Dance & Culture

Yetzabel Diaz
March 4, 2015
Interview
I did my Life history story on my fellow friend Myron Sinju. Reasons
why I picked him because his culture is not like most people he is biracial
meaning he has two races, which are black and white. It also seemed very
interesting to me to learn more and more about. Im half black half white,
my mom is European which I know that her ancestors were both German
and British, but my dad is African he is from Cameroon, he said.
He then talked to me about how his mother, she was raised as a
religious Christian. As to his dad, he was raised as a catholic. Both of his
parents were raised going to church about 3 times a week. As to him, his
mom had him grow up with the Christian Religion as a kid and I went to
church a lot.
Another thing is that his parents would dress him up in African clothes,
which was just to wear a mens gown with a cap as a child. He says
hthatdidnt really care much for them and didnt really like them nor did I
understand why we wore them, but they only did it when we had African
(Cameroon) celebration.
He says that throughout his lifetime that his traditional culture has
stayed constant since he was born here, but as to his father, it would have
probably changed a lot from where he could do certain things back in
Africa than he could do here. But still, as a family he says that he has
grown to the way his father is sometimes which in his family is a good
because they understand each other.
Which is why he thinks that the people who compromise with his family
would have to be the people who are there for you, have raised you and
your siblings is your family, and he sees how his parents, aunts uncles
and grandparents are there for him. Which is why he says that, thats why
family is always there for you in any situation since they are my same
blood.
Which then I came across to asking him what would the rights and
responsibilities be for each member from his family, his response was,
Well, my parents push me into getting an education by paying for my
school since I am grown, and that is the best way they can show me that
they care for me onto going to school. Which in my opinion I do feel like
they have a right onto doing. As to my siblings roles, their responsibilities
is to bring joy and fun into our family since they are the younger ones who

can still goof of, also being aunts and uncle at a very young age since my
older sister just had her baby. Which pretty much came to show why his
little brother looks up to him a lot. He lets him play basketball or play
baseball with him. Just to show him that he appreciates how he looks up to
him as an older brother. But as to his little and older sister I cant play
sports with them like my brother, so I am willing to do more feminine
things with them like I play with my little sister play Barbies watch
cartoons or with my older sister help her cook or something. As to my
parents I talk to them in a different way since they are mature and older.
To where he believes that as you grow with age you have things change in
life and those things will make you grow as a person and value other
things. So your values change over time.
As I got to know Myron more and more, I started to see how he values
his youngest and oldest times in life, since everyone takes care of you and
helps you figure out life and in between you are there to help out others
who havent figured it out. So I think that from ages 27-28 you are good
and set when you are making money done with school taking care of
yourself. Even if you are lonely you still have your own independence.
He then told me how he really does appreciate the life that he has, he
said, But I had to pick from a time I have already lived, I think it would be
right off of high school since there is only certain good paying jobs you
can do. Another one hard time I have had for me was middle school. Just
getting into fights for not agreeing with someone else or just how other
kids where. It was pretty tough since everyone was still finding
themselves you know. Everyone was just so rude and mean.
We then started to talk about the languages that he knows, he told me
that he speaks English, dad speaks a bit of French and pidgin English (mix
of African and English) and also speaks tribe language called Bamlikin. He
said that it hasnt affected him in his every day life, since the only
language he so happens to speak and grew up with is the English
language. But as to my dad it did, since he has an accent when he speaks
and was hard to get used to the English language.

Which I then started to realize why certain people speak the way that
they do, Myron told me that almost every black/African person is bilingual
since the tone is different with different people depending on with who
you are speaking with for example; having to use your proper voice to be
professional, but then having your regular speaking fun voice which brings
out the you, in yourself.

In his family, from both his moms and dads side of the family, they use
their hands to talk to each other. Direct eye contact in their culture means
that you are listening to each other and shows that they care and are
interested in what it is that they are talking about.
I then came across the question from how their culture is for or against
gay rights, or what it is that they think of it, Myron told me from how he
sees that his parents are, that from dads side back in Africa they dont let
gays or lesbians live, they see it as a bad thing so they shoot them. As to
his mom, from being a religious Christian, they dont accept them either.
But we do live in America where they do accept everything after awhile.
So with time he does think they will open up and be accepting as well.
We then came across to the talk about food. The most exciting
question I had for Im, which was what do you eat? Whats your favorite
food? He then told me that with his mom, since she is Americanized, he
does eat a lot of American food as to with his Dad, he eats a lot of African
food like fu fu and Acera. But some of his most favorite foods would be
French fries and this African dish called Chin Chin, which is a greasy ball of
bread really, it doesnt sound so appetizing but it is. He says. With his
dads family, they use their hands a lot more than using utensils like when
you eat Acera and Fu Fu, theres absolutely no way that you cant eat
without your hand.
He then told me that the way of honoring others or those who come
over is that they cook for someone who is entering their house. And also a
food that helps a person relieve his or herself from anything. Overall is to
drink a lot of water as a sacred thing to do. Then from his dads side he
gives fish he doesnt really know why but he says that fish always seams
to do the trick.
So when they have gathers at his moms, they have to dress business
casual, almost to being professional as to with his dad, the African clothing
that they usually wear is a long gown with a cap then women wear a long
fancy gown as well. But with my mom, they just wear nice dresses and
suites, usually business casual. Which shows that we value and appreciate
our culture which shows who are, it also signifies the culture as our
traditional garments what weve worn for years. But since they do live in
America, most of the kids are already Americanized and dress like every
other kid would in order to not stand out, but as they get older they
understand the reasons for why we dress in Men Gowns and will start to
wear the more as we get older. So its not an obligation to dress that way
since most parents understand how it is in America and it is a free country.
But he did mention that the one time that they do all have to agree on

wearing something similar is when somebody passes away, they all have
to wear white. For example, when his grandfather from his moms side
died everyone wore white instead of black, to where they also baptized
him.
They dont have really big celebrations or do certain holidays, he
mentioned that they do celebrate Christmas & Easter, but then also
random American holidays since they do make them a big thing. But the
reason for celebrating Christmas and Easter for their Religious beliefs
since it is the birth of Christ and on Easter he came back to life.
When they go out to places, they are not only punctual, well at least
not on his dads side, they just do as we need to and go when we are
ready to go, as to his moms side they always have to be on time. The
reason being because she always has to get with the other mothers to get
everything read. They put Themselves into different groups when they get
all together & divide themselves within their age groups.
They also do have cultural dances from his dads, he can remember this
dance that the women do, which is dancing to with babies on their back
and shake it, but with his mom they usually just dance the waltz. Which
the dances dont have any religious origins but a routine that they do with
his dad is drink a lot of whine and dance. Which bring them to the way
they dance, In the African culture does have a sensual movement to their
dances since their music is very tribal. As to his moms side, they dance to
Italian music. But he does believe that their cultural dances and music has
changed since people add their own flavor to it.
A thing that they value is the wood statues carved as humans with like
African masks and the drums, since the drums talk to their souls.
But with my mom, they say that the guitar talks to their spiritual self.
Myron was born here and feels as hes is apart of the privileged group
probably comes from wealth to where if you are foreign you dont always
have enough money but with his dad he did have a wealthy family back
home and so they bought him a home here when he came and so for him
since they have been privileged they made sure that he was taken care of,
as well as my uncle he has a lot of farmland so he would be able to get a
job with him that easy. But even though that he is privileged, they still see
discrimination and especially for his dad. Like when he tries to talk to
someone about business they dont take him seriously and try to mess
with him because since he has an accent they dont see him as educated,
but he personally haven not experienced it yet but I am sure I will
sometime throughout my life. For the most part people cant discriminate
legally like to get a job like by your ethnicity, race, religion etc. But like I

said since we do live in the 20th century and America is more accepting
than ever, I havent had any yet really.

But him personally is a Christian & believe in Jesus. They pray and sing
sometimes and have church shows little musicals just to get to know one
another. They have the children be baptized at the age of 8, I didnt know
what I was doing and was pushed at it and didnt know of any other
religion then learned to grew up into believing into it a lot. Even though
they believe that they go with god in the afterlife, they believe that death
is caused by logic but to most of us is because god says its your turn. I
dont really think its caused by the supernatural.
Sometimes they send people out to other countries to help them out,.
His grandpa says that the Christians are under attacked by Muslim and
thinks they are after them from religious beliefs, It is interacted with other
religious since they believe in different gods and think on and another are
lying. But believe that Sundays are sacred and secular would be the radio
music or certain holidays like 4th of July, Halloween.
Myron believes that god is forever with us even with the government
because in our pennies or money it says in love we trust. So America was
founded upon Christian religion. As much as they would ever try to deny
it, its still on our coins, so it is in the community.
It was great thing that I interviewed Myron, I only knew him as a friend
and I now know him more, which I can see why he acts certain ways
towards certain things. I did enjoy taking the time with doing this
assignment.

Informed Consent Form

I, Myron Sinju hereby give and grant, Yetzabel Diaz

full use of this interview for the purpose of writing a cultural
experiences interview paper as required in the Salt Lake
Community College DANC 1010 course: Dance and
Culture, offered during the Spring semester of 2015.
I understand that as a student project, the information I
provide will not be used for research publication. I am also
aware that my identity will remain anonymous in the paper.
In return, I shall be allowed to read the paper after it has
been graded, if I so desire.

Myron Sinju
(signature of interviewee and date)

February 25, 2015