Culture is defined as the beliefs, behaviors, and characteristics of a particular social, ethnic, or age group. Culture, whether it be in the past or in the present, shapes people from a very young age into adults. Culture gives people personality traits that they will pass on for generations. I come from two different areas of the world: Puerto Rico and Italy. Each of these places has specific attributes to their culture that have shaped me into the person I am today. I am also Roman Catholic. This religion has been very influential during certain times in my life.
My mother's side of the family is from Puerto Rico. My grandmother and my late grandfather were both born there and lived there for many years. After my eldest aunt was born, they moved to the states to raise their family. They had five children after that, filling them all richly with their Puerto Rican culture.
My mother, aunts, and uncles were all raised in a similar manner. The Puerto Rican culture gives a clear definition of what the gender roles are. On the actual island, boys are raised to work on the farm to sell their crops and good at the market. Women are taught from a very young age to cook, clean, and sew, not work.
This is where my American heritage comes into play. Those things are very prominent on the island. When a family moves to the states, many things change. Women are still raised to become homemakers, yet they are not discouraged from work. In order for a Puerto Rican family to survive in the states, they need as much money as possible.
The Puerto Rican day parade is a very important day in our culture, especially in New York City. It is the one day...