Identity
What is identity?
Identity is who you are and sometimes what other people see you as. Identity could be your race, gender, ethnicity and more. Identity is what makes you yourself basically. Everyone has an identity.
Identity is who you are and sometimes what other people see you as. Identity could be your race, gender, ethnicity and more. Identity is what makes you yourself basically. Everyone has an identity.
Some parts of your identity are easy to see, like what the color of your hair is and what color your eyes are. But some parts of your identity aren’t as easy to see, like your sexual identity and your beliefs.
Your identity comes from your family and/or your community, and it comes from what you see on a daily basis like what you see on social media. Your identity also comes from who you believe you are.
There are two types of identities, social identity and personal identity.
Your identity comes from your family and/or your community, and it comes from what you see on a daily basis like what you see on social media. Your identity also comes from who you believe you are.
There are two types of identities, social identity and personal identity.
What is personal identity?
Your personal identity is what comes from your family and your community.
Your personal identity includes your name, hobbies you enjoy, your age, stuff you are good at etc.
Your personal identity is about you and what makes you different from others.
No one's personal identity is the same, but there are some stuff about your personal identity that you can change such as the texture of your hair and the clothes you wear. Some stuff you cannot easily change, like your name and age.
Your personal identity includes your name, hobbies you enjoy, your age, stuff you are good at etc.
Your personal identity is about you and what makes you different from others.
No one's personal identity is the same, but there are some stuff about your personal identity that you can change such as the texture of your hair and the clothes you wear. Some stuff you cannot easily change, like your name and age.
What is Social Identity?
Social identity is the stuff about yourself that you can relate to with other people. Your social identities fit in to categories made by society.
Some of these categories are race, gender and sexual/romantic orientation.
You cannot change anything about your social identity. Your race is determined by the race your parents were born with. And your gender and sexual/romantic orientation has to come from your heart.
Some of these categories are race, gender and sexual/romantic orientation.
You cannot change anything about your social identity. Your race is determined by the race your parents were born with. And your gender and sexual/romantic orientation has to come from your heart.
What is race?
Race is a part of your social identity that you are not able to change. It comes from the color of your skin, hair (sometimes) and some other stuff that we were given when we were born, passed down by our ancestors..
People who look similar in these ways are a part of the same racial category, even though they are not part of the same family.
Everyone has a racial identity.
People who look similar in these ways are a part of the same racial category, even though they are not part of the same family.
Everyone has a racial identity.
What is racial identity?
Racial identity is a specific social identity, and it comes from the race(s) that you are a part of.
The biggest racial categories that you’ve probably heard of are Black, White, Hispanic (Latino or Latina), Indigenous people and Asian.
These are the groups that people usually think of when they talk about race.
Some people have a racial identity that doesn’t belong to any of these categories and some people belong to more than one. Everyone has a racial identity.
For a very long time, Black, Asian and Hispanics have been called minorities, even though it isn't true.
Minority in this context means that there are LESS of them than the Majority; while this is true, it does not mean that there are few people on any of these groups! In fact, here in New Westminster, from a population of about 78000 people, minorities account for about HALF the population!
The biggest racial categories that you’ve probably heard of are Black, White, Hispanic (Latino or Latina), Indigenous people and Asian.
These are the groups that people usually think of when they talk about race.
Some people have a racial identity that doesn’t belong to any of these categories and some people belong to more than one. Everyone has a racial identity.
For a very long time, Black, Asian and Hispanics have been called minorities, even though it isn't true.
Minority in this context means that there are LESS of them than the Majority; while this is true, it does not mean that there are few people on any of these groups! In fact, here in New Westminster, from a population of about 78000 people, minorities account for about HALF the population!
The numbers above reflect the latest numbers from New Westminster, BC.
What is Dominant Culture?
The dominant culture is the majority of the population; usually they are the colonizers, and hold economic and political power. They are a group of people that society deems “normal”.
The majority of people we see in movies are straight cisgender and white people. They have money and nice clothes and things. They usually live in big cities and have jobs. Families that are depicted in our culture usually have a mom and a dad, and a few kids with some pet. The kids go to school with people who are just like them.
Society has made us believe that those people are “normal” and has made us think that if we don’t have any of these things, we are considered NOT normal.
But people from different ethnicities are not abnormal; they are just different. The lack of representation in movies, ads and other visual things just make it seem like they are not normal. Representation is super important. The lack of representation makes it really hard to feel like you fit into the dominant culture.
It is perfectly fine if we talk about our differences. It is a good thing to give a voice to your culture, particularly if you are part of a culture that is not the majority!
If we don’t, then we will start to believe the stereotypes that society has tried to make us believe.
“A stereotype is a general idea or belief about a group of people that is not based on facts.”
The majority of people we see in movies are straight cisgender and white people. They have money and nice clothes and things. They usually live in big cities and have jobs. Families that are depicted in our culture usually have a mom and a dad, and a few kids with some pet. The kids go to school with people who are just like them.
Society has made us believe that those people are “normal” and has made us think that if we don’t have any of these things, we are considered NOT normal.
But people from different ethnicities are not abnormal; they are just different. The lack of representation in movies, ads and other visual things just make it seem like they are not normal. Representation is super important. The lack of representation makes it really hard to feel like you fit into the dominant culture.
It is perfectly fine if we talk about our differences. It is a good thing to give a voice to your culture, particularly if you are part of a culture that is not the majority!
If we don’t, then we will start to believe the stereotypes that society has tried to make us believe.
“A stereotype is a general idea or belief about a group of people that is not based on facts.”
The bottom line is, all our physical differences are just adaptations developed by thousands of years of evolution, to make us more likely to survive each different continent of this huge planet.
So, instead of figuring out things that make us different, let's find out the things that make us the same.
We are all equally human, and all equally valid! Let's fight for proper and equal representation, so that little kids in the future see themselves in videos and general media!
So, instead of figuring out things that make us different, let's find out the things that make us the same.
We are all equally human, and all equally valid! Let's fight for proper and equal representation, so that little kids in the future see themselves in videos and general media!
