Journal multicultural agents by Natalie Adriana Martinez Chávez

Journal Module 1

a01282389 — 2023-08-22 02:41:22 UTC

Who are you?

=I'm Natalie Martínez, I'm 16 years old, I'm in fifth semester and I live in Monterrey, Nuevo León.
How do you introduce yourself to others?
=That I'm a girl that likes to read, and listen to music, I'm a person very responsible and organize.

What aspects of your identity would you like to present to others?

Biographical information

= My birthday is the 29th of November of 2006, I have a brother, I'm the oldest.

Experiences and accomplishments

I have travel a lot in the last few years, I have been involved in different projects of Prepa Tec and I have a scholarship.

Hopes and fears

My hopes are to graduate from college and have a work that I like and travel a lot. My fears are not achieve what I want or to chose the wrong degree.

Likes and dislikes

My likes are hanging out with my friends, reading, listening to music, watching series with my family and playing with my pets, my dislike is playing sports.

What labels or adjectives would you like others to use when they think about you?

= That I'm a loyal person, positive and honest.

What are some aspects of your identity that you might not present to others and why?

= That I might be a little impatient, and that I like to make the things in my way, I don't represent this to others most of the time because are some insecurities and things I'm working on to be a better version of myself.

Journal module 2

a01282389 — 2023-09-11 01:14:11 UTC

1. What is culture?
=Culture is group of things (ideas, religion, beliefs, gastronomy, language, clothes, etc). There are a lot of culture and you can be related to one, each of them is different and they have their own characteristics.

2. How is the Iceberg a good analogy for how we see culture?
= Is a good analogy since most of the times we see very superficial the cultures, sometimes we can think that everything is perfect in one but we don't see their defects or it can be totally the opposite, with the iceberg we can get an idea that we don't know everything about a culture, there are a lot of good/bad things that are not visible and some others that are very known.

3. What deeper cultural traits do you consider more difficult to identify?
=The personality, an example is that here in Mexico most of the people are very extrovert and friendly but maybe in UK people are more cold and at first if you don't know about their culture you can think that they're rude but they're not, their personality is just different than yours. Also the beliefs this is something that we can't see unless we ask to someone that is part of the cultures I think that is a concept difficult to identify.

4. What are some of the irresponsible and hurtful ways of using elements of another culture?
=Sometimes people uses something representative of a culture to make fun of it, also talking of a culture in an disrespectful way, finally if you use an element of a culture just to take advantage of it that it's hurtful for the culture.

5. How does my knowledge of culture influence my interpretation of cultural expressions and social phenomena?

= It helps me to comprehend better other cultures, now I know that I have to be very careful with the comments I make and how I have to treat a culture, I know the difference between cultural appropriation and appreciation and I know how to identify each of them, furthermore it helps me to be more empathetic with other cultures.

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Artifact:
This is a music box, we got it in 2022 when my mom and I went to France in Montmartre, this is a music box, it has a very popular French song and the music boxes were created in Switzerland but they sell it there because of the artistic heritage that Montmartre has.

Journal 3

a01282389 — 2023-09-23 01:32:47 UTC

Cultural imperialism has impacted my day to day by imposing cultural appropriation and as we said last week cultural appropriation has a lot of negative effects because it takes culture and use it for its own purposes. Furthermore cultural imperialism impacts my day to day in media like series or movies because they normally impose a "dominant" culture, with this I mean that the most popular cultures are the one they present also our languages and traditions are affected by that because of cultural imperialism we have lost languages.

I think that the north-americas culture specifically USA and Canada both cultures have impacted my life a lot because with USA we have a border so we usually don't take but we adapt their traditions and customs to our culture. Christmas, halloween, thanksgiving are some festivities that we celebrate like those cultures, sometimes we are more similar to USA than the south of Mexico. Also the language of English is something that both countries have and besides that is an advantage of talking two languages some phrases we say it in English instead of Spanish even though our first language is Spanish, all of this happens because of the cultural imperialism.

My interpretation is better because with the knowledge of other cultures I have a more open mind perspective which gives me a lot of advantages since I can see a problem from different points of view and I can comprehend them. With this knowledge now I can empathize with others to build a better community.

Journal 4

a01282389 — 2023-10-03 01:44:24 UTC

What kind of feelings and thoughts come up for me when I hear the word HOME? Why?

= Joy, happiness, union, road trips, security, belonging and nostalgia, I think that I feel all of these emotions because my family is one of my safe places, I feel loved and happy around them, obviously I have fights or I get angry but the feeling that first come to mind when hearing the word home are the positive ones.

How is art useful to appreciate other cultures at Home?
= Art is useful to appreciate other cultures because is a way of representing the traditions, beliefs, religion of another culture, art can help us to be more diverse of the world's cultures. Finally it help us to connect with others by having a work of art in our home.

How should societies integrate newcomers?
= With all the enthusiasm, we have to be opened minded and show the person all the places and things he/she can do here. Showing them all the opportunities they can get it can be for work, school, courses, etc. We have to include them and show them our culture so they can understand a little bit better the dynamic of the place that are arriving.

How do newcomers develop a sense of belonging to the places where they have arrived?
= By socializing, they can start developing a sense of belonging when they get to know other people and make connections with others. If they don't know the language by practicing it until they can comprehend and express themselves they can feel a sense of belonging to. Finally when they get to know all the territory, it can be parks, museums, supermarkets, malls, stores, so they can get familiar with their surroundings.

Journal 5

a01282389 — 2023-10-13 19:50:22 UTC

What is my relationship with the environment?
= My relationship with the environment is good because I'm a clean person and I try to use products that don't affect it.

Do I feel I am part of nature or it is something outside me?
= I think that nature is something outside me, because yes I am a living being but the nature is a concept that I don't think I'm a part of it because I take advantage of it.

Where does that belief come from? My family, my religion, my political views?
= I think that this belief comes from my family and my scholar life, this because the situations I had lived had made the person I am now and the thought I have now.

What is the relationship between my culture and nature?
= My relationship between these two concepts is that the nature takes a big part of my culture because I live surrounded by it, when I travel is something I look for and it has a lot of presence in my life.

After studying all the cultural expressions and the intangible cultural heritage and the environment: Which cultural practice can you implement or continue to do in order to create a more sustainable world?
= I can buy from local commerces to promote the artists and entrepreneurs of my country, also by recommending local places and tourism so more people can know the Mexican culture and all the beautiful things you have.

Journal 6

a01282389 — 2023-11-09 03:16:40 UTC

Art can be a powerful tool to fight for justice, equality, peace, and social transformation because it has the ability to convey important messages, emotions, and ideas in a way that is accessible and relatable to people from all walks of life. Through visual arts, music, literature, and other forms of expression, artists can raise awareness about social issues, challenge inequalities, and inspire positive change. Art can unite people, ignite conversations, and create a sense of empathy, motivating individuals and communities to take action for a more just and equitable society.

Verse of a song (Topic: animal extinction)

In the heart of the jungle, beneath the open sky,

Creatures once thriving, now saying goodbye.

Their songs and their roars, now just a fading echo,

In this world of wonder, where they used to glow.

Art can be used to transform society into a more aware one by evoking emotions, sparking conversations, and raising important questions about the world around us. Through paintings, sculptures, music, and other forms of creative expression, artists can make people think and feel deeply about social issues, encouraging them to take action, empathize with others, and be more conscious of the challenges and injustices in our society. Art has the power to inspire change, promote understanding, and drive positive transformation by engaging people's hearts and minds.