A sense of belonging plays a major role in a person’s well-being. This article discusses the work of social psychologist Gregory Walton, who believes that people can benefit from sharing their stories about overcoming feelings of isolation.
Category Archives: Culture and Belonging
Newest Immigrants Assimilating as Fast as Previous Ones, Report Says
In September of 2015, the National Academies published a report that explored how immigrants fit into American society. The study applied current research to try to clear up common misconceptions, including the idea that immigrants frequently commit crime. Read this article to learn about the report’s findings.
California’s gardens tell an immigrant story
Most of the laborers who maintain lawns and gardens in California are Latino immigrants. Read to learn more about the history and culture of these gardeners, or jardineros.
From Ghana to Greyhound: One immigrant’s story of getting by in New York
Edmund Marfo came to the United States from Ghana in 1998. Read about his experiences as an immigrant and his enthusiastic approach to his job managing Greyhound Bus Lines’ arrival and departure gates of New York’s bustling Port Authority.
About Our Antagonisms
Two cultural psychologists have found that differences among cultures often come down to how we view ourselves—as individuals or as part of a group.
Adapting to a New Culture
This is a story told by Yukiko Nishimura about the difficulties facing her and how she overcame them, having moved to the United States from Japan.
Fighting Fiction with Facts: The BCN Anti-Rumor Campaign
To dispel misconceptions people hold without justification about their immigrant neighbors, the Barcelona City Council (BCN) recruited ‘anti-rumor agents,’ countering negative mindsets with the real facts and truths.
A Video Library of Human Life Experiences
Read about the collaborative work of filmmakers, designers, and many other volunteers from around the world who are producing a video library called Global Lives Project. Click on the Global Lives Project link within the article to get a window into the very different lives of individuals from all around the world.
Youth Voices: I Have a Voice!
Mei-Hua Li, a Chinese emigrant in the United States, tells about how the responsibility of interpreting for her family brought maturity. She also discusses how the youth program of the Asian Community Corporation (A-VOYCE) helped her understand her own identity in a foreign country.
Portraits of a Generation: Children of Immigrants
Quetzal Maucci, an Argentinean- and Peruvian-American photographer, creates a portrait series depicting children from immigrant families living in the U.S. and tells the stories of their identity struggles in their new culture.
New Beginnings: Immigrant Women and the American Experience
Women immigrants have played a dynamic role in transforming America socially, politically, and economically.
Montana Offers A Boost To Native Language Immersion Programs
Thanks to a new Montana state bill more Native American kids will now have the opportunity to participate in language immersion classes in public schools. Read about it here.
Students, Swedish-Americans swap immigrant stories
Learn about an initiative at Wellstone High School in Minneapolis, Minnesota, called Story Swap. This program aims to teach the students about what they have in common with past immigrants like the Swedes.
Can we choose our ethnic identities based on random obsessions?
Just how much of the ethnic background we claim or aspire to claim, has to do with the family members or traditions we relate to the most?
Home? Teen Refugees and Immigrants Explore Their Tucson
Read about, and view some of the material from, this exhibit in which student refugees and immigrants in Tuscon, AZ, explore the concept of home.
Students immersed in Chinese culture
Watch a video about a group of American students on a cultural exchange in China. Immersing themselves in the culture, these students will spend a year in China learning Mandarin and living with locals.
Yiddish Culture Takes Center Stage
Zalmen Mlotek, artistic director of the National Yiddish Theatre-Folksbiene, and his son Avram, who performs at the theater, talk about the Yiddish language and preserving it through art.
‘Beyond Bollywood’: Inside the Smithsonian’s exhibition on Indian Americans
The new Smithsonian exhibition, “Beyond Bollywood: Indian Americans Shape the Nation,” is meant to show the imprint Indian Americans have made in United States culture throughout the centuries. Take a look inside the exhibition.
Are you Ukrainian or Russian? It’s complicated . . .
What determines a person’s cultural identity? For many people, it’s made up of a combination of factors such as language, loyalty, and heritage. For those from the former Soviet Union, the question is even more complicated. Read and listen to Ukrainian-born Alina Simone discuss her path to defining her cultural identity.
Top 5 Influences on Regional Cooking in the United States
Do you like Tex-Mex, Hawaiian, or Creole food? Check out this article about how other cultures’ cuisines have impacted food in the United States.