November 18- The Cultures that Make Us

    There are many things in today's society and culture that are creations made from bits and pieces of past culture and practices. No culture is exempt from this. Every language that exists today is made up of a mixture of words and formulas from another language. But it doesn’t just stop at language, even religion integrates other religious ideas. For example, many of the Christian holidays are set on Pagan holidays, such as Christmas. As time goes on and cultures meet other cultures, ideas and inventions are shared. This week we discussed how the African slaves kept their culture alive. They would dance, sing, dress, cook, and even communicate in ways that kept their culture alive. As time went on, the bits and pieces of their African culture, along with Spanish and indigenous culture, meshed together to create the Latin American culture of today. This small hold on our ancestors' culture and history, even if we are unaware of its presents, is an important part of our identity. It's also amazing to think about the idea that all the cultures of today are connected in a small way.