I may have, which may be connected to my background. Studies show
that we carry both conscious and unconscious biases. It is important to be aware of one’s own
bias, especially when dealing with clients, so as to ensure that services are provided from a
multicultural lens as opposed to from one view that may disadvantage the Client. Dismantling
stereotypes and advocating for others to do the same is one of the effective ways to ensure that
resources, opportunities, and services are availed to all, regardless of one’s cultural background
(Taylor et al., 2019). It is also necessary as communities that have been historically marginalized
move to healing. Movements such as the Black Lives matter have demonstrated that we are far

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as a country from achieving equality and fair treatment of all citizens (Odom, 2021). As such, it
is important to understand how the marginalized groups have been affected by systems and some
of the underlying issues that could potentially affect their wellbeing and decisions.
Overall, each one of us has a cultural background that has predominantly shaped our
choices as well as identity development. Our culture is a part of us and who we are. After
researching and acquiring knowledge about my own cultural background, I have realized that
some of the things in my life, such as career choices, are directly linked to my cultural
background in one way or another; my family history affected my occupational choices. As such,
the cultural background is important. It is also important to understand other people’s cultural
backgrounds to ensure that we interact with them in a healthy way. Cultural understanding and
multicultural awareness are critical to social justice and advocacy. When dealing with diverse
clients, it is important to understand their cultural background as well as how it shapes them.

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References

Barrie, C. (2020). Searching racism after George Floyd. Socius, 6, 2378023120971507.
Grimes, L. E., Haizlip, B., Rogers, T., & Brown, K. D. (2019). ” Sisters of Nia”: A Social Justice
Advocacy Intervention for School Counselors in Their Work with Adolescent African
American Females. Georgia School Counselors Association Journal, 20(1), n1.
Jones, C. (2022). African-American worship: Its heritage, character, and quality.
Ministrymagazine.org. Retrieved 31 March 2022, from
https://www.ministrymagazine.org/archive/2002/09/african-american-worship-its-
heritage-character-and-quality.html.
Loury, G. (2022). An American Tragedy: The legacy of slavery lingers in our cities’ ghettos.
Brookings. Retrieved 31 March 2022, from https://www.brookings.edu/articles/an-
american-tragedy-the-legacy-of-slavery-lingers-in-our-cities-ghettos/.
Mainous, A. G., King, D. E., Garr, D. R., & Pearson, W. S. (2014). Race, rural residence, and
control of diabetes and hypertension. The Annals of Family Medicine, 2(6), 563-568.
Mercer, D., & Beckett, E. (2022). Unit 15 Beyond Civil Rights, 1970-1994 – New Jersey State
Library. New Jersey State Library. Retrieved 31 March 2022, from
https://www.njstatelib.org/research_library/new_jersey_resources/highlights/african_ame
rican_history_curriculum/unit_15_beyond_civil_rights/.
Odom, S. A. (2021). Advocacy, Social Justice, and Counselor Identity During the Black Lives
Matter Movement. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 43(3), 266-268.

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Stanford, N., Carlock, S., & Jia, F. (2021). The Role of Community in Black Identity
Development and Occupational Choice. Societies, 11(3), 111.
Taylor, E., Guy-Walls, P., Wilkerson, P., & Addae, R. (2019). The historical perspectives of
stereotypes on African-American males. Journal of Human Rights and Social Work, 4(3),
213-225.
Walker, T. L., & Tracey, T. J. (2018). The role of future time perspective in career decision-
making. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 81(2), 150-158.