Lainett Mndez

ITC 100.01
Assignment: Narrative Essay on Cultural Identity

Society has an irreversible tendency to separate people in different boxes. This is how
they can differentiate them and determine each persons way of thinking. At the end of the day,
every individual will decide which box he or she fits in, but this is only possible when they
acknowledge how their life experiences shape their interactions with the world. With this in
mind, that person would have found his or her cultural identity. The factors that influence my
behavior, the way I speak and the things I consider as good or bad form my culture. Indeed,
being South American has affected my identity in terms of traditions, society, demography,
gender, ability, among others. As a Venezuelan, my cultural identity has been molded by my
family, religion, social environment and political system.
My country is called Venezuela, it is located on the northern coast of South America and
its official language is Spanish. They have been considered to be the happiest people in the
world. The fact that I was born in Venezuela is key in determining who I am. Usually, people in
South America are friendly, hardworking and tend to express their feelings and thoughts very
openly. My family lives in Valencia, one of the most important cities in Venezuela due to its
industrialization and technological advances in comparison to other cities. They are very loyal to
Venezuelas traditions which include, in the first place: eating arepas. This is a flatbread made of
white cornmeal that can be stuffed with many ingredients, similar to a sandwich. Secondly, it
includes being Catholic and going to church. And finally, being addicted to baseball by deciding
at a very early age if you are fond of Leones del Caracas or Magallanes, the eternal rivals in the

Venezuelan baseball league. Thus this environment has determined what my favorite dishes are,
my devotion to God as a Catholic, and my favorite sports.
Religion is the main bonding factor for my family members. Since I was very little, my
mom would always tell me that I needed to have faith for my dreams to come true. Even though
she is a strong believer, my mother never goes to church. She has taught me and my brother to
believe in God in our own way. According to her, there is no need to attend church every Sunday
because as long as you pray, have faith and do good things as a citizen, God will be present in
your life. My grandmother, on the other hand, is the opposite. She prays every day at noon, goes
to church every Wednesday and Sunday, and has dozens of religious objects inside the house.
Despite the different means of expressing their beliefs, in my family no one tells the other what
to do and respect is something that characterizes them. Given that, I consider myself to be a
strong Catholic but with a different way of conveying it, just like my mom.
My home and family are atypical for most people. My parents got married when they
were 21 years old. They had me and three years later, my brother Rafael was born. I do not
remember much about their marriage but it was not what one would call functional. My father
was the provider and my mother stayed at home taking care of Rafael and me. After five years of
ups and downs, my mom filed for divorce and gained custody. Having five years old, this was
the most significant event that occurred in my life. I was incredibly sad and destroyed because
we were no longer a family. My classmates always talked about their family and drew
themselves next to their parents. I wondered for many years why I was the one with the divorced
parents. My friends used to tell me I honestly do not know what I would do if I were you. It
must be terrible to have divorced parents. I am so sorry. Consequently, being a girl with a
separated family made me different from the rest but also made me grow up incredibly fast. For

all these years, my brother and I have lived at my grandparents house with my mother, who
became the provider.
The dynamics of my family has changed completely throughout the years. My father
remarried, had two more children and continued to provide my brother and me economic and
emotional support. My mother had a precious baby girl called Ana but did not get married. As a
result, we are a huge new family and the good thing is that everyone gets along with each other
which is great. My birthdays are crowded with siblings and I would not change a thing about it.
The fact that everything works in a different way does not mean that is wrong, it is just another
box where we fit in as a family.
On the other hand, Venezuelan social structures have shaped my identity. There are three
simple options if you live in my country you are: rich, hardworking or poor. My family is
hardworking and it has been very hard for me to see my parents struggle to make my life better.
That is the reason why, throughout my life, I have learned to be happy when I can have the
things that I want, and humbly accept the other times in which I cannot. Discrimination takes
place because people who have everything do not want to be around others with less
opportunities in life. No one wants to say I do not have money because they get marginalized
for not having the same status. Valencians can be very materialistic individuals, always trying to
show off their goods and thirsty for more. In contrast, my parents guided me towards the middle;
sometimes I have it all, sometimes I have nothing. This lesson made me a mature young woman,
who never discriminates and even helps others economically whenever I can.
Along with economic problems, politics have also impacted Venezuelans lives during the
last sixteen years. This is when the twenty-first century socialism took over the country and
started destroying it piece by piece. When the process started to happen, I was 8 years old and

now that I am 21, I still experience the consequences of the governments exchange control,
corruption, economic mismanagement, removal of the private property and waste of the
countrys natural resources that drove us to bankruptcy. It was definitely a circumstance that led
me to have my own point of view about what was going on in Venezuela. In fact, every
Venezuelan has its opinion about politics regardless of their age, gender, race or social status. It
is an issue that brings us together as a family because these problems affects us all equally.
However, many families have been divided as a result of their political ideologies and my family
was not an exception. My grandfather supports the government, but the rest of us do not. This
creates never-ending discussions within the family about the president and its management of the
country, the scarceness problems and other billions of negative aspects (but positive for him) that
our country has nowadays. Venezuelas breakdown has made me and my parents struggle a lot in
terms of money, safety and the achievement of a better future. Unfortunately, no one wants to
stay and wait for a solution. Now our lives are resumed in two bags, one carry-on and a flight
ticket.
All of these experiences mentioned are the ones that created Lainett Mendez. If one of
them would had been different, I would be too. My family, my country, its complications, my
religion and the diverse situations that have happened to me during my whole life have built
something unique. I know who I am: a hardworking young woman with a family that is my
entire world and a faith that leads my actions; and where I belong: to Venezuela, a place that has
made me a survivor by nature.