My Cultural Identity

1. My Cultural Identity JACQUELINE  PIROS Secondary Education,  English

2. HERE IS MY  FAMILY. Here are my mother and father,  who are both from Romania and still married. They are posing for a photo with me. We were at a friend's wedding. HERE IS A PART OF MY FAMILY. THEY LIVE IN ROMANIA. I HAVE TOO MANY AUNTS, UNCLES,  AND COUSINS TO COUNT, BUT THIS IS A PHOTO AT MY COUSIN ALEXANDER'S WEDDING IN BUCHAREST, ROMANIA.

3. These are the Hendersons. They migrated from Greece to Canada. I am part Greek from my mother's side. I love to dance the Greek Hora! I also believe that baklava are the best!

4. Our family also includes the Pfeffers, who are thus named because my aunt who is my father’s sister, remarried. They migrated from Romania to Texas. My second generation cousin's now in the House of Representatives. She represents the Democratic Party. We are very proud of her. I additionally identify as Texan. I like a good Texas style barbecue and have been known to partake in line dancing.

5. FAMILY FIRST GROWING UP IN MY FAMILY, WE HAVE A FAMILY FIRST MODEL, MEANING FAMILY IS MOST IMPORTANT IN ORDER OF PRIORITIES AND EVERYTHING ELSE COMES SECOND. IT SOMETIMES CLASHES WITH THE INDIVIDUALITY-CENTERED CULTURE I'VE COME TO KNOW HERE IN LOS ANGELES. I'VE BEEN BLESSED TO EXPERIENCE A LOT OF CULTURES, IN MY FAMILY, HIGH SCHOOL, AND COLLEGE. NOW I HAVE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT DIFFERENT THINGS, LIKE HOW TO MAKE THAI ICE TEA, WHAT SAMOSAS ARE, WHAT PUPUSAS ARE, AND WHAT "OREJA DE VAN GOGH" IS. One of my cousins, Maria Dănilă, after divorcing her husband who "couldn't keep up," became the first Romanian woman to climb Annapurna, one of the world's most dangerous peaks, in April 2023. Her 17-hour ascent to the 8,091- meter summit marked a significant achievement in mountaineering . I'VE ALSO TRAVELLED A GREAT DEAL IN THE WORLD AND IN AMERICA. I'VE BEEN AS FAR AS: SHANGHAI AND THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA. AS A UNIVERSITY STUDENT, I WAS POLITICALLY ACTIVE AND TRYING TO GET STUDENTS TO REGISTER TO VOTE. THESE DAYS I'M MORE FOCUSED ON BEING A CULTURALLY CONSCIOUS TEACHER FOR A DIVERSE CLASSROOM. I AM BEGINNING TO REALIZE THAT I'M CARRYING ON THE LEGACY OF MY GRANDMOTHER,  WHO WAS ALSO AN ENGLISH TEACHER,  AND MY GRANDFATHER  WHO WAS A SCHOOL PRINCIPAL, IN ROMANIA .  I HAVE A COUSIN IN THE  HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,  AND ANOTHER COUSIN  WHO MADE MOUNTAINEERING HISTORY.  ASIDE FROM THAT, I FEEL NO FAMILIAL PRESSURE  AT ALL .

6.  WHAT IS MY IDENTITY OVERALL? - I LOVE MY FAMILY.  -I AM AN LA RESIDENT AND I WAS BORN IN LA AT KAISER PERMANENTE. - I AM PART GREEK. - I AM PART ROMANIAN. I LOVE THE EXPERIENCE OF HOSPITALITY WHENEVER I VISIT! - I BELIEVE THAT WHEN THE OPPORTUNITY PRESENTS ITSELF, ONE SHOULD MAKE IT A POINT TO RECONNECT WITH ONE'S ROOTS BY VISITING ONE'S COUNTRY OF HERITAGE AT LEAST ONCE. IT IS  TRULY A UNIQUE AND PROFOUND EXPERIENCE. EACH TIME I VISIT ROMANIA AND GREECE... IT IS LIKE COMING HOME A SECOND TIME.