my native country essay

My Native Place Essay in English

A Visit to My Native Place Essay in English , The place where a person was born is known as his native place. Some people live in cities, some in villages, and others live in towns. I was born in a city, named Jalandhar. It is located in the beautiful and developing state of Punjab. I have been living in this city since my birth. The city which is my native place is known for its historical importance.

My native city ‘Jalandhar’ is situated in the Northern Part of my country. It is situated between the two rivers, which are popular such as the Beas and the Sutlej.

My native city belongs to the ‘Doaba’ region of Punjab and this is the reason why people living here are known to be ‘Doabi.’ In my native place, people of different religions and castes are living in different societies of the city.

The city is densely populated. There is a huge number of people living here. My native place is surrounded by many villages. Jalandhar is itself a district, where many towns and villages are located. Moreover, many people are emigrating from different parts of the country for different reasons. As a result, the density of the population is increasing speedily every year.

A Visit to My Native Place Essay in English

Essay on my native place.

In my native place, the majority of the population is covered with Hindu and Sikh people, but at the same time, people of other castes and sub-castes are living. People belong to different religions like Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, and many others.

As Jalandhar is a city of Punjab, most of the people are Punjabis. Unity in diversity I candidly practiced as the individuals have not been broken down into different fragments with varied dignity.

It is the 3 rd most populous city in Punjab and the largest city in the region of Doaba. It lies alongside the Grand Trunk Road. The best thing is that it has a well-connected road and rail junction. It is 146 km northeast of Chandigarh, the capital of Punjab, and 82.5 km South-East of Amritsar.

Also Read: My Village Essay

Know the history of Jalandhar

The history of my native place, Jalandhar comprises 3 periods such as ancient, medieval, and modern. My native place may be named after Jalandhara, a demon king, his name is mentioned in the Puranas and Mahabharata. According to the Vedas, the city was founded by Devasya Verma.

There are other possibilities too, which describe the history of Jalandhar. It was the capital of the kingdom of Lava, who is the son of Lord Rama. Its name may be derived from the vernacular term Jalandhar, which means area inside the water that is a tract, which lies between the 2 rivers Sutlej and Beas.

The area of the present city was part of the Indus Valley Civilization. Mohenjo-daro and Harappa are the sites where relics of the Indus Valley Civilization have been discovered extensively. There is more to know about the history of Jalandhar city, which is my native place.

My Native Place Essay Writing

My native place has a humid subtropical climate with long, hot summers, and cool winters. The climate is dry on the whole, except during the month of July and August, when there is a brief southwest monsoon season. The average rainfall on a yearly basis is about 70 cm. my native place witnessed heavy rainfall, with over 20 percent increase from average rainfall.

Speaking of transportation methods used in my native place, there are many including air, rail, and road. My native place has a railway station, which is well-connected to other parts of the country.

There is a direct service to major cities like Chennai, Calcutta, Haridwar, Jaipur, Pune, Mumbai, and a lot more. When it comes to the road mode of transportation, there is one of the biggest networks of bus services of Punjab at Jalandhar ISBT popularly known as Shaheed-e-Azam Sardar Bhagat Singh. Buses to different states are available at service. Speaking of air transportation, there is the nearest airport, which is Adampur Airport.

Also Read: My Motherland Essay

Describe Your Native Place

My native place has been chosen in the 2 nd phase of the smart city project. To initialize the project, 200 crores have been assigned to the Municipal Corporation. The economy of my native place is growing every day.

There are many opportunities for exporting goods. The city exports goods such as glass and furniture to neighboring cities. My native city is popular for sporting equipment, there is a huge sports market in the city.

There is a wide range of sports industries in the city. Different types of sports equipment and goods are manufactured in Jalandhar, which has been utilized in many international sporting games such as Commonwealth Games, Olympics, Asian Games, and many others.

It is also a center for the manufacturing of hand tools. There is a leather industry, leather goods, leather for footwear, and furniture available in my native place.

There are different religious places in my native city, which are Nakodar Darbar Baba Murad Shah Ji, Shri Devi Talab Mandir, Cantonment Church, Gurudwara Guru Tegh Bahadur Nagar, and many others. Even, there are leisure places as well in my city such as Niku Park, Wonder Land, Smmash, Prithvi’s Planet, etc.

My native place has all the facilities and amenities required for a person to live life comfortably. People living here are well-educated and employed in a variety of jobs belonging to different sectors. Some people are engineers, doctors, professors, and some run businesses. People have been enjoying my native place for ages.

I love my native place very much. I like to live in this city. But there are some problems arising in my city such as pollution. Due to over-population, industrialization, and urbanization , my city is getting polluted.

If I get a chance to change something in my native place, I would like to implement some solutions and measures to overcome the problem of pollution. The government should set new rules and standards for a reduction in the extent of pollution.

On overall, my native city has everything, which an ordinary person needs to live. I like it very much and feel blessed to be a resident of this city.

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To India – My Native Land

By Henry Louis Vivian Derozio

‘To India – My Native Land’ by Derozio mourns India’s faded glory under British rule, urging a revival of national pride.

Henry Louis Vivian Derozio

He is regarded as the first national poet of modern India.

Poem Analyzed by Sudip Das Gupta

First-class B.A. Honors Degree in English Literature

‘To India – My Native Land’ by Henry Louis Vivian Derozio is a patriotic poem written during the period of the Indian Renaissance. When India was under British rule, deteriorating and suffering. Educated men like Derozio, Raja Ram Mohan, Vidyasagar, and Rishi Bankim were earnestly trying to make Indians aware of their past heritage and glory. They tried to infuse “cultural consciousness” into the common men of India to destabilize the British hegemony in their minds. In this poem, Derozio tries to do the same. He presents the glorious period of India and tries to make the readers aware of India’s past.

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Explore To India – My Native Land

• 1 Summary of To India – My Native Land
• 2 Structure and Form
• 3 Literary Devices
• 4 Analysis of To India – My Native Land
• 5 Historical Context
• 6 Similar Poetry

Summary of To India – My Native Land

‘To India – My Native Land’ by Derozio presents India as a deity. In ancient times, she was as beautiful as a goddess. The poet says, “A beauteous halo circled round thy brow”. When the poet was writing this poem, India was suffering from British domination. The poet could neither visualize the “glory” of her past nor her “reverence”. Like a chained eagle, she was grounded. In such a condition, the poet tried to compose this verse as a piece of consolation to her groveling motherland. He wished to recollect her lost glory and celebrate it through his poem.

Structure and Form

‘To India – My Native Land’ by Henry Derozio is a Petrarchan Sonnet . The poem contains two sections. The first section is an octave or octet . The following section is a sestet . In the octave, containing eight lines, the poet presents a problem which is the condition of his motherland under British rule. The sestet, having six lines, voices the poet’s resolution . The rhyme scheme of the first eight lines is ABABABCC and the next six lines are DEDEFF.

The poem is composed in iambic pentameter . Each line in the poem contains five feet. The stress falls on the second syllable of each foot. There is only one variation in the first line of the poem. It is in iambic tetrameter . The metrical composition of the poem suggests its inclination to the conventions of the European Renaissance in arts. It is also suggestive of the poet’s intention at the time of writing this poem.

Literary Devices

‘To India – My Native Land’ by Derozio is rich in the use of literary devices. It being a sonnet encompasses several figurative techniques to make the poet’s idea compelling to contemporary readers. Likewise, in the first line of the poem, Derozio uses an apostrophe as he invokes the spirit of his motherland in the poem. The poet uses “brow” to signify the head of the deity which is in the poem, his motherland. It is the use of synecdoche . It also makes another point clear. The poet uses personification to compare India to a goddess. Likewise, in the third line, there is an inversion . In the fourth line, the poet asks a rhetorical question .

The poet resorts to the metaphor of “eagle”. He compares India to an eagle, chained down by the colonial rulers. There is another metaphor for the sea in the phrase, “depths of time”. “Small fragments” of the “wrecks” is another instance where Derozio uses a metaphor. In the last line, the poet again uses an apostrophe.

Analysis of To India – My Native Land

Lines. 1–4.

My country! In thy days of glory past A beauteous halo circled round thy brow and worshipped as a deity thou wast— Where is thy glory, where the reverence now?

‘To India – My Native Land’ by Derozio, presents India, the poet’s motherland, as a deity. Derozio looks back to ancient history when India was glorious in every field, be it arts, science, or architecture. It was a period when India was famous for advanced civilizations and rich cultural traditions. Learned men from all over the world visited India to enrich themselves and also their own cultures. The poet refers to that time when India was worshipped worldwide like a goddess.

When the poet was writing this poem, India was under British rule. English East India Company and the British government ransacked India for their country’s benefit. Hence the condition of India worsened day by day. At the time of Derozio, her state of affairs was so poor that he couldn’t find anything plausible in her. It made the poet sad. So he asks himself, “Where is that glory, where that reverence now?”

Lines. 5–8

Thy eagle pinion is chained down at last, And grovelling in the lowly dust art thou, Thy minstrel hath no wreath to weave for thee Save the sad story of thy misery!

In the second section of the octave, the poet sees India as an eagle, the monarch of the birds. In the previous section, he compared it to a goddess, having a beautiful halo or aura circling her forehead. Such a shift in comparison signifies that the poet is now focusing on the worldly aspects of his country. The poet visualizes that the country’s wings are clipped. That’s why it is groveling in the dust. It signifies that the British rulers had closed all the channels of improvement in India.

By “Thy minstrel”, the poet refers to himself. He says that he has no flowers to weave a “wreath” or garland for her motherland. It is a reference to the scarcity of resources in his country due to the “drainage of wealth”. He has only the “sad story” of his motherland to compose an elegy in condolence.

Lines. 9–14

Well—let me dive into the depths of time And bring from out the ages, that have rolled A few small fragments of these wrecks sublime Which human eye may never more behold And let the guerdon of my labour be, My fallen country! One kind wish for thee!

In the sestet, Derozio voices his resolution to save the country from all kinds of deprivation and deterioration. He wants to dive into the depths of history. There he can find the long-lost history of the country. The glorious past of the country contains the materials for future improvement. The British rulers tried to demean it for colonizing the minds of the Indians. Destroying confidence in native culture and history, colonizers can control the colonized for a long time. The poet stands strongly against that.

Through this poem, Derozio expresses his aim to spread historical consciousness among Indians. He resorts to his motherland to wish him luck. If he succeeds, he wants nothing in return from his country.

Historical Context

‘To India – My Native Land’ by Derozio was published in 1828. It appeared in his poetry collection, “The Fakeer of Jungheera: A Metrical Tale and Other Poems”. Henry Louis Vivian Derozio was the fountainhead of the “Young Bengal” movement in Bengal, a part of undivided India. The members of that group aimed to trigger the youth. The youths at that time were the future catalysts of the freedom struggle. Hence, the poet thought to first educate the younger generation and they would spread the message to others. This poem might have been written for them to alert them of the need of the hour. Apart from that, it also touched the hearts of intellectual gentlemen in India.

This poem reflects Derozio’s radical thinking and his inclination towards Western ideas. He tried to use those materials available in the Western world for the benefit of his country. At that stage, the essence of nationalism was in a nascent stage. The contribution of Derozio like others was commendable at that time when India was struggling under the colonizer’s selfish policies.

Similar Poetry

In ‘To India – My Native Land’   Derozio presents his patriotism and sympathy for his country. The essence of this poem can be visible in the following poems. In the following list of poems, some works are not Indian in origin. These poems will help to understand the perspective of Derozio better.

• Mother, I bow to thee! by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay – In this poem, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay , a gem of Bengal, presents his devotion to his motherland, India.
• The Gift of India  by Sarojini Naidu – The poet, Sarojini Naidu tributes the Indian soldiers, on the British side, for their contribution to World War I. Like Derozio, this poem implicitly tries to alert the Indians who were being exploited by the British colonizers.
• Passage to India by Walt Whitman – From the postcolonial point-of-view, this poem by Walt Whitman is important to understand the thinking of Western minds about India and her people.
• The Patriot by Robert Browning – Through this poem, Robert Browning portrays a person’s unconditional love for his country like Derozio.

You can read about the Top 10 Poems About Freedom and Confinement here.

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The published date will be 1828 .. in historical context it is written wrong

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Gupta, SudipDas. "To India – My Native Land by Henry Louis Vivian Derozio". Poem Analysis , https://poemanalysis.com/henry-louis-vivian-derozio/to-india-my-native-land/ . Accessed 14 September 2024.

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Essay on My Native Village

Students are often asked to write an essay on My Native Village in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on My Native Village

Introduction.

My native village, nestled in the heart of nature, is a place of peace and tranquility. It’s a small, beautiful village, filled with green fields and clear skies.

Located far from the bustling city, my village is surrounded by rolling hills and flowing rivers, providing a picturesque setting.

People and Occupation

The village is inhabited by warm-hearted people, mostly engaged in farming. Their simple lifestyle and hard work are inspiring.

Culture and Festivals

The village is rich in culture with various festivals celebrated with great enthusiasm. These festivals bring everyone together, strengthening community bonds.

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250 Words Essay on My Native Village

My native village, nestled amidst verdant fields and whispering woods, is a testament to the harmonious coexistence of man and nature. A place where the modernity of the world has yet to fully penetrate, it remains a bastion of tradition and simplicity.

Simplicity and Serenity

The village is a realm of tranquility, untouched by the chaos of city life. The simplicity of rural living is its essence. The villagers’ lives revolve around agriculture, with the changing seasons dictating their routines. The harmony of their existence with the natural world provides a poignant contrast to the urban lifestyle.

Community Life

The sense of community in the village is strong. The villagers are not just neighbors, but a large extended family, sharing joys, sorrows, and festivities. This community spirit, often lost in the urban sprawl, is the lifeblood of the village.

Traditions and Culture

The village is a treasure trove of age-old traditions and culture. Festivals are celebrated with much fervor, and folk arts and crafts are still practiced. The village is a living museum, preserving and showcasing a cultural heritage that is slowly fading away in the cities.

500 Words Essay on My Native Village

Every individual has a special place that holds significant memories and experiences. For me, that place is my native village. Nestled in the heart of the countryside, away from the hustle and bustle of the city, it is a place where time seems to stand still and life is simple. The village, with its picturesque landscape and warm-hearted people, is not just my birthplace but a source of inspiration and a symbol of my roots.

The Enchanting Landscape

The beauty of my native village is enchanting. It is surrounded by lush green fields, where farmers toil day and night, cultivating crops that paint the landscape with different shades of green. The village is crisscrossed by a network of streams, their crystal clear waters reflecting the azure sky. The air is pure, filled with the sweet scent of blooming flowers and the earthy aroma of the soil after the rain. The sight of the sun rising over the fields is a spectacle that leaves one spellbound, while the sunsets paint the sky with hues of red and orange, creating a mesmerizing backdrop.

The Simple Lifestyle

The bond of community.

The sense of community in my native village is very strong. The villagers live like one large family, sharing joys and sorrows, and helping each other in times of need. They gather at the village square in the evenings, where the elders share folk tales and life lessons, while the children play around. This sense of camaraderie and mutual respect forms the backbone of the village community.

The Cultural Heritage

My native village is a treasure trove of cultural heritage. The village is known for its traditional art and craft, folk music, and dance forms that have been preserved and passed down generations. The local festivals, celebrated with great zeal, showcase the rich culture and traditions of the village.

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• School Education /

Essay On My Country: Sample Essay in 150 & 200 Words

• Updated on  
• Mar 18, 2024

India, a land of mystique and diversity, captivates the world with its vibrant tapestry of cultures, traditions, and landscapes. Nestled in South Asia, it stands as the world’s largest democracy and a cultural kaleidoscope-like no other. Its history spans millennia, giving rise to a rich tapestry of heritage that includes the ancient Indus Valley Civilization, the Mughal Empire, and the struggle for independence led by Mahatma Gandhi.

The subcontinent’s breathtaking geography encompasses the towering Himalayas to the north, lush forests, fertile plains, and sun-kissed coastlines. India’s influence on art, cuisine, spirituality, and philosophy is profound, making it a captivating subject of exploration. Find out more about India after reading different Essays on My Country. 

Table of Contents

• 1 Geography and Landscape
• 2 Historical Significance
• 3 Festivals and Traditions
• 4 Sample Essay On My Country in 150 words
• 5 Sample Essay On My Country in 200 words
• 6 10 Lines Essay on My Country

Must Read: Essay on Rani Laxmi Bai: 100, 250 and 500 Words

Geography and Landscape

India, a vast South Asian nation, boasts diverse geography and landscapes. In the north, the mighty Himalayan mountain range stands tall, harbouring some of the world’s highest peaks, including Mount Everest. These snow-clad peaks not only define India’s northern border but also influence its climate and river systems.

Moving southward, the fertile Gangetic plains stretch across the country, nurturing agriculture and supporting a significant portion of India’s population. To the west lies the Thar Desert, a stark contrast to the lush plains, characterized by arid expanses and shifting dunes. India’s eastern regions are adorned with lush forests, hills, and the Sundarbans delta, famous for its rich biodiversity. Finally, the Indian Peninsula is surrounded by a vast coastline, featuring pristine beaches, coastal plains, and diverse ecosystems. 

Historical Significance

India boasts immense historical significance, with a rich tapestry of achievements and milestones:

• Indus Valley Civilization: Home to one of the world’s oldest urban civilizations, dating back to 2500 BCE.
• British Colonialism: India’s struggle for independence was led by figures like Mahatma Gandhi.
• Independence (1947): Gained freedom from British rule, becoming the world’s largest democracy.
• Partition: Witnessed the division into India and Pakistan, leading to significant socio-political changes.
• Economic Growth: Emerging as a global economic powerhouse.
• Cultural Diversity: A mosaic of languages, religions, and traditions, making it a cultural treasure.

Festivals and Traditions

India is renowned for its vibrant tapestry of festivals and traditions, reflecting its rich cultural diversity. Diwali, the Festival of Lights, illuminates the country with lamps and fireworks, symbolizing the victory of light over darkness. Holi, the Festival of Colors, is a riotous celebration marked by playful colour fights and festive music, celebrating the arrival of spring.

Religious traditions like Ramadan and Eid are observed with fasting and communal feasts by Muslims, while Christians celebrate Christmas with midnight masses and carols. India’s diverse population also celebrates regional festivals like Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Navratri in Gujarat, and Durga Puja in West Bengal, each with unique rituals and customs. These festivals not only strengthen cultural ties but also offer a glimpse into the vibrant tapestry of India’s traditions and spirituality.

Also Read: Essay on Population Explosion for Students in English

Sample Essay On My Country in 150 words

India is a homeland of myriad contrasts and a rich tapestry of ancient traditions and modernity. As the world’s largest democracy, it harmoniously embraces diversity with over a billion people representing an abundance of regions, languages and customers.

From the snow-capped Himalayan peaks in the north to the pristine beaches in the south, India’s geography mirrors the kaleidoscope of its people. Its history echoes with the saga of mighty empires from the Mauryas to the Mughals, and the reasonating struggle for independence led by Mahatma Gandhi.

Today, India stands tall as the economic powerhouse, a hub of technology and innovation, while preserving its cultural heritage. The land of contrast ideally mixes ancient wisdom with modern progress. This blend offers an encouraging journey through time and traditions.

Talking about modern India, which is rapidly rising as an economic powerhouse with other industries such as information technology, pharmaceuticals, renewable energy, and more, is giving the country an edge. Furthermore, the prestige of the country´s prestigious space program has achieved remarkable feats like the Mars Orbiter Mission. 

The soft power of India resonates worldwide through its flourishing movies, music, literature, and cuisine. Moreover, major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru are cosmopolitan hubs driving innovation and entrepreneurship, paving a new and progressive path of development for a new and modern India.

Also Read:  World Heritage Day 2023: Theme, History, Significance

Sample Essay On My Country in 200 words

India, my beloved nation, is a captivating tapestry of history, culture, and diversity. Nestled in South Asia, it spans a vast landscape, from the towering Himalayas in the north to the sun-kissed beaches of the south. India’s essence lies in its unity in diversity, with a population that speaks hundreds of languages and practices various religions.

Historically, India has been the cradle of ancient civilizations, including the Indus Valley, Mauryan, Gupta, and Mughal empires. It was here that profound philosophies, such as Buddhism and Hinduism, were born. The struggle for independence, led by luminaries like Mahatma Gandhi, transformed India into a sovereign nation in 1947.

Today, India stands as the world’s largest democracy, a vibrant melting pot of traditions and modernity. It’s an economic powerhouse, driven by sectors like information technology, manufacturing, and agriculture. The iconic Taj Mahal, Jaipur’s royal palaces, and the spiritual city of Varanasi are just a glimpse of India’s architectural marvels.

India’s cultural diversity is equally enchanting. Classical dances like Bharatanatyam and Kathak, classical music with its mesmerizing ragas, and a variety of regional cuisines tempt the senses. Festivals like Diwali, Eid, and Holi add a riot of colours and celebrations to our lives.

India, with all its complexities, is a land that leaves an indelible mark on the heart of anyone who experiences its magic.

Also Read: Essay on Chandrayaan 3 🧑‍🚀: Timeline, Successful Landing

10 Lines Essay on My Country

Find the short and simple Essay on My Country in 10 lines:

Also Read: Essay on Indian Culture in 500 Words

A. India, a diverse nation, boasts a rich history, culture, stunning landscapes, and a billion people from various backgrounds.

A. India’s uniqueness lies in its cultural diversity, ancient history, and being the world’s largest democracy, blending tradition with modernity.

A. “India is my country, a land of vibrant traditions and diverse cultures, where unity amidst diversity thrives.”

Related Reads

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Nine brilliant student essays on honoring your roots.

Read winning essays from our fall 2019 student writing contest.

For the fall 2019 student writing contest, we invited students to read the YES! article “ Native and European—How Do I Honor All Parts of Myself? ” by Kayla DeVault. Like the author, students reflected on their heritage and how connected they felt to different parts of their identities. Students then wrote about their heritage, family stories, how they honor their identities, and more.

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Gallery of voices: more essays on identity, literary gems, titles we loved, middle school winner.

Susanna Audi

Ethical Culture Fieldston School, Bronx, N.Y.

BRAZIL: MY HEART’S HOME

Saudades. No word in the English language sums up the meaning of this Portuguese term: a deep feeling of longing that makes your heart ache and pound like a drum inside your chest. I feel saudades for Brazil, its unique culture, and my Brazilian family. When I’m in my second home, Bahia, Brazil, I’m a butterfly emerging from its cocoon—colorful, radiant, and ready to explore the world. I see coconut trees waving at the turquoise waves that are clear as glass. I smell the familiar scent of burning incense. I hear the rhythm of samba on hand-beaten drums, and I feel my grandma’s delicate fingers rub my back as I savor the mouth-watering taste of freshly made doce de leite .  Although I’m here for only two precious weeks a year, I feel a magnetic connection to my father’s homeland, my heart’s home.

My grandfather or vovô , Evandro, was born in Brazil to a family who had immigrated from Lebanon and was struggling to make ends meet. His parents couldn’t afford to send him to college, so he remained at home and sold encyclopedias door-to-door. My vovô eventually started a small motorcycle parts company that grew so much that he was able to send my father to the U.S. at age sixteen. My father worked hard in school, overcoming language barriers and homesickness. Even though he has lived in America for most of his life, he has always cherished his Brazilian roots. 

I’ve been raised with my father’s native language, foods, and customs. At home, I bake Brazilian snacks, such as the traditional cheese bread, pão de queijo , which is crunchy on the outside but soft and chewy on the inside. My family indulges in the same sweet treats that my father would sneak from the cupboard as a child. Two relaxing customs we share are listening to Brazilian music while we eat breakfast on weekends and having conversations in Portuguese during meals. These parts of my upbringing bring diversity and flavor to my identity. 

Living in the U.S. makes me feel isolated from my Brazilian family and even more distant from Brazilian culture. It’s hard to maintain both American and Brazilian lifestyles since they are so different. In Brazil, there are no strangers; we treat everybody like family, regardless if that person works at the local shoe store or the diner. We embrace each other with loving hugs and exchange kisses on the cheeks whenever we meet. In the U.S., people prefer to shake hands. Another difference is that I never come out of Starbucks in New York with a new friend. How could I when most people sit with their eyes glued to their laptop screens? Life seems so rushed. To me, Brazilians are all about friendships, family, and enjoying life. They are much more relaxed, compared to the stressed and materialistic average American. 

As Kayla DeVault says in her YES! article “Native and European—How Do I Honor All Parts of Myself,” “It doesn’t matter how many pieces make up my whole: rather, it’s my relationship with those pieces that matters—and that I must maintain.”  I often ask myself if I can be both American and Brazilian. Do I have to choose one culture over the other? I realize that I shouldn’t think of them as two different cultures; instead, I should think of them as two important, coexisting parts of my identity. Indeed, I feel very lucky for the full and flavorful life I have as a Brazilian American. 

Susanna Audi is an eighth-grader who lives in the suburbs of New York. Susanna loves painting with watercolors, cooking Brazilian snacks, and playing the cello. On weekends, she enjoys babysitting and plays several sports including lacrosse, soccer, and basketball. Susanna would love to start her own creative design business someday. 

High School Winner

Keon Tindle

Kirkwood High School, Kirkwood, Mo.

Walking Through the Forest of Culture

What are my roots? To most people, my roots only go as far as the eye can see. In a world where categorization and prejudice run rampant, the constant reminder is that I am Black. My past is a living juxtaposition: my father’s father is a descendant of the enslaved and oppressed and his wife’s forefathers held the whips and tightened the chains. Luckily for me, racial hatred turned to love. A passion that burned brighter than any cross, a love purer than any poison. This is the past I know so well. From the slave ship to the heart of Saint Louis, my roots aren’t very long, but they are deeply entrenched in Amerikkkan history.

This country was made off of the backs of my brothers and sisters, many of whom have gone unrecognized in the grand scheme of things. From a young age, White children are told stories of heroes—explorers, politicians, freedom fighters, and settlers whose sweat and determination tamed the animalistic lands of America. They’re given hope and power through their past because when they look in the mirror they see these heroes. But what about me? My stories are conveniently left out of the textbooks; I have never been the son of a king or a powerful African leader, just expensive cargo to be bought and sold to the highest bidder. It seems we, as a people, never truly left the ship.

Even now, we’re chained to the whitewashed image of Black history. I can never truly experience the Black tradition because there are multiple perspectives. The truth is clouded and lost due to the lack of documentation and pervasive amount of fabrication. How am I supposed to connect to my heritage? America tells me to celebrate the strength of my ancestors, the strength of the slaves, to praise something they helped create. The Afrocentrics tell me to become one with the motherland, celebrate the culture I was pulled away from. However, native Africans make it clear I’ll never truly belong.

Even the honorable Elijah Muhammad tells me to keep my chin pointed to the clouds, to distrust the creation of Yakub, and to take my place among the rest of Allah’s children. Most people don’t have the luxury of “identifying with all of the pieces of [themselves],” as Kayla DeVault says in the YES! article “Native and European—How Do I Honor All Parts of Myself?” 

They’re forced to do research and to formulate their own ideas of who they are rather than follow the traditions of an elder. For some, their past works as a guide. A walk through life that has been refined over generations. Others, however, are forced to struggle through the dark maze of life. Hands dragging across the walls in an attempt to not lose their way. As a result, their minds create stories and artwork from every cut and scratch of the barriers’ surface. Gaining direction from the irrelevant, finding patterns in the illogical. 

So what are my roots? My roots are my branches, not where I come from but where this life will take me. The only constant is my outstretched arms pointed towards the light. A life based on the hope that my branches will sprout leaves that will fall and litter the path for the next generation.

Keon Tindle is unapologetically Black and embraces his African American background. Keon is an esports competitor, musician, and producer, and especially enjoys the craft of pairing history with hip-hop music. He is always ecstatic to dabble in new creative outlets and hopes to pursue a career in neuroscience research.

Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Alexandria, Va.

Tying the Knot

The kitchen smells like onions and raw meat, neither unpleasant nor pleasant. Nainai’s house slippers slap against our kitchen floor as she bustles around, preparing fillings for zongzi: red bean paste, cooked peanuts, and marinated pork. I clap my pudgy hands together, delighted by the festivities. 

Nainai methodically folds the bamboo leaves into cones, fills them up with rice, and binds the zongzi together with string that she breaks between her teeth. I try to follow suit, but when I try to tie the zongzi together, half the rice spills out. Tired from my lack of progress, I abandon Nainai for my parents, who are setting up the mahjong table. 

After raising me to the age of ten, my grandparents returned to China. They dropped back into their lives like they had never left, like they hadn’t shaped my entire upbringing. Under their influence, my first language was not English, but Chinese. 

At school, my friends cajoled me into saying Chinese words for them and I did so reluctantly, the out-of-place syllables tasting strange on my palate. At home, I slowly stopped speaking Chinese, embarrassed by the way my tongue mangled English words when I spoke to classmates. One particular memory continually plagues me. “It’s Civil War, silly. Why do you pronounce “L” with an ‘R’?” Civil. Civil. Civil.

At dinner, my dad asked us to speak Chinese. I refused, defiantly asking my brother in English to pass the green beans. I began constructing false narratives around my silence. Why would I use my speech to celebrate a culture of foot binding and feudalism? In truth, I was afraid. I was afraid that when I opened my mouth to ask for the potatoes, I wouldn’t be able to conjure up the right words. I was afraid I would sound like a foreigner in my own home. If I refused to speak, I could pretend that my silence was a choice.

In Kayla DeVault’s YES! article “Native and European – How Do I Honor All Parts of Myself?” she insists that “Simply saying “I am this” isn’t enough. To truly honor my heritage, I found I must understand and participate in it.” And for the first time, I wonder if my silence has stolen my cultural identity. 

I decide to take it back.

Unlike DeVault, I have no means of travel. Instead, my reclamation starts with collecting phrases: a string of words from my dad when he speaks to Nainai over the phone, seven characters from two Chinese classmates walking down the hall, another couple of words from my younger sister’s Chinese cartoons. 

The summer before my senior year marks the eighth year of my grandparents’ return to China. Once again, I am in the kitchen, this time surrounded by my parents and siblings. The bamboo leaves and pot of rice sit in front of me. We all stand, looking at each other expectantly. No one knows how to make zongzi. We crowd around the iPad, consulting Google. Together, we learn how to shape the leaves and pack the rice down. 

The gap in knowledge bothers me. Does it still count as honoring a family tradition when I follow the directions given by a nameless pair of hands on YouTube rather than hearing Nainai’s voice in my mind? 

Instead of breaking the string with my teeth like Nainai had shown me, I use scissors to cut the string—like I had done with my ties to Chinese language and culture all those years ago. And now, I’m left with the severed string that I must hurriedly tie around the bamboo leaf before the rice falls out of my zongzi.

Cherry Guo is a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia. Cherry rows for her school’s crew team and plays the viola in her school orchestra. She spends what little free time she has eating pretzel crisps and listening to podcasts about philosophy.

University Winner

Madison Greene

Kent State University, Kent, Ohio

Carrying the Torch

I have been called a pizza bagel–the combination of a Catholic Italian and an Ashkenazi Jew. Over time, I have discovered the difficulty of discretely identifying the ratio of pizza to bagel. It is even more arduous when the pizza and the bagel have theologies that inherently contradict each other. Therefore, in a society that emphasizes fine lines and exact distinctions, my identity itself becomes a contradiction.  

In the winter, my family tops our Christmas tree with the Star of David. I’ve recited the Lord’s Prayer; I’ve prayed in Hebrew. I attended preschool at a church, and my brother was a preschooler in a synagogue. Every week at Sunday morning mass, my maternal family donates money to the collection basket during the offertory. My paternal family has donated authentic Holocaust photographs to a local Jewish heritage museum. Growing up, none of this was contradictory; in fact, it all seemed complementary. My Jewish and Catholic identities did not cancel each other out but rather merged together.

However, the compatibility of my Catholic-Jewish identities was in upheaval when I decided to become acquainted with the Jewish community on campus. While attending Hillel events, I felt insecure because I did not share many of the experiences and knowledge of other Jewish students. Despite this insecurity, I continued to participate — until a good friend of mine told me that I was not Jewish enough because of my Catholic mother. She also said that families like mine were responsible for the faltering of Jewish culture. I wanted my identity to be validated. Instead, it was rejected. I withdrew and avoided not only my Jewish identity but also my identity as a whole.

I soon realized that this friend and I look at my situation using different filters. My Catholic-Jewish identities have evolved into a codependent relationship, and I am entitled to unapologetically embrace and explore both aspects of my identity. I realized that even without my friend’s validation of my identity, I still exist just the same. Any discredit of my Catholic-Jewish identities does not eliminate my blended nature. So, after a few months of avoiding my Jewish identity, I chose to embrace my roots; I resumed participating in the Jewish community on campus, and I have not stopped since.

Kayla DeVault’s YES! article “Native and European – How Do I Honor All Parts of Myself?” describes the obligation to one’s ancestral chain. The best way to fulfill this duty is to fully dedicate oneself to understanding the traditions that accompany those cultural origins. In this generation, my mother’s Catholic-Italian maiden name has no men to carry it on to the next generation. It is difficult to trace my last name past the mid-1900s because my Jewish ancestors shortened our surname to make it sound less Semitic, to be less vulnerable to persecution. Given the progressive fading of my family’s surnames, how do I continue the legacies of both family lines?

On behalf of my ancestors and for the sake of the generations still to come, I feel obligated to blend and simultaneously honor my Jewish and Catholic heritage to ensure that both prevail. 

Now I know that whether I am sitting next to my Jewish father at my young cousin’s baptism, or whether I am sitting at the Passover Seder table with my mother’s Catholic parents, it is up to me to keep both flames of my ancestry burning bright. The least I can do is hold each family’s candle in my hands. Imagine the tremendous blaze I could create if I brought the flames of my two families together.

Madison Greene is a Communication Studies major at Kent State University. Madison is also pursuing a minor in Digital Media Production. She is currently the president of her sorority.

Powerful Voice Winner

Mariela Alschuler

Behind My Skin

My roots go deeper than the ground I stand on. My family is from all over the world with extended branches that reach over whole countries and vast oceans.

Though I am from these branches, sometimes I never see them. My Dominican roots are obvious when I go to my abuela’s house for holidays. My family dances to Spanish music. I fill my plate with platanos fritos and my favorite rice and beans. I feel like a Dominican American girl. Maybe it’s the food. Maybe it’s the music. Or maybe it’s just the way that my whole family—aunts, uncles, grandparents, and cousins— laugh and talk and banter in my grandparents’ small, beautiful apartment.

Even though I am blood to this family, I stick out like a sore thumb. I stick out for my broken Spanish, my light skin, my soft, high-pitched voice and how I do my hair. I feel like I don’t belong to my beautiful, colorful family, a disordered array of painted jars on a shelf.

If my Dominican family is like a disorganized and vibrant shelf of colors, then my European family is a neat and sparse one with just a hint of color. For Christmas in New York, there are dozens of us crammed in the small apartment. For Thanksgiving in Massachusetts, there are rarely more than twelve people in the grandiose, pristine house that looks like something out of House Beautiful . I adore my grandparent’s house. It is expansive and neatly painted white. After growing up in a small house on a school campus and visiting my other grandparents’ small apartment in New York, I thought that their house was the greatest thing in the world. I would race up the stairs, then slide down the banister. I would sip Grandma’s “fancy” gingerbread tea, loving the feeling of sophistication. There, I could forget about the struggles of my Dominican family. I was the granddaughter of a wealthy, Jewish, Massachusetts couple rather than the granddaughter of a working-class second-generation Dominican abuela and abuelo from the Bronx.  

I don’t fit in with my European family either. My dark skin and my wild hair don’t belong in this tidy family. In Massachusetts, the branches of my Dominican family, no matter how strong and extensive, are invisible. The same way my European roots are lost when I am in New York.

So what am I? For years I have asked myself this question. Wondering why I couldn’t have a simple garden of a family rather than the jungle that I easily get lost in. As Kayla DeVault says in her YES! article “Native and European—How can I honor all parts of myself?,” “Simply saying ‘I am this’ isn’t enough.” And it isn’t. My race, color, and ethnicity do not make up who I am. I am still a daughter. A sister. A cousin. A friend. My mixed identity does not make me less whole, less human. I may have lightly tanned skin and my lips may not form Spanish words neatly, but behind my skin is bright color and music. There is warm gingerbread tea and golden platanos fritos. There is Spanish singing from my abuelo’s speaker and “young people” songs that play from my headphones. There is a little, cozy apartment and a large, exquisite house. Behind my skin is more than what you can see. Behind my skin is what makes me me. 

Mariela Alschuler is a seventh-grader at Ethical Culture Fieldston School and lives in the Bronx, New York. When she’s not in school, Mariela likes to read, write, do gymnastics, watch Netflix, and spend time with her friends and family. She hopes to be a doctor and writer when she grows up.

Reese Martin

University Liggett School, Grosse Point Woods, Mich.

A True Irishman?

Similar to Kayla Devault in her YES! article “Native and European-How Do I Honor All Parts of Myself,” I hold holistic pride in my cultural identity. As a descendant of Irish immigrants, my childhood was filled with Irish folk music, laughter, and all things green. I remember being a toddler, sitting on my Popo’s lap wearing a shiny green, slightly obnoxious, beaded shamrock necklace. There, in the living room, I was surrounded by shamrocks hanging on the walls and decorations spread throughout, courtesy of my grandmother who always went overboard. My father and his siblings were Irish fanatics, as well. My aunt, whom I loved spending time with as a child, was notorious for wild face painting, ear-splitting music, and crazy outfits on St. Patrick’s Day. The holiday typically started in Detroit’s historic Corktown for the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade with the promise of authentic Irish corned beef and soda bread at the Baile Corcaigh Irish Restaurant following the festivities. Charlie Taylor, a local Irish musician, belted folk songs from Baile Corcaigh’s makeshift stage. It was one of the few days a year my father and his large family came together. Although my aunt and grandparents have passed, our family’s Irish pride is eternal.

There was, however, one peculiar thing about our Irish heritage— none of my family looked classic Irish. My father and his five siblings have nearly black eyes and fairly dark skin, not the typical Irish traits of blue eyes and light skin. DeVault wrote, “When I was older, the questions came, which made me question myself.” I fell into a similar predicament, questioning my heritage. It truly came as a shock when a couple of my paternal aunts and several cousins took DNA tests through 23andMe and AncestryDNA. The results revealed the largest percentage of our ethnicity was Lebanese and Middle Eastern, not Irish.

It felt like a punch to the gut. I was clueless on how to move forward. According to the numbers, we possessed an insignificant amount of Irish blood. How was it possible to be wrong about such a huge part of my identity? Not only was I confused about my culture and history, but I also experienced a great deal of shame—not of my newfound Middle Eastern heritage, but the lack of Irish DNA, which I had previously held so close and felt so proud of. It felt as though I was betraying the memory of my late grandparents and aunt.

Even amidst my confusion, I found this new heritage intriguing; I was excited to explore all that my newly found Lebanese culture had to offer: unique foods, unfamiliar traditions, and new geography. In addition to the familiar boiled and mashed potatoes, my family now eats hummus and shawarma. I also know more about the basic facts, history, and government of Lebanon. One thing dampens my enthusiasm, however. I wonder how I can fully develop a love for my newly discovered culture without being too deliberate and appearing to be insensitive to cultural appropriation.

It is here, in the depths of uncertainty and intrigue, I relate most to DeVault’s question, “How do I honor all parts of myself?” Although my Irish ancestry may not be as authentic as I once believed, I still feel a strong connection to the Irish culture. I’ve found that to truly honor all pieces of my identity, I must be willing to accept every aspect of my ancestry. I don’t need to reject Lebanese ethnicity, nor disregard the Irish memories of my childhood. I am allowed to be everything all at once. At the end of the day, with both Irish culture and Lebanese heritage, I am still simply and perfectly me.

Reese Martin is a junior at University Liggett School in Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan. Reese plays hockey and soccer, swims competitively and is a violinist in her school orchestra. She enjoys volunteering, especially peer tutoring and reading with young children.

Rowan Burba

Saluting Shadows

On the floor, a murdered woman lays bloody and dead. Two young boys stare in horror at their dead mother. At only 10 years old, my great-grandfather experienced unfathomable suffering. A generation later, my grandfather and two great-uncles grew up under an abusive roof. My great-uncle Joe, the youngest of three boys, endured the worst of the abuse. Joe’s scarred brain altered during the sexual and emotional abuse his father subjected him to. From the time he was 18 months old, trusted adults of Joe’s community violated him throughout his childhood. These traumas spiraled into a century of silence, the silence I am determined to break. 

My father’s lineage is littered with trauma. Our family doesn’t openly share its past. We constantly masquerade as “normal” so we can fit in, but the alienation we experience is understandable. In Kayla DeVault’s YES! article “Native and European—How Do I Honor All Parts of Myself?” she explains her numerous identities, which include Shawnee, Anishinaabe, Eastern European, Scottish, and Irish. Although I don’t have her rich ethnic ancestry, I question my roots just as she does. I have limited photos of my deceased relatives. There are only two prominent ones: my paternal grandmother as a child with her siblings and my maternal grandmother’s obituary photo. These frosted images hide the truth of my family’s history. They’re not perfect 4″ x 6″ moments frozen in time. They’re shadowed memories of a deeply disturbed past.

For 17 years, my family was clueless about our past family trauma. Two months ago, my great-aunt explained Joe’s story to me. Joe developed Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) as a result of his abuse. By the age of 18, his brain contained 95 alters (fragments of his identity that broke off and developed into true individuals), causing Joe to appear as the “weird one,” the one who my family dismissed, the outcast of my dad’s childhood. My dad only learned one year ago, long after Joe died, about Joe’s DID. My family’s adamancy to hold secrets outweighed accepting and helping Joe. The shadows around these secrets quickly dispersed. 

The silence and shame from a mother’s death a century ago still have a chokehold on my family today. My family appears a disaster to outsiders.  My mom’s side is so religious they would never fathom a conversation about these harsh realities. In addition to Joe, my dad’s side has uncles who struggle with codependency and trauma from past abuses. Joe’s brother coped by latching onto another “normal” family, and my grandfather coped by never talking about issues. My parents married soon after my maternal grandmother and three of her four siblings died within a few weeks of each other. Despite years of therapy, my parents divorced when I was 11 years old. I grew up surrounded by dysfunction without recognizing it. 

How do I honor my roots? I work to break the silence and stigmas of abuse and mental health. I’ve participated in therapy for about five years and have been on medicine for about two. I must reprogram my brain’s attachment to codependent tendencies and eliminate the silence within me. I’m working through my intrusive thoughts and diving into my family’s past and disrupting harmful old patterns. I’m stepping away from the shadows of my ancestors and into the light, ensuring that future generations grow up with knowledge of our past history of abuse and mental illness. Knowledge that allows us to explore the shadows without living in them. Knowledge that there’s more in life outside of the frames.

Rowan Burba, a junior at Kirkwood High School in Missouri, loves to participate as a witness in Mock Trial competitions, build and paint sets for the KHS theatre department, play viola in her school orchestra, and do crafts with kids. She is involved in politics and wants to help change the world for the better.

Mia De Haan

Estrella Mountain Community College, Avondale, Ariz.

What Being a Part of the LGBTQ+ Community Means to Me

Being queer is that one thing about me I am most proud of, yet also most scared of. Knowing that I am putting my life at risk for the simplest thing, like being gay, is horrifying.

Let’s talk about my first crush. Her name was Laurel, and she was always in front of me when we lined up after recess in first grade. I remember wishing that girls could marry girls because she had the prettiest long, blonde hair. I left these thoughts in the back of my head until middle school. I couldn’t stop staring at a certain girl all day long. That one girl who I would have sleepovers with every weekend and slow dance with at school dances—but only as friends. She changed my life. She was the first person to tell me that I was accepted and had no reason to be afraid. 

Being part of the LGBTQ+ community isn’t all rainbows and Pride parades. It is watching your family turn away from you in disgust but never show it on their faces. It’s opening Twitter and learning that it’s still illegal to be gay in 71+ countries. It’s astonishing that we had to wait until 2015 for the U.S. Supreme Court to make it legal to marry in all 50 states.  

My identity is happiness yet pain, so much pain. I hated myself for years, shoved myself back into a closet and dated my best friend for two years because maybe if I brought a boy home my family would wish me “Happy Birthday” again or send me Christmas presents like they do for my brother and sister.

When I began to explore my identity again, I asked myself, “Am I safe?” “Will I still be loved?” I was horrified. I am horrified. Legally, I am safe, but I am not safe physically. I can still be beaten up on the streets for holding a girl’s hand. Protesters at Pride festivals are still allowed to shout profanities at us and tell us that we are going to burn in hell—and the cops protect them. I am not safe mentally because I still allow the words of people and homophobes in the media and on my street get inside of my head and convince me that I am a criminal. 

When I read Kayla DeVault’s YES! article “Native and European—How Do I Honor All Parts of Myself?” I could feel how proud DeVault is to be Shawnee and Irish. While we do not share the same identity, I could tell that we are the same because we both would do anything for our cultures and want to show our pride to the rest of the world.

I honor my LGBTQ+ identity by going to Pride festivals and events. I also participate in an LGBTQ+ church and club, where, for years, was the only place I could be myself without the fear of being outed or harmed. Whenever I hear people being ignorant towards my community, I try to stay calm and have a conversation about why our community is great and valid and that we are not doing anything wrong. 

I don’t know if the world will ever change, but I do know that I will never change my identity just because the world is uncomfortable with who I am. I have never been one to take risks; the idea of making a fool of myself scares me. But I took one because I thought someone might listen to my gay sob story. I never expected it to be heard. If you have your own gay sob story, I will listen, and so will many others, even if you don’t realize it yet.  

Amelia (Mia) De Haan was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona. Mia has devoted her entire life to art, specifically theatre and dance. While she has struggled to figure out what she wants to do for the rest of her life, she does know that she wants to inspire people and be a voice for the people of the LGBTQ+ community who still feel that no one is listening. Mia dreams of moving to New York with her cat Loki and continuing to find a way to inspire people.

Laura Delgado

Spring Hill College, Mobile, Ala.

I moved to the United States when I was eight years old because my father knew Venezuela was becoming more corrupt. He wanted to give his family a better life. My sense of self and belonging was wiped clean when I moved to the United States, a country that identified me and continues to label me as an “alien.” On U.S Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) documents, I am Alien Number xxx-xxx-xxx.  I will not let that alien number define who I am: a proud Venezuelan and American woman.

In her YES! article “Native and European—How Do I Honor All Parts of Myself?” author Kayla DeVault says that “to truly honor [her] heritage, [she] found [she] must understand and participate in it.” This is why during Christmas I help my mom make hallacas (a traditional Venezuelan dish made out of cornmeal, stuffed with beef, pork, chicken, raisins, capers, and olives, wrapped in a banana leaf that is boiled to perfection), pan de jamón (a Christmas bread filled with ham, cheese, raisins, and olives—the perfect sweet and salty combination, if you ask me), and ensalada de gallina (a chicken, potatoes, and green apple salad seasoned with mayonnaise, salt, and pepper). While the gaitas (traditional Venezuelan folk music) is playing, we set up the Christmas tree and, under it, the nativity scene. The smell of Venezuelan food engulfs our small apartment. Every time I leave the house, the smell of food sticks to me like glue, and I love it.

We go to our fellow Venezuelan friend’s house to dance, eat, and laugh like we were back in Venezuela. We play bingo and gamble quarters as we talk over each other.  My favorite thing is how we poke fun at each other, our way of showing our love. There is nothing better than being surrounded by my Venezuelan family and friends and feeling like I belong.

My ancestors are Spanish settlers, West African slaves, and Indigenous Venezuelans. To my peers, I am a Latina woman who can speak Spanish and comes from a country they have never heard of. To my family, I am a strong and smart Venezuelan woman who is succeeding in this country she calls home. 

I was immediately an outcast as a young newcomer to this country. I was the new, exotic girl in class who did not speak a word of English; all of that led to bullying. Growing up in a country that did not want me was—and still is—hard. People often ask me why I would ever want to identify as American. My answer to their question is simple: This is my home. I knew that the chances of us going back to Venezuela were slim to none so I decided to make this country my home. At first, I fought it. My whole life was back in Venezuela. Eventually, I made lifelong friends, had my first kiss and my first heartbreak. I went to all of the homecoming and prom dances and made memories with my best friends to last me a lifetime. Yes, I was born in Venezuela and the pride of being a Venezuelan woman will never be replaced, but my whole life is in the United States and I would never trade that for the world. 

I am Venezuelan and I am American. I am an immigrant and I am Latina. The United States government will always know me as Alien Number xxx-xxx-xxx, but they will not know that my heritage is rich and beautiful and that I am a proud Venezuelan and a proud American woman.

Laura Delgado is a Junior at Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama, majoring in Graphic Design and minoring in Hispanic Studies. Laura and her family migrated to the United States from Venezuela in 2007 to escape the Chavez regime. She is a DACA recipient and a first-generation college student who has a passion for graphic design and hopes to one day open her own interior design company.

Dear every human who wrote in this contest or thought about writing,

I want to start by addressing all of you. 

I think stepping out of your comfort zone and writing your truth—even if you think you aren’t a writer— is a brave thing to do. 

I want you to understand that not being selected does not mean your story isn’t valid or that your identity wasn’t “enough.” Remember, you’re always enough. You’re enough to God, to Allah, to your Higher Power, to the Flying Spaghetti Monster in the sky, to your parents, and to your ancestors who endured long enough for you to come into existence. 

As I read through the various essays, I saw a common thread of food . Whether it’s the pierogi sales at churches in Pittsburgh, the neverias around Phoenix, or the soul food joints in Birmingham, the history of our ancestors’ movements have left their impressions in our cuisine. 

Another theme I found in several essays was a “uniformed diaspora.” Some of you talked about not being able to fully trace your lineage, having your history stolen by some method of political racism, and even grappling with finding that your genetics are not all you thought they were. As a Native person, I know all too well that we had much taken from us. I know that the conquerors wrote our history, so ours is recorded with bias, racism, and flippancy. 

And now to the essay winners:

To Susanna: Obrigada for your story. I encourage you to keep exploring your identity and how it informs your existence today on Lenape, Rockaway, and Canarsie traditional lands (New York City). Your imagery reflects saudades well. I think there is an intriguing and untapped story embedded in your father’s experience from Lebanon, and I encourage you to explore how that merges with your Brazilian identity.

When I read that passage about Starbucks, I thought about how the average young American seems to be private in public, but public in private—meaning this culture and its technology isolates us (private) when we are around other people (public), yet so many of us share most about ourselves on social media (public) where we can pick and choose if we want to engage with someone (private). By the way, I, too, played lacrosse… Did you know it has Indigenous roots?

To Cherry: 非常感谢你!  Don’t listen to the American stereotypes of who you are, as hard as that can be. You sadly may always hear them, but hearing is not the same as listening. People undermine the things they don’t understand because the things they don’t understand scare them. While it is not your job to feel you have to educate them, you do have the freedom to choose how you navigate those spaces.

I understand how it may feel inauthentic to learn how to make traditional foods like zongzi from a YouTube video. For me, I have had to learn beading and other crafts because I was too ashamed to learn them when I had the elders still in my life. I  tell young folk to know their elders now while they can. Furthermore, please speak every language no matter how imperfect because it’s a gift. Also, I’ll eat your zongzi any day, even if all the rice falls out!

To Keon: The imagery and symbols of slavery you use, powerfully describe a revisionist history that further blocks access to what would be a culturally-rich ancestry. 

I remember standing on the shores of Ouidah, Benin, from where the majority of slaves left, looking through La Porte du Non Retour (The Door of No Return) memorial, and hearing a local say, “Our relatives, they left these shores for the ships and then… we never heard from them again.” And so we come to realize our stories are known only so far as they have been carried. 

I see hope in the way you have embraced your roots as your branches to move forward. I believe that, in looking towards your branches, you have actually found your roots. You are a product of all the stories, told and untold, remembered and forgotten. I encourage you to keep writing and exploring how your seemingly contradicting and somewhat unknown roots shaped your ancestors and shape their product: you. Don’t hold back. 

To Madison: Grazie and תודה. First of all, pizza bagels are delicious… just saying… talk about the best of both worlds! You write about the challenge of fitting into your communities, and I can certainly see how religious differences can become contentious. 

I am sorry that you had a negative Hillel experience. In the end, we can’t let the persecutors steal our ancestral identities from us because that allows them to win. Cultures are fluid, not rigid and defined as peers might bully us into thinking. It’s rotten when people label us with things like “pizza bagel,” but if you boldly embrace it, you can turn it on its head. So I encourage you to be the smartest, wittiest, and most deliciously confident pizza bagel out there, writing your experience for all to read!

To Laura: Gracias , you write with a motif of sorts, one that conflates your identity to a number and the label of “alien.” For people in the United States to be dismissive of immigrants and judgmental of their cultures and languages is for the same people to forget their own origins, their own stories, and their own roles (as benefactors or as victims) in this age-old system of oppression for gain. It is also rather ironic that we call people “aliens;” unless they are from an Indigenous nation. Are not nearly all Americans “aliens” to some degree?

You write about being bullied as the new, exotic girl in school and I have also experienced that as my family moved around a bit growing up; however, I have also had the privilege to speak English.

It’s sad that these experiences are still so proliferate, and so I think it is vital that people like you share their experiences. Perhaps your background can inform how you think about spaces as an interior designer. 

To Mariela: Gracias and תודה for the story you shared. You write about a complex existence that is a mix of poor and wealthy, white and brown, warm and cool. Learning to navigate these contrasting sides of your family will help you work with different kinds of people in your future.

I can understand your point about feeling out of place by your skin color. Lighter skin is largely considered a privilege in society, yet for those of us with non-white heritages, it can make us feel like we don’t belong amongst our own family. We have to walk a fine line where we acknowledge we may be treated better than our relatives in some circumstances but we have to sit with the feeling of not being “brown enough” other times. I encourage you to keep exploring your branches and sharing your feelings with your relatives about these topics. Perhaps one day you can use your deep understanding of human relations to inform your bedside manner as a doctor!

To Mia: Thank you for your brave piece, despite your fears. Your emotional recollection about the first girl you loved is very touching and powerful. 

I am sorry that you don’t feel as though you are treated the same by your family on account of your identity and that you have to take extra steps to be accepted, but I believe your continuing to be your authentic self is the only way to prove you mean what you mean.

I hope the utmost safety and acceptance for you. I also thank you for seeing and relating to my pride that I have for myself, and I encourage you to consider creative outlets— maybe even podcast hosting—to uplift your story and the stories of others, spread awareness, and facilitate change.

To Reese: Go raibh maith agat . That’s how you thank a singular person in Irish, if you didn’t know already. I enjoyed your piece because, of course, we have an Irish connection that I understand.

I find it pretty interesting that you came back with a lot of Lebanese results in your family tests. Understand those tests only represent the inherited genes, so if both of your parents were a quarter Irish but three-quarters Lebanese, for example, you would get half of each of their genes. You might get half Lebanese from both and you would appear full Lebanese—or any other variation. My point is those tests aren’t exact reports.

I am excited you have found new aspects of your heritage and I hope you will continue to explore—as best you can—what your ancestral history is. And, by the way, I, too, play hockey and the violin—fine choices!

To Rowan: Many families put up a facade, and it’s only the brave ones, like you, addressing the trauma head-on who will be able to break the cycle that causes intergenerational trauma. 

When we explore the parts of our identity, many of us may find how much trauma —including historic policy, racism, and displacement—has impacted our ancestors, perhaps centuries upon centuries ago. Learning about my family history and about religious factors has revealed stories of abuse and secrets that have been hushed wildly, even within my immediate family. Photos can be sad when we know the stories behind them and even when we never knew the person; they’re still a part of us and we can honor them by remembering them. I think you choosing to write about your Uncle Joe and the effects of trauma in your family— especially as you process and heal yourself—will be a tremendous resource both internally and for others. Thank you for sharing and I hope you find happiness in those frames.

Again, thank you all for your essays. It is exciting to see the youth writing. I am grateful for my piece to have been chosen for this contest and, I hope I’ve encouraged readers to consider every part that makes up their whole and how it has informed their life experiences.

Kayla DeVault

“ In seventh grade, I went to an affinity group meeting. And all I remember was being called a bad Asian again and again. I was called a bad Asian because I couldn’t use chopsticks. I was called a bad Asian because I didn’t know what bubble tea or K-pop was. Time and again, I was called a bad Asian because I didn’t know the things I was expected to know, and I didn’t do the things that I was expected to do. That meeting made me truly question my identity. “ . —Sebastian Cynn, Ethical Culture Fieldston Middle School, Bronx, N.Y. Click here to read the entire essay.

“It’s difficult being Dominican but born and raised in New York. I’m supposed to speak fluent Spanish. I’m supposed to listen to their music 24/7, and I’m supposed to follow their traditions. I’m supposed to eat their main foods. I’m unique and it’s not only me. Yes, I may not speak Spanish. Yes, I may not listen to their kind of music, but I don’t think that defines who I am as a Dominican. I don’t think I should be discriminated for not being the same as most Dominicans. Nobody should be discriminated against for being different from the rest because sometimes different is good. “ —Mia Guerrero, KIPP Washington Heights Middle School, New York, N.Y. Click here to read the entire essay.

When I hang out with some of my older friend groups, which are mainly white, straight kids, I don’t mention that I’m Asian or Gay, but as soon as I’m with my friends, I talk about my identifiers a lot. A lot of them are part of the LGBTQ+ community, and 11 out of 14 of them are a person of color. With my grandparents, I am quieter, a good Asian grandchild who is smart, gets good grades, is respectful. And I don’t act “Gay.” … Why do I have to act differently with different people? Why do I only feel comfortable with all of my identities at school?

—Gillian Okimoto, Ethical Culture Fieldston Middle School, Bronx, N.Y. Click here to read the entire essay .

“ Torah, Shema, yarmulke, all important elements of Jewish identity—except for mine. All these symbols assume the existence of a single God, but that doesn’t resonate with me. Religion is a meaningful part of my family’s identity. After all, wanting to freely practice their religion was what brought my great-grandparents to America from Eastern Europe. Being very interested in science, I could never wrap my head around the concept of God. Can I be Jewish while not believing in God? “ —Joey Ravikoff, Ethical Culture Fieldston Middle School, Bronx, N.Y. Click here to read the entire essay.

“ Yes, I am transgender, but I am also a son, a friend, an aspiring writer, and a dog trainer. I love riding horses. I’ve had the same volunteer job since sixth grade. I love music and trips to the art museum. I know who I am and whether other people choose to see me for those things is out of my control.  Holidays with my family feels like I’m suffocating in a costume. I’ve come out twice in my life. First, as a lesbian in middle school. Second, as a transgender man freshman year. I’ve gotten good at the classic sit-down. With hands folded neatly in front of me, composure quiet and well-kept, although I’m always terrified. “ —Sebastian Davies-Sigmund, Kirkwood High School, Kirkwood, Mo. Click here to read the entire essay.

“ No longer do I wish to be stared at when civil rights and slavery are discussed. In every Socratic seminar, I shudder as expectant white faces turn to mine. My brown skin does not make me the ambassador for Black people everywhere. Please do not expect me to be the racism police anymore. Do not base the African American experience upon my few words. Do not try to be relatable when mentioning Hannukah is in a few days. Telling me you tell your White friends not to say the N-word doesn’t do anything for me. “ —Genevieve Francois, Kirkwood High School, Kirkwood, Mo. Click here to read the entire essay.

“ I often walk into the kitchen greeted by my mother sitting on her usual stool and the rich smells of culture—the spicy smell of India, the hearty smell of cooked beans, or the sizzling of burgers on the grill. Despite these great smells, I find myself often yearning for something like my friends have; one distinct culture with its food, people, music, and traditions. I don’t have a one-click culture. That can be freeing, but also intimidating . People who know me see me as a fraction: ¼ black, ¾ white, but I am not a fraction. I am human, just human. “ —Amaela Bruce, New Tech Academy at Wayne High School, Fort Wayne, Ind. Click here to read the entire essay.

“‘We just don’t want you to go to hell. ‘ I am not an atheist. I am not agnostic. I have no religion nor do I stand strong in any one belief. My answer to the mystery of life is simple: I don’t know. But I live in a world full of people who think they do.  There will be a day when that capital G does not control my conversations. There will be a day when I can speak of my beliefs, or lack thereof, without judgment, without the odd stare, and without contempt. The day will come when a life without religion is just another life. That is the day I wait for. That day will be Good. “ —Amara Lueker, New Tech Academy at Wayne High School, Fort Wayne, Ind. Click here to read the entire essay.

“¡Correle!” yell the people around him. He runs to the grass, ducks down and starts to wait. He’s nervous. You can smell the saltiness of sweat. He looks up and hears the chopping of helicopter blades. You can see the beam of light falling and weaving through the grass field … out of a group of thirteen, only four were left hidden. He and the others crossed and met up with people they knew to take them from their own land down south to the opportunity within grasp up north. That was my father many years ago. I’ve only asked for that story once, and now it’s committed to memory. “ —Luz Zamora, Woodburn Academy of Art Science & Technology, Woodburn, Ore. Click here to read the entire essay.

“ How do I identify myself? What do I connect to? What’s important to you? Here’s the answer: I don’t. Don’t have a strong connection. Don’t know the traditions. Don’t even know the languages. I eat some of the food and kinda sorta hafta** the major holidays but thinking about it I don’t know anything important. I think that the strongest connection to my family is my name, Mei Li (Chinese for “beautiful” Ana (a variation on my mother’s very American middle name: Anne) Babuca (my father’s Mexican last name). “ —Mei Li Ana Babuca, Chief Sealth International High School, Seattle, Wash. Click here to read the entire essay.

“ My whole life I have felt like I don’t belong in the Mexican category. I mean yeah, I’m fully Mexican but, I’ve always felt like I wasn’t. Why is that you ask? Well, I feel that way because I don’t know Spanish. Yes, that’s the reason. It may not sound like a big deal, but, for me, I’ve always felt disconnected from my race. I felt shameful. I felt like it was an obligation to know what is supposed to be my mother tongue. My whole family doesn’t really know fluent Spanish and that has always bothered me growing up. “ —Yazmin Perez, Wichita North High School, Wichita, Kan Click here to read the entire essay.

“ I believe differently from DeVault, who believes it’s important to connect and participate with your heritage. I believe that our personal pasts have more to do with who we are as people than any national identity ever could. Sure, our heritage is important, but it doesn’t do nearly as much to shape our character and perspective as our struggles and burdens do. Out of all my past experiences, illness—and especially mental illness—has shaped me. “ —Chase Deleon, Central York High School, York, Penn. Click here to read the entire essay.

“ … I can now run that whole grape leaf assembly line, along with other traditional plates, by myself. I have begun speaking out on current topics, such as Middle-Eastern representation in acting. I have become so much closer with my relatives and I don’t mind busting a move with them on the dance floor. Although a trip to Syria is not in my near future, DeVault made me realize that a connection to your geographical cultural roots is important. According to my aunt, I have become a carefree, happy, and more passionate person. I no longer feel stuck in the middle of ethnicity and society. Becoming one with and embracing my identity truly is ‘A Whole New World.’” —Christina Jarad, University Ligget School, Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich. Click here to read the entire essay.

“While my bow is not made of wood and my arrows lack a traditional stone tip, the connections are always present, whether I am stalking bull elk in the foothills of the Rockies or fly fishing in the mystical White River. The methods and the technologies may be different, but the motivations are the same. It is a need to be connected to where my food originates. It is a desire to live in harmony with untouched lands. It is a longing to live wild, in a time where the wild is disappearing before our eyes. “ —Anderson Burdette, Northern Oklahoma University, Stillwater, Okla. Click here to read the entire essay.

“Black people always say that White people don’t use seasoning. This saying is one of those sayings that I always heard, but never understood. I am Black, but I was adopted into a White household … Even though I identify as a Black woman, all my life I have struggled with breaking into the Black culture because other people around me consciously or unconsciously prevent me from doing so. “ —Brittany Hartung, Spring Hill College, Mobile, Ala. Click here to read the entire essay.

We received many outstanding essays for the Fall 2019 Student Writing Competition. Though not every participant can win the contest, we’d like to share some excerpts that caught our eye:

How can other people say that I only have one identity before I can even do that for myself? —Arya Gupta, Ethical Culture Fieldston Middle School, Bronx, N.Y.

‘Middle Child’ by J. Cole blasts through the party. Everyone spits the words like they’re on stage with him. J. Cole says the N-Word, and I watch my Caucasian peers proudly sing along. Mixed Girl is perplexed. Black Girl is crestfallen that people she calls friends would say such a word. Each letter a gory battlefield; White Girls insists they mean no harm; it’s how the song’s written. Black Girl cries. —Liz Terry, Kirkwood High School, Kirkwood, Mo.

To me, valuing my ancestors is a way for me to repay them for their sacrifices. —Jefferson Adams Lopez, Garrison Middle School, Walla Walla, Wash.

A one-hour drive with light traffic. That’s the distance between me and my cousins. Short compared to a 17-hour flight to the Philippines, yet 33 miles proved to create a distance just as extreme. Thirty-three miles separated our completely different cultures. —Grace Timan, Mount Madonna High School, Gilroy, Calif.

What does it mean to feel Korean? Does it mean I have to live as if I live in Korea? Does it mean I have to follow all the traditions that my grandparents followed? Or does it mean that I can make a decision about what I love? —Max Frei, Ethical Culture Fieldston Middle School, Bronx, N.Y.

Not knowing feels like a safe that you can’t open (speaking about her ancestry) . —Madison Nieves-Ryan, Rachel Carson High School, New York, N.Y.

As I walked down the halls from classroom to classroom in high school, I would see smiling faces that looked just like mine. At every school dance, in every school picture, and on every sports team, I was surrounded by people who looked, thought, and acted similar to me. My identity was never a subject that crossed my mind. When you aren’t exposed to diversity on a daily basis, you aren’t mindful of the things that make you who you are. —Jenna Robinson, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio

When my Great-Great-Grandfather Bill was 12, he ran away to work with his uncles. And then when he was older and married, he called up his wife and said, “Honey, I’m heading off to college for a few years. Buh-Bye!” Because of his adventurous spirit, Bill Shea was the first Shea to go to college. Ever since my mom told me this story, I’ve always thought that we could all use a little Bill attitude in our lives.  —Jordan Fox, Pioneer Middle School, Walla Walla, Wash.

I defy most of the stereotypes of the Indian community. I’m a gender-fluid, American, Belizean kid who isn’t very studious. I want to be a writer, not a doctor, and I would hang out with friends rather than prepare for the spelling bee. —Yadna Prasad, Ethical Culture Fieldston Middle School, Bronx, N.Y.

While my last name may be common, the history behind my family is not. A line of warriors, blacksmiths, intellectuals, and many more. I’m someone who is a story in progress. —Ha Tuan Nguyen, Chief Sealth International High School, Seattle, Wash.

My family is all heterosexual. I did not learn about my identity from them. LGBTQ+ identity is not from any part of the world. I cannot travel to where LGBTQ+people originate. It does not exist. That is the struggle when connecting with our identities. It is not passed on to us. We have to find it for ourselves. —Jacob Dudley, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio

My race is DeVault’s childhood kitchen, so warm and embracing. Familiar. My sexuality is DeVault’s kitchen through adulthood: disconnected. —Maddie Friar, Kirkwood High School, Kirkwood, Mo.

At school, I was Dar-SHAW-na and at home DAR-sha-na. There were two distinct versions, both were me, but neither were complete. \ —Darshana Subramaniam, University Liggett School, Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich.

I do not think that heritage and ethnic roots are always about genetics. It is about the stories that come with it, and those stories are what shapes who you are. —Lily Cordon-Siskind, Ethical Culture Fieldston Middle School, Bronx, N.Y.

In my sixteen-year-old mind, the two ethnicities conflicted. I felt like I couldn’t be both. I couldn’t be in touch with Southern roots and Cuban ones at the same time. How could I, they contradict each other? The Cuban part of me ate all my food, was loud and blunt, an underdog and the Southerner was reserved, gentle, and polite. —Grace Crapps, Spring Hill College, Mobile, Ala.

I thought I was simply an American. However, I learned that I am not a jumbled mix of an untraceable past, but am an expertly woven brocade of stories, cultures, and hardships. My ancestors’ decisions crafted me…I am a story, and I am a mystery. —Hannah Goin, Pioneer Middle School, Walla Walla, Wash.

We received many outstanding essays for the Fall 2019 Student Writing Competition, and several students got clever and creative with their titles. Here are some titles that grabbed our attention:

“A Mixed Child in a Mixed-Up Family” Caitlin Neidow, Ethical Culture Fieldston Middle School, Bronx, N.Y.

“Diggin’ in the DNA” Honnor Lawton, Chestnut Hill Middle School, Liverpool, N.Y.

“Hey! I’m Mexican (But I’ve Never Been There)” Alexis Gutierrez-Cornelio, Wellness, Business & Sports School, Woodburn, Ore.

“What It Takes to Be a Sinner” Amelia Hurley, Kirkwood High School, Kirkwood, Mo.

“Mirish” Alyssa Rubi, Chief Sealth International High School, Seattle, Wash.

“Nunca Olvides de Donde Vienes ” ( Never forget where you came from ) Araceli Franco, Basis Goodyear High School, Goodyear, Ariz.

“American Tacos” Kenni Rayo-Catalan, Estrella Mountain Community College, Avondale, Ariz.

“Corn-Filled Mornings and Spicy Afternoons” Yasmin Medina, Tarrant County Community College, Fort Worth, Tex.

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Home — Essay Samples — Social Issues — Diversity — My Country: Paragraphs about Diversity

My Country: Paragraphs About Diversity

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Native Language and Its Role in a Person’ Life Essay

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Introduction

Native language, works cited.

Language is not just the means for expressing ideas and sharing information. It is something bigger. Speaking specific languages people acquire particular culture, they become the part of it. That is why, when people have to leave the places they were born in, they keep language they got used to speak as something the most valuable and sacred. It is impossible to take all the things when leaving to the strange culture, but it is possible to have native language and use it whenever one wants.

Reading Agosin’s article Always Living in Spanish: Recovering the Familiar, through Language I faced a quote, “I miss that undulating and sensuous language of mine, those baroque descriptions, the sense of being and felling that Spanish gives me” (Agosin 203) and I have understood that it is about me. Spanish is not my native language, but it seems that the author speaks about Russian, my native language.

I want to say that even though my English is good, I can express ideas and people understand me in a proper way, I feel like I am singing when I speak my native language. It is easier for me to speak Russian when I want to express emotions. I sometimes feel that I really miss my native language, the one which I have been using for many years before I moved here, to the USA.

I do not want to say that I have problems with reading or communicating in English, it is just different. It seems to me that when I speak my native language, I recollect the memories about my childhood. Furthermore, there are a lot of different poems in English which touch my heart, but when I read poetry in my native language, it seems to me that each word is full of emotions, traditions and culture I used to.

Turning the discussion to the literature and tradition, it is impossible to deny that such notions are closely connected. For example, the poetry of Sergei Yesenin is the description of the pastoral Russia. Each word in his poems is full the smell of meadows, fields, trees, flowers, rivers, etc. Yesenin’s poems are not only about Russia, they are for Russia, the place he was born and died. Alexander Pushkin is another representative of Russian literature.

I would like to say that asking foreigners about Russian poets and writers they know, they will definitely remember Pushkin. The works of these poets remind me what Russia is. It does not matter for me that Pushkin wrote during Romantic era and Yesenin was a representative of 20 th century literature. The nature they describe has not changed (if not to take into account raised cities), as the villages and the forests they describe are full of Russian spirit.

Reading these poets in English translation I cannot experience these feeling of national identity. Only using Russian books for reading, it seems to me that I appear in my native country. Close connection between books and culture cannot be denied as they have been written by the people who were brought us by the same social norms and traditions. Thus, it is possible to conclude that language and traditions are closely connected and even these notions are a part of the culture of the whole nation.

Touching the issue of tradition and language, it is possible to provide an example using the following words, “Let me explain why we haven’t adopted English as our official family language. For me and most of the bilingual people I know, it’s a matter of respect for our parents and comfort in our cultural roots” (Marquez 207). Isn’t the phrase perfectly explains the reasons why living in a foreign country people still try to use their native language for communication?

Myriam Marquez is speaking about Spanish, her native language, but these words may be related to any language in the world. Language is not just the collection of sounds which combination comprises words, it is the storage of the traditions and culture. It is possible to notice that when people communicate with the help of their native language (living for a long time in another country and speaking strange language) they become happier as it is an opportunity to touch their culture even staying in a strange country.

Speaking my native language it seems that I show respect to my native culture. It is really easy to refuse from the native roots if you live in the country which gives you more. Still, I cannot do this. I cannot refuse from my native land as I love it with the whole my heart.

Respect to culture roots is something more that speaking the language of the native country, but living in a foreign state it can be the only possible variant to give credit for the native land, relatives and other ancestry who had lived there before and had made all possible that we, modern generation, could be born and grow up in a free country with remained customs and traditions.

I live in the USA not so long, but, still, the desire to speak my native language is always too high. The inability to see my relatives, communicate face-to-face with my school friends increases the desire to use native language in the everyday life. I always try to use the slightest possibility to speak Russian as it makes me feel closer to the country I have grown up in.

Cultural roots have always been important even for those who had to leave their country because of the inability to find job there or just for searching better life. When I speak my native language, I always remember my parents and relatives, some specific situations connected with them.

Sometimes I feel that the communication with the help of my native language does not allow me to forget my native country, my customs and traditions, my personal and cultural identity. No matter how long I am going to live in this country, how often I am going to communicate in English, I will always remain Russian in my soul. Once I met a woman.

She was about 75-80 years old. Her English was perfect and I thought that she was a born American, but when she heard me speaking over the telephone in Russian (I talked to my parents), she said that Russian was her native language as well. She had been living for 50 years in the USA, but she still tried to speak her native language as it helped her remain Russian in her heart. That chance meeting made me think about my personal life and the place of my native culture in present me.

I would like to say that culture and language are essential parts of every person. No matter where life can bring a person, how far from the native country he/she may appear, language is always the reminder about the culture and traditions one has been growing up in.

Communicating in English, I always felt that it is not my native language, that I am far from my relatives and friends and when the feeling of miss fulfills my heart I ring up my parents and communicate with them in my native language, the one I got used to from the cradle and the one I am going to carry with me for a length of time.

Agosin, Marjorie. “Always Living in Spanish: Recovering the Familiar, through Language.” Multilingual USA : 201-206.

Marquez, Myriam. “Why and when we speak Spanish in public.” Multilingual USA : 207-209.

• Languages: Social and Regional Varieties of English
• Languages: Media Translation Issues
• Russian Composers Pyotr Ilich Tchaikovsky and Sergei Prokofiev
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IvyPanda. (2020, April 22). Native Language and Its Role in a Person' Life. https://ivypanda.com/essays/native-language-and-its-role-in-a-person-life/

"Native Language and Its Role in a Person' Life." IvyPanda , 22 Apr. 2020, ivypanda.com/essays/native-language-and-its-role-in-a-person-life/.

IvyPanda . (2020) 'Native Language and Its Role in a Person' Life'. 22 April.

IvyPanda . 2020. "Native Language and Its Role in a Person' Life." April 22, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/native-language-and-its-role-in-a-person-life/.

1. IvyPanda . "Native Language and Its Role in a Person' Life." April 22, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/native-language-and-its-role-in-a-person-life/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Native Language and Its Role in a Person' Life." April 22, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/native-language-and-its-role-in-a-person-life/.

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My Country The United States Essay In 100 to 200 Words

Get a comprehensive look into the heart of America with this illuminating essay on ‘My Country, The United States’. Trace its storied history and explore how it has shaped our cultural identity today. From government policies to citizen contributions, discover why we take pride in being part of such an incredible country!

My Country, the United States Essay In 200 Words

1. Introduction Paragraph

The United States is an expansive country of unmatched diversity and economic clout, located in North America. With over 328 million citizens living within its boundaries, the US has established itself as a world leader for democracy and culture – both domestically and internationally.

2. Supporting Details

From its foundation and the arrival of Native Americans over 15,000 years ago to the birth of a new nation on July 4th in 1776, America’s history has been one filled with both progress and struggle. Major watershed moments such as abolishing slavery, granting women suffrage rights and advancing civil liberties have forged an ever-evolving path towards justice for all American citizens.

The United States is a beacon of freedom and democracy, renowned for its commitment to upholding civil liberties. Governed by the three branches – legislative, executive and judicial – it ensures strict adherence to checks and balances; with the President acting as head of state whilst leading America’s army forces from the front lines. Celebrated worldwide for being an amalgamation of cultures old and new alike, this federal republic stands united in pursuit of justice today!

From Hollywood to Broadway, the culture of the United States is enriched by people from all corners of the globe. Popular cultural icons have become part of our national identity, such as its beloved professional sports teams and vibrant diversity in cuisine ranging from Italian to Chinese food. With so many dynamic contributions at work here, it becomes abundantly clear why America stands out on a global scale.

From various ethnic and cultural backgrounds come the incredibly diverse people of the United States – a country steeped in individual freedoms, human rights, prideful history, and celebrated culture. The nation stands firmly committed to upholding these values for generations to come.

3. Conclusion

With its distinct history, cultural breadth and vibrant diversity, the United States is a nation deeply rooted in freedom and democracy. As an inspirational hub for people from all corners of the globe striving to reach their dreams with unfaltering determination; this country has left profound marks on our world’s narrative.

Hello! Welcome to my Blog StudyParagraphs.co. My name is Angelina. I am a college professor. I love reading writing for kids students. This blog is full with valuable knowledge for all class students. Thank you for reading my articles.

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How to Tell Your Native Story on a College Application

If you’re like most students, you’re not exactly looking forward to the high stakes college application process. How do you write the perfect essay? How do you share with reviewers everything you want them to know about you? Will sharing your Native heritage help make your application stand out? Here are some tips for telling your Native story on a college application.

Utilize Every Part of the Application While many would argue that the personal essay is the most important part of the college application, it’s certainly not the only one. Many applications require or allow for short essays, lists of activities, resumes, and options for including creative work. These areas can be incredibly helpful in telling your Native story. While there is only so much you will be able to include in your personal essay, the other sections of the application provide areas to expand upon, or introduce, aspects of what your Native heritage means in your life. Use them to do just that, highlighting experiences, skills, and memories that are unique to you.

Don’t Be Afraid to Write about Yourself College applications are where you’re supposed to show who you are, and what you have accomplished. Don’t be afraid of sharing your Native story. Instead, highlight it — it’s something uniquely personal to you. Reviewers aren’t necessarily looking for flash; they’re looking for honesty and substance. Sharing with reviewers who you are, and what your Native experience looks like, will help them better understand you as an applicant and potential student at their school.

Focus on the Personal Essay The personal essay is the best place to tell your Native story. But how do you share everything in so few words? Don’t panic. Think about your story and what you want reviewers to come away knowing. Focus on one or two moments or experiences that tell your story, and offer insight into who you are as a person.

Be Honest Whether it’s the fact that you are a first-generation college student or have a passion for taxidermy, be honest on every part of your application. Reviewers want to know what makes you, you. Your honesty gives reviewers the best look at you, and helps them better understand your Native story. Reviewers gravitate toward authenticity and honesty, and they’ve read enough applications to know when those two aspects are absent. Honesty really is the best policy.

Be OK with Sharing Only Part of Your Story At the end of the day, there is only so much you can include in your college application. Even taking advantage of every section, you may feel like your Native story isn’t complete. That’s OK. As long as you’ve told the parts you find meaningful, you will have done your job. You’ve given reviewers a strong sense of who you are as an individual and a student, and that’s all they really need. So don’t obsess over trying to fit every single aspect of your Native story into your application. You don’t need to. 

Completing an application can seem like a monumental task. Try to think of it as an opportunity to show reviewers who you are and what you would bring to their campus. Your story is unique to you, and no one can take that away. Only you can choose how and what you share, but being open, honest, and clear can give your application the added boost it needs to stand out from the rest. Don’t be afraid to tell your Native story — embrace it!

Abigail Reigner, Comanche Nation, is a sophomore at the Rochester Institute of Technology, where she studies mechanical engineering. She also serves as the AISES Region 6 Student Representative. 

With thousands of applications landing at admissions offices, why is it important to make yours personal? Every college’s admission process is different. It’s daunting to submit your application in a pool of thousands. Writing a personal, heartfelt story can be a breath of fresh air for the person reviewing your application.

Why should you tell your Native story on a college application?   Native American students are typically one of the least populous groups among college applicants. It is important not just to tell your story with the goal of getting into college, but also to bring a better awareness to Native struggles, lifestyles, and stories. College applications are a place where you don’t only represent yourself, but all your backgrounds and experiences. It’s your job to own your backgrounds! Providing insight to an otherwise overlooked experience can help admissions counselors get a better idea of who you are —your background, the way you were raised, and where you come from.

What’s the best way to tell your Native story on an application?  A lot of college essays have prompts, that are either assigned or “pick and choose.” If you’re not sure yet what you want to write about, try brainstorming a few different ideas for each essay topic. If you already have an essay topic in mind, try to find the question that best fits your story, and how you can reflect on it. There’s no wrong way to express yourself, so don’t worry so much about the story itself versus what you felt and learned.

How can a Native story be relayed without revealing too much information?  There are a lot of ways to do this, like changing or not using names or simply leaving out details that you deem too personal to share. However, you need to make sure that your story makes sense without these details, so that it is still a comprehensible, thoughtful essay through which you reveal parts of yourself that would be beneficial to the admissions process. It’s important to outline your essay before writing. You can do this by “story mapping” details that are important to include. By mapping the essay early in the process, you can identify information you don’t want to share, and can find an alternate approach to telling your story in a way that makes sense.

How can your Native experience translate to a campus involvement?  A lot of college campuses have Native student clubs, where Indigenous students can connect and work on a variety of things. Many schools also have umbrella-style diversity programs. Either type of club is a way to get involved. Because Indigenous cultures are so diverse, it’s a good idea to have your voice heard through a club. If there are no opportunities for Indigenous involvement on your campus, try reaching out to people within your college to find out how you can start a club or organization to support Native students. 

Pro Tip from Sally M. Douglas, senior associate director of the Undergraduate Admissions Office at the Rochester Institute of Technology The college essay gives an admission committee an opportunity to learn about a student’s passions and character, and how those have shaped personal development. Colleges read thousands of applications, but essays that express resilience to challenges that have contributed to personal growth are ones that stand out the most. The essay is an opportunity to share your journey and let colleges know who you are. The Native traditions and experiences you represent are a wonderful way to demonstrate how a campus can be culturally enriched by unique ideas and perspectives. 

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Essays About Moving to a New Country: Top 5 Examples

Being in a new country comes with both disadvantages and opportunities to thrive. If you are writing essays about moving to a new country, check out our guide.

Most of us can say that we have moved homes at least once before; if this is daunting on its own, what more a completely different country? People often move to have better opportunities for a job or a lower cost of living, but moving to a new country gives us a chance to thrive beyond that. A life-changing experience also presents us with many challenges, some quick to face and others that take months or even years to overcome. 

The experience of moving to a new country is only what you make of it. You can learn so much from such a dramatic lifestyle change, but only if you embrace it and make the most of it. This is not to say you shouldn’t feel stress, sadness, or confusion with the change, but change is constant in life and should not be shunned. Take advantage of the opportunity and thrive.

5 Top Essay Examples

1. moving to a new country essay by rosh, 2. what nobody will tell you about moving to a new country by zulie rane, 3. getting adjusted after moving to a new country by laura mueller, 4. how to cope with stress when moving abroad by josh jackman, 5. when moving to a new country please don’t do this by iva ursano, 1. why move to a new country, 2. where would you move, and why, 3. advantages and disadvantages of moving to a new country, 4. my experience moving to another country, 5. migration and immigration today, 6. lessons a new country can teach you.

“It goes without saying that moving to a new place is a thrilling adventure. The endless list of foods that you have never tasted before, visiting places that you have always seen on the television screen, smells and sounds that have captured your imagination and experiencing the cultures and traditions that are outright different from yours is something that no one wants to miss.”

In this essay, Rosh lists why one might want to move to a new country. These include professional growth, a new adventure, and making new friends. Moving can be a great new experience that can teach you a lot while being exciting at the same time. Rosh also describes a few problems to consider when moving to another country, such as the language barrier and financial issues. 

Looking for more? Check out these essays about moving to a new place .

“I wish I’d had a little more perspective back then. I wish I’d been a little better at detangling what I liked and what I didn’t like, and what the root cause was. I wish I’d been less caught up in the idea of myself as a worldly traveler, and a little more honest about what I aimed for in life. I wish I’d believed I could have stayed and made a difference about the things I cared about, instead of fleeing east.”

Rane discusses how she left Georgia, U.S.A., for the U.K. and why she regrets it. She was at odds with the slow pace of life, her peers’ political views, and her high school experience, so she decided to apply for college abroad. However, reflecting on it now, she is homesick and regrets her decision. She laments how moving is idealized without showing the negative aspects of such a change. 

“Think about the things that you’d like to achieve after moving to a new country, be it becoming fluent in the language, finding a job, finding a group of friends, etc. Then take active steps to achieve it. Working toward distinct goals will give your day’s purpose at a time when everything may seem so up in the air, and the goals themselves will help you become more a part of your surrounding community.”

In her essay, Mueller writes about several tips that can help you get used to a new country, such as learning a bit of the language and culture, going out to explore, and adjusting your routine to one more standard for the country you are in. Most importantly, she suggests setting new goals for your new country, so you have something to focus on. Mueller also stresses the importance of staying connected with your loved ones back home. Check out these essays about home .

“If moving abroad is all you think about for most of the next year, it will take your joy and your sanity – so take a break every so often. When you feel like you’re underwater, clear your thoughts, take a deep breath or five, and give yourself a moment to be silent. Then consider doing something else for a while, before you tackle the next moving issue.”

Similarly to Mueller, Jackman lists down several ways to adjust to the stress that comes with moving to a new country, such as selling some of your unnecessary belongings and listing what you are excited about. He also discusses the importance of self-care, saying it’s fine to take a break and relax, even taking time off work if necessary. You might also be interested in these articles about immigration .

“It was horrible. Downright pathetic. I showed up as an entitled North American not realizing that I’m the stranger here now. I’m the visitor. I’m the guest. If I didn’t like it, any of it, I could move. No one forced me to live here. Actually, no one even invited me or asked me to move here. Not a soul. I did this on my own.”

Ursano reflects on how she was when she moved to Guatemala, fresh from Canada. Having moved from a first-world country to a third-world country, she was, at first, incredibly entitled. She constantly complained about the internet service, language barrier, and “dirty” city. She explains that when you move to a different place, it can take a while to get used to it. But now, she loves Guatemala and never wants to leave. 

6 Prompts To Help You Begin Writing On Essays About Moving To A New Country

People move to other countries for many reasons, whether financial, social, political, or otherwise. In your essay, research the most common causes of moving to another country. Cite surveys, statistics, and research to support your claims, and be sure to explain your points adequately. 

Think of a country you would want to move to and consider the advantages and disadvantages. Then, for your essay, briefly describe your chosen country and explain what makes it so appealing to you. Then, describe some aspects of the country that make you want to move there, such as culture, economic opportunity, and laws. 

As stated previously, moving has its advantages and disadvantages. First, think of the different obstacles and opportunities moving to a new country may pose and discuss each one in your essay. Then, conclude whether you would personally want to move to a new country; consider whether it would be worth it or not. 

Looking for more? Check out these essays about personal growth .

If you have moved to another country before, reflect on this time and write about it in your essay. Describe why you or your family decided to move, how you initially felt moving and how your feelings changed over time. Also, explain how this big step in life has helped make you who you are today.

In an increasingly connected world, more and more people are leaving their countries to move to new ones. Research this phenomenon and discuss its causes and implications for the countries involved. You can also discuss statistics related to this, such as the nations where most people flee or go to. Lastly, discuss your feelings on this matter and how you would like to see this resolved: do you think more should be done so that people don’t feel the need to leave their countries? Answer this question in your essay.

Moving can give you a whole new outlook on life and can teach you a lot. Based on personal experience and research, decide on some lessons and life skills that moving to a new country can give you, including independence, tolerance, and an understanding of a new culture. Then, describe how each of these can make you a better person. 

Tip: If writing an essay sounds like a lot of work, simplify it. Write a simple 5 paragraph essay instead.If you’re still stuck, check out our general resource of essay writing topics .