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Your emotions
Celebrate your identity
Celebrate your uniqueness and share it with others. Make understanding your identity part of your efforts to build self-esteem and self-confidence. Don’t be afraid to show your differences, and explain them to friends, classmates, teachers, and others. At the same time, be open to the differences of others. Acceptance of others is an important part of the great diversity we enjoy in the United States.
My family's heritage is Nigerian. Our tradition is definitely dancing. We love to dance. We dance at parties or when we visit people's houses. The vibrant music and colors in our dresses make me want to discover more about my family. We also love to make food like rice, tofu, and puffy, very tasty treats we snack on.
- Victoria
My family has come from many places. My great-great-grandmother came from Ireland. My great-grandfather came from Nicaragua. I know some of my family came here from England and Denmark. I also know there is some Native American and Mayan ancestry somewhere mixed in. Also, I know that I am related to two presidents, John Adams and John Quincy Adams. My grandfather on my mom's side came from Canada, which is all we know about him since he died when my mom was about 10.
- Kassie
Who am I? I am Ashley. I have cerebral palsy and my family comes from Wales and Iran. I like who I am. I am in a wheelchair, but my friends don’t see me as different. I guess because we are friends and are all Americans.
- Ashley
I'm Cuban and I would never ask to be anything else! I love my background, my bloodline, my family & everything!
- Reagan
My family comes from Laos and Thailand. I am Hmong. It's not a very known culture but it's very fun!
- Melissa
My father is from the Central American country of El Salvador and my mother is from the U.S. I think I am unique because I am made up of so many different cultures. In addition to Salvadorean and Mayan Indian, I am also English and Irish.
- Kelsey
My family came from Africa and India. I can speak Sindhi, which is a main language in India. My family is beautiful.
- Sarika
My ethnic identity is Mexican. I was born and raised there for 11 years. I'm proud to be a Latina because we are very optimistic and we like to work hard in order to get what we want. Every girl in the whole world is unique in their own way by their race, cultures, likes and dislikes, looks and qualities. But one thing that we all have in common is that we are all especial, no matter what.
- Adelina
I am part Nigerian (African) and part Colville Native American. I love that I’m from a different mix of cultures! It’s really cool! I take pride in my family background. I have many relatives and it’s very cool to learn about both my heritages.
- Amadara
My Hispanic background has been a real benefit to me growing up. Many of my friends envy the strong ties I have with my culture—from being able to speak another language fluently to celebrating the holiday and traditions and just having close family bonds. I discovered recently that one of my grandfathers was Mayan, and that helped me to understand my personal history a little more.
- Rosa
My family is a mixture of African American, Native American and French. I live in Louisiana and think of myself as “Creole.” We have cool food, music and Mardi Gras!
- Cicely
I have so much heritage; I'm Irish, German, Blackfeet Indian, Aleut, Canadian and Russian. Since I live in Alaska, I also get to see a lot of the Alaskan heritage of the Eskimo people here. Most people think that we live in igloos and have to hunt our food, but really, we live in houses and have skyscrapers and malls just like you do.
- Mackenzie
My name is Stephanie (“Steffie” to my friends) and I think I am mostly Italian with maybe some Greek thrown in too. I have cancer, but I am getting better. My friends have been a big help – especially in making me feel better when I lost my long hair. It’s growing back but I was stressed at first because I looked so weird. Oh well, everyone looks different.
- Stephanie
I like my ethnic identity in that I am half Irish and half Swedish. I get my Swedish from my Mom's side and then the Irish is my Dad's. I like knowing what I am. It makes me feel really good. I love being Irish because I feel that Irish people were very strong people because of what they had to go through. It makes them stand out in history and I like being part of that. I also think that no matter what you are, you are special in your own way!
- Molly
I'm a little bit of everything which is cool because not a lot of people get blessed with something as neat as that!
- Mary
Content last updated March 28, 2008
