Brianna O'Donnell
English 1100
September 6, 2016
Prof. Young

What Does Identity Mean to You?

Identity can be defined as many things such as race, gender, occupation, language, or


social economic status, but is most importantly defined by culture. Identity IS culture. Just as

Anzadula says in How to Tame a Wild Tongue, “I am my language,” people are his/her


culture. Culture is defined as the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual 


achievement regarded collectivity, or more simply the beliefs and customs of a specific


society, place or time period. A person’s identity consists of the things that they believe in


such as personal opinions, religion, political views, sexual orientation, a persons views on


what is right or wrong etc. A person’s beliefs could be anything from having faith that


something exists to believing that the earth is round. A person’s identity also consists of the


customs that they abide by which could be traditions, types of behavior, types of food, the


way people dress, the language people speak etc. Customs/traditions can be anything from


holiday celebrations to bedtime stories. One’s traditions, behaviors, interests, opinions,


religious beliefs, political views, sexual orientation and the way a person acts is a person’s


identity. It is what makes that person who they are. The things that a person does during


everyday life is considered his/her culture which is considered a part of his/her identity.


Different forms of entertainment that a person takes part in is a part of his/her culture. Daily


activities such as brushing teeth, brushing hair, taking a shower, getting dressed are all


things that a culture consists of, which in most cases are usually social norms. A person’s


culture is what defines him or her and his or her society.

Works Cited

Anzaldua, Gloria. "How to Tame a Wild Tongue." Teaching Developmental Writing. Ed. Susan Naomi Bernstein. New York: Bedford/ St. Martin's, 2013. 245-255. Print.