essay about cultural background

Cultural Background: Definition, Examples & Features

Cultural background refers to a set of beliefs, norms, values, and practices a person has inherited from their cultural group.

This aspect of identity is shaped through language, religion, family customs, history, and geography of the culture you come from (Boyle, 2021).

People are often identified by their culture. This identification stems from shared characteristics, practices, or beliefs with a group of people.

As an example, if you’re from France (the geographic influence), you may speak French (language), enjoy croissants for breakfast (a social custom), and take part in Bastille Day celebrations ( historical context ).

Cultural Background Definition

Cultural background refers to the set of beliefs, practices, traditions, and values that individuals inherit and learn from the communities, regions, or countries of their ancestry (Daniels et al., 2016). It encompasses various elements like language, religion, cuisine, social habits, and arts, which collectively shape an individual’s personal and communal identity.

We can conceptualize cultural backgrounds along three vectors: shared beliefs, values, and practices,

Firstly, the core of our cultural background often lies in shared beliefs . These beliefs can be spiritual, political, or social (Boyle, 2021).

For example, cultural beliefs provide a sense of belonging and help to guide behaviors. Consider the faith-based dietary restrictions observed by Jewish individuals (Kosher laws) and Muslims (Halal practices). Such norms are integral parts of their cultural backgrounds, shaping day-to-day behaviors.

Secondly, a culture’s values are often passed-on through families and social interactions . Values are ingrained convictions that help us distinguish between right and wrong, good and bad. They are directly linked to our cultural background and shape the way we perceive the world. For instance, people from Japan often value harmony, respect, and hard work , resulting from their cultural teachings, societal norms, and a reverence for tradition (Pethes, 2019).

Thirdly, your cultural background deeply infuses your everyday practices . These may range from meal times, social interactions to education and work ethics . In Spain, for instance, it’s customary to take a “siesta” or a short nap in the afternoon – a practice tied to their cultural background that may seem peculiar to an outsider.

Cultural Background Features

Beyond the above three core features, there are a range of other aspects of cultures that can feed into a shared ‘cultural background’:

1. Cultural Values : These are fundamental beliefs and principles that dictate the behavior within a culture. Values are the societal yardsticks that guide the behaviors and mindset of people within a culture. For instance, in many Native American cultures, harmony with nature is a core value . This means that decisions – from what to eat, how to live, and how to interact with animals and the environment – are all grounded in this fundamental belief.

2. Language: This is a crucial aspect of cultural background and acts as a solidifying factor for communities. For example, Quebec, a predominantly French-speaking province of Canada, has held fast to its linguistic roots despite being surrounded by English-speaking territories. This commitment to language is a concrete representation of their cultural background.

3. Traditional Customs and Rituals : These are set practices and ceremonies fundamental to a culture’s social fabric. Customs can include distinct practices tied to life milestones, religious celebrations, or community events. For example, Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) in Mexican culture is a ceremony that celebrates deceased loved ones, featuring colorful altars, special food, and lively processions.

4. Dress and Artistic Expression: Clothing styles and artistic traditions often define a culture. For example, in India, wearing sarees, salwar kameez, or kurta-pajamas demonstrates affiliations with the Indian cultural background, while Indigenous Australians’ painting and storytelling traditions reflect their cultural narratives.

5. Food and Cuisine: Every culture has unique culinary traditions, with certain dishes being symbolic of cultural heritage. The Cajun and Creole cuisines of Louisiana, for instance, embody the region’s French, African, and Spanish roots.

6. Education and Literacy: The importance a culture places on education is another defining aspect. In Japan, there’s a great emphasis on academic success, reflecting the cultural value placed on achievement and perseverance.

7. Social Norms : These are the behavioral expectations within a community. In many Middle Eastern cultures, it is customary to greet the eldest person in the room first, signaling respect for their wisdom and age.

8. Role of Family : The structure, role, and significance of family in an individual’s life is markedly shaped by culture. In China, for example, the concept of “filial piety” guides family relationships and obligations, underlining respect for one’s parents.

9. History and Folklore : Histories and folk tales help communicate a culture’s values, heroes, and significant events, providing a deeper understanding of cultural background. For example, the buffalo’s importance in folklore, symbols, and rituals indicate its central role within Native American tribal cultures.

10. Religious Beliefs: Religion, or the lack thereof, plays a significant role in shaping our cultural background. It influences various aspects of our lives, from moral perspectives to daily routines (Fung, Wong & Park, 2018). For example, the Islamic practice of praying five times a day forms a routine that influences the followers’ daily schedule.

11. Music and Dance: These forms of artistic expression reflect the heart and soul of a culture. In Ireland, for instance, the tradition of Celtic music and Irish step dancing has significant cultural importance and is a reflection of Irish heritage.

12. Work Ethic and Business Practices: Every culture has defined norms about work ethics and business etiquette. In the United States, for example, punctuality is stressed in corporate cultures, reflecting the value placed on time and efficiency.

13. Architecture and Planning: The structures a culture builds and the cities it designs are a reflection of its values and lifestyle . In Greece, the presence of ancient amphitheaters and temples like the Parthenon echoes the significance of the arts and deities in ancient Greek culture.

14. Customs Related to Life Milestones: These rituals help organize life and provide a structure for understanding growth, aging, and death. For instance, in Judaism, the Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah ceremonies celebrate adolescents reaching religious maturity.

15. Attitudes Towards Health and Wellness: Each culture has uniquely defined the norms around health, illness, and healing. In some cultures, holistic approaches and traditional medicine practice take precedence over Western medicine. For instance, in Chinese culture, the practice of acupuncture for healing and maintaining health is an intrinsic aspect of their ancestral wisdom.

16. Attitudes to Collectivism: One key way of dividing cultures is by their position on the collectivism vs individualism spectrum. Generally, Asian cultures place greater value on the collective good over the individual, while western cultures emphasize the opposite (Heinke & Louis, 2009).

17. Attitudes to Leadership: Research shows cultures also differ in their beliefs about good leadership (Holt, Bjorklund & Green, 2009). Some cultures, such as Russian culture, tend to embrace a strong social hierarchy and strong leader; whereas western cultures tend to embrace a more democratic leadership model.

Real-Life Examples of Cultural Backgrounds

1. Indian Background: Defined by a tapestry of religions, languages, customs, and cuisines. The Hindu philosophy of karma and dharma influences everyday life, and the celebration of festivals like Diwali signal the prevalence of religious heritage. A diverse culinary spectrum, from the spicy curries of the South to the delectable sweets of the West, underlines India’s multifaceted culture.

2. Mexican Background: A blend of indigenous, Spanish, and other influences, forming a unique cultural identity . This comes alive in traditional dances like the Jarabe Tapatio, holidays like the Day of the Dead, and cuisine that includes dishes like enchiladas and tamales. The Spanish language and Catholic religion also significantly shape Mexican cultural background.

3. Greek Background: The birthplace of Western civilisation, Greek culture is characterized by its historical and intellectual heritage, evident in folk music and dances, Mediterranean cuisine, Orthodox Christianity traditions, and the Greek language’s use.

4. Italian Background: Known for its rich contributions to art, science, music, and gastronomy. Key cultural practices include a love of local produce, the celebration of Christian festivals, and a focus on family life. Notable elements include the Italian language, the popularity of opera, and renowned dishes like pizzas and pastas.

5. Thai Background: The culture of Thailand is deeply influenced by Buddhism. Regular rituals like daily Buddhist prayers, or special festivals like Songkran or Loy Krathong, are a testament to this fact. A distinct element is the far-reaching influence of the monarchy. Traditional Thai dance, music, distinctly flavorful cuisine and language are central to Thai culture.

How Cultural Background Influences Us

Internalizing cultural values is a complex process, principally achieved through socialization and internalization.

Socialization refers to the lifelong process of inheriting and disseminating cultural norms , customs, and ideologies. On the other hand, internalization, a subset of socialization, refers to the process through which an individual accepts a set of norms and values as their own, directly influenced by various agents of socialization like family, education, peer groups, and media.

1. The Role of Socialization

Socialization is the process through which individuals absorb the cultural elements of their society, including its norms, values, customs, and modes of operation (Macionis, 2013).

This process starts from the moment you were born, when your parents or guardians imprinted their behavior patterns, gestures, and attitudes on to you. For example, a child born into an American family will quickly learn to value independence and self-reliance, traits deemed admirable in American society (Witt, 1997).

Similarly, the education system plays a vital role in socialization. Schools, specifically, act as melting pots where values from different cultures amalgamate. Children are exposed to and learn the importance of equality, respect, and mutual cooperation . Let’s take the example of participating in team sports at school. This experience teaches you the importance of teamwork, hard work, and fair play, all central values to many cultures.

2. Absorbing Values through Internalization

Internalization comes into play when the learned ideologies start to convert into our personal belief system , thus becoming an intrinsic part of us (Macionis, 2013 ).

Family, peer groups, media, and cultural institutions are significant contributors to the internalization process. If you’re from a Greek family, it’s likely that you internalize the value of Filotimo (a love of honor), a cultural value highly revered in Greek culture.

Peers also influence the process of internalization. For example, a teenager may learn and internalize the value of kindness and loyalty by being part of a friend group that upholds these values.

Media is omnipresent and influencers our value systems excessively. By consistently consuming media that glorifies values like honesty and empathy, you may internalize these values over time.

The Importance of Cultural Competence

Understanding cultural backgrounds helps us to be more inclusive in our practices, both in personal and professional life.

We can see the importance of cultural competence in a range of fields, such as:

• In Education: Teachers need to be aware of cultural backgrounds for two key reasons. Firstly, they need to ensure their classroom is inclusive. This may include using books and teaching materials that feature children from a range of cultural backgrounds in order to ensure all children are welcome and belong in the classroom (Rienties et al., 2013). Secondly, they need to be aware that children of different backgrounds learn in different ways. By being aware of the learning styles of different cultures, the teachers can differentiate instruction to support all children, in an approach called multicultural education .
• In Healthcare: Healthcare practitioners need to create inclusive healthcare institutions and practices in order to encourage people of minority cultural backgrounds to seek healthcare when needed. As a result, healthcare practitioners such as nurses and doctors are often trained in cultural competence in order to ensure they have the skillset to engage and communicate with their diverse client base.

Understanding people’s cultural backgrounds helps us to be more inclusive. Creating environments that embrace and celebrate a range of cultural backgrounds can help all people in society develop a sense of belonging and agency within their society. Furthermore, it can help us to be aware of the unique needs and lived experiences of a range of cultural groups. For an employer, for example, they might need to be aware of their employees’ religious practices and festivals and help work around that to be sensitive to their cultural traditions.

Boyle, M. (2021).  Human Geography: An Essential Introduction . New York: John Wiley & Sons.

Daniels, P., Bradshaw, M. J., Shaw, D., Sidaway, J., & Hall, T. (2016).  An introduction to human geography . Pearson education.

Fung, J., Wong, M. S., & Park, H. (2018). Cultural background and religious beliefs.  Handbook of parenting and child development across the lifespan , 469-493.

Heinke, M. S., & Louis, W. R. (2009). Cultural background and individualistic–collectivistic values in relation to similarity, perspective taking, and empathy.  Journal of Applied Social Psychology ,  39 (11), 2570-2590. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.2009.00538.x

Holt, S., Bjorklund, R., & Green, V. (2009). Leadership and Culture: Examining the Relationship between Cultural Background and Leadership Perceptions.  Journal of Global Business Issues ,  3 (2).

Macionis, J. J. (2013).  Sociology . 15th ed. London: Pearson.

Pethes, N. (2019).  Cultural memory studies: an introduction . Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

Rienties, B., Nanclares, N. H., Jindal-Snape, D., & Alcott, P. (2013). The role of cultural background and team divisions in developing social learning relations in the classroom.  Journal of Studies in International Education ,  17 (4), 332-353. doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/1028315312463826

Witt, S. D. (1997). Parental influence on children’s socialization to gender roles.  Adolescence ,  32 (126), 253.

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Cultural Identity Essay

27 August, 2020

12 minutes read

Author:  Elizabeth Brown

No matter where you study, composing essays of any type and complexity is a critical component in any studying program. Most likely, you have already been assigned the task to write a cultural identity essay, which is an essay that has to do a lot with your personality and cultural background. In essence, writing a cultural identity essay is fundamental for providing the reader with an understanding of who you are and which outlook you have. This may include the topics of religion, traditions, ethnicity, race, and so on. So, what shall you do to compose a winning cultural identity essay?

Cultural Identity Paper: Definitions, Goals & Topics 

Before starting off with a cultural identity essay, it is fundamental to uncover what is particular about this type of paper. First and foremost, it will be rather logical to begin with giving a general and straightforward definition of a cultural identity essay. In essence, cultural identity essay implies outlining the role of the culture in defining your outlook, shaping your personality, points of view regarding a multitude of matters, and forming your qualities and beliefs. Given a simpler definition, a cultural identity essay requires you to write about how culture has influenced your personality and yourself in general. So in this kind of essay you as a narrator need to give an understanding of who you are, which strengths you have, and what your solid life position is.

Yet, the goal of a cultural identity essay is not strictly limited to describing who you are and merely outlining your biography. Instead, this type of essay pursues specific objectives, achieving which is a perfect indicator of how high-quality your essay is. Initially, the primary goal implies outlining your cultural focus and why it makes you peculiar. For instance, if you are a french adolescent living in Canada, you may describe what is so special about it: traditions of the community, beliefs, opinions, approaches. Basically, you may talk about the principles of the society as well as its beliefs that made you become the person you are today.

So far, cultural identity is a rather broad topic, so you will likely have a multitude of fascinating ideas for your paper. For instance, some of the most attention-grabbing topics for a personal cultural identity essay are:

• Memorable traditions of your community
• A cultural event that has influenced your personality 
• Influential people in your community
• Locations and places that tell a lot about your culture and identity

Cultural Identity Essay Structure

As you might have already guessed, composing an essay on cultural identity might turn out to be fascinating but somewhat challenging. Even though the spectrum of topics is rather broad, the question of how to create the most appropriate and appealing structure remains open.

Like any other kind of an academic essay, a cultural identity essay must compose of three parts: introduction, body, and concluding remarks. Let’s take a more detailed look at each of the components:

Introduction 

Starting to write an essay is most likely one of the most time-consuming and mind-challenging procedures. Therefore, you can postpone writing your introduction and approach it right after you finish body paragraphs. Nevertheless, you should think of a suitable topic as well as come up with an explicit thesis. At the beginning of the introduction section, give some hints regarding the matter you are going to discuss. You have to mention your thesis statement after you have briefly guided the reader through the topic. You can also think of indicating some vital information about yourself, which is, of course, relevant to the topic you selected.

Your main body should reveal your ideas and arguments. Most likely, it will consist of 3-5 paragraphs that are more or less equal in size. What you have to keep in mind to compose a sound ‘my cultural identity essay’ is the argumentation. In particular, always remember to reveal an argument and back it up with evidence in each body paragraph. And, of course, try to stick to the topic and make sure that you answer the overall question that you stated in your topic. Besides, always keep your thesis statement in mind: make sure that none of its components is left without your attention and argumentation.

Conclusion 

Finally, after you are all finished with body paragraphs and introduction, briefly summarize all the points in your final remarks section. Paraphrase what you have already revealed in the main body, and make sure you logically lead the reader to the overall argument. Indicate your cultural identity once again and draw a bottom line regarding how your culture has influenced your personality.

Best Tips For Writing Cultural Identity Essay

Writing a ‘cultural identity essay about myself’ might be somewhat challenging at first. However, you will no longer struggle if you take a couple of plain tips into consideration. Following the tips below will give you some sound and reasonable cultural identity essay ideas as well as make the writing process much more pleasant:

• Start off by creating an outline. The reason why most students struggle with creating a cultural identity essay lies behind a weak structure. The best way to organize your ideas and let them flow logically is to come up with a helpful outline. Having a reference to build on is incredibly useful, and it allows your essay to look polished.
• Remember to write about yourself. The task of a cultural identity essay implies not focusing on your culture per se, but to talk about how it shaped your personality. So, switch your focus to describing who you are and what your attitudes and positions are. 
• Think of the most fundamental cultural aspects. Needless to say, you first need to come up with a couple of ideas to be based upon in your paper. So, brainstorm all the possible ideas and try to decide which of them deserve the most attention. In essence, try to determine which of the aspects affected your personality the most.
• Edit and proofread before submitting your paper. Of course, the content and the coherence of your essay’s structure play a crucial role. But the grammatical correctness matters a lot too. Even if you are a native speaker, you may still make accidental errors in the text. To avoid the situation when unintentional mistakes spoil the impression from your essay, always double check your cultural identity essay. 

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• How to Write a Diversity Essay | Tips & Examples

How to Write a Diversity Essay | Tips & Examples

Published on November 1, 2021 by Kirsten Courault . Revised on May 31, 2023.

Table of contents

What is a diversity essay, identify how you will enrich the campus community, share stories about your lived experience, explain how your background or identity has affected your life, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about college application essays.

Diversity essays ask students to highlight an important aspect of their identity, background, culture, experience, viewpoints, beliefs, skills, passions, goals, etc.

Diversity essays can come in many forms. Some scholarships are offered specifically for students who come from an underrepresented background or identity in higher education. At highly competitive schools, supplemental diversity essays require students to address how they will enhance the student body with a unique perspective, identity, or background.

In the Common Application and applications for several other colleges, some main essay prompts ask about how your background, identity, or experience has affected you.

Why schools want a diversity essay

Many universities believe a student body representing different perspectives, beliefs, identities, and backgrounds will enhance the campus learning and community experience.

Admissions officers are interested in hearing about how your unique background, identity, beliefs, culture, or characteristics will enrich the campus community.

Through the diversity essay, admissions officers want students to articulate the following:

• What makes them different from other applicants
• Stories related to their background, identity, or experience
• How their unique lived experience has affected their outlook, activities, and goals

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

Think about what aspects of your identity or background make you unique, and choose one that has significantly impacted your life.

For some students, it may be easy to identify what sets them apart from their peers. But if you’re having trouble identifying what makes you different from other applicants, consider your life from an outsider’s perspective. Don’t presume your lived experiences are normal or boring just because you’re used to them.

Some examples of identities or experiences that you might write about include the following:

• Race/ethnicity
• Gender identity
• Sexual orientation
• Nationality
• Socioeconomic status
• Immigration background
• Religion/belief system
• Place of residence
• Family circumstances
• Extracurricular activities related to diversity

Include vulnerable, authentic stories about your lived experiences. Maintain focus on your experience rather than going into too much detail comparing yourself to others or describing their experiences.

Keep the focus on you

Tell a story about how your background, identity, or experience has impacted you. While you can briefly mention another person’s experience to provide context, be sure to keep the essay focused on you. Admissions officers are mostly interested in learning about your lived experience, not anyone else’s.

When I was a baby, my grandmother took me in, even though that meant postponing her retirement and continuing to work full-time at the local hairdresser. Even working every shift she could, she never missed a single school play or soccer game.

She and I had a really special bond, even creating our own special language to leave each other secret notes and messages. She always pushed me to succeed in school, and celebrated every academic achievement like it was worthy of a Nobel Prize. Every month, any leftover tip money she received at work went to a special 509 savings plan for my college education.

When I was in the 10th grade, my grandmother was diagnosed with ALS. We didn’t have health insurance, and what began with quitting soccer eventually led to dropping out of school as her condition worsened. In between her doctor’s appointments, keeping the house tidy, and keeping her comfortable, I took advantage of those few free moments to study for the GED.

In school pictures at Raleigh Elementary School, you could immediately spot me as “that Asian girl.” At lunch, I used to bring leftover fun see noodles, but after my classmates remarked how they smelled disgusting, I begged my mom to make a “regular” lunch of sliced bread, mayonnaise, and deli meat.

Although born and raised in North Carolina, I felt a cultural obligation to learn my “mother tongue” and reconnect with my “homeland.” After two years of all-day Saturday Chinese school, I finally visited Beijing for the first time, expecting I would finally belong. While my face initially assured locals of my Chinese identity, the moment I spoke, my cover was blown. My Chinese was littered with tonal errors, and I was instantly labeled as an “ABC,” American-born Chinese.

I felt culturally homeless.

Speak from your own experience

Highlight your actions, difficulties, and feelings rather than comparing yourself to others. While it may be tempting to write about how you have been more or less fortunate than those around you, keep the focus on you and your unique experiences, as shown below.

I began to despair when the FAFSA website once again filled with red error messages.

I had been at the local library for hours and hadn’t even been able to finish the form, much less the other to-do items for my application.

I am the first person in my family to even consider going to college. My parents work two jobs each, but even then, it’s sometimes very hard to make ends meet. Rather than playing soccer or competing in speech and debate, I help my family by taking care of my younger siblings after school and on the weekends.

“We only speak one language here. Speak proper English!” roared a store owner when I had attempted to buy bread and accidentally used the wrong preposition.

In middle school, I had relentlessly studied English grammar textbooks and received the highest marks.

Leaving Seoul was hard, but living in West Orange, New Jersey was much harder一especially navigating everyday communication with Americans.

After sharing relevant personal stories, make sure to provide insight into how your lived experience has influenced your perspective, activities, and goals. You should also explain how your background led you to apply to this university and why you’re a good fit.

Include your outlook, actions, and goals

Conclude your essay with an insight about how your background or identity has affected your outlook, actions, and goals. You should include specific actions and activities that you have done as a result of your insight.

One night, before the midnight premiere of Avengers: Endgame , I stopped by my best friend Maria’s house. Her mother prepared tamales, churros, and Mexican hot chocolate, packing them all neatly in an Igloo lunch box. As we sat in the line snaking around the AMC theater, I thought back to when Maria and I took salsa classes together and when we belted out Selena’s “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom” at karaoke. In that moment, as I munched on a chicken tamale, I realized how much I admired the beauty, complexity, and joy in Maria’s culture but had suppressed and devalued my own.

The following semester, I joined Model UN. Since then, I have learned how to proudly represent other countries and have gained cultural perspectives other than my own. I now understand that all cultures, including my own, are equal. I still struggle with small triggers, like when I go through airport security and feel a suspicious glance toward me, or when I feel self-conscious for bringing kabsa to school lunch. But in the future, I hope to study and work in international relations to continue learning about other cultures and impart a positive impression of Saudi culture to the world.

The smell of the early morning dew and the welcoming whinnies of my family’s horses are some of my most treasured childhood memories. To this day, our farm remains so rural that we do not have broadband access, and we’re too far away from the closest town for the postal service to reach us.

Going to school regularly was always a struggle: between the unceasing demands of the farm and our lack of connectivity, it was hard to keep up with my studies. Despite being a voracious reader, avid amateur chemist, and active participant in the classroom, emergencies and unforeseen events at the farm meant that I had a lot of unexcused absences.

Although it had challenges, my upbringing taught me resilience, the value of hard work, and the importance of family. Staying up all night to watch a foal being born, successfully saving the animals from a minor fire, and finding ways to soothe a nervous mare afraid of thunder have led to an unbreakable family bond.

Our farm is my family’s birthright and our livelihood, and I am eager to learn how to ensure the farm’s financial and technological success for future generations. In college, I am looking forward to joining a chapter of Future Farmers of America and studying agricultural business to carry my family’s legacy forward.

Tailor your answer to the university

After explaining how your identity or background will enrich the university’s existing student body, you can mention the university organizations, groups, or courses in which you’re interested.

Maybe a larger public school setting will allow you to broaden your community, or a small liberal arts college has a specialized program that will give you space to discover your voice and identity. Perhaps this particular university has an active affinity group you’d like to join.

Demonstrating how a university’s specific programs or clubs are relevant to you can show that you’ve done your research and would be a great addition to the university.

At the University of Michigan Engineering, I want to study engineering not only to emulate my mother’s achievements and strength, but also to forge my own path as an engineer with disabilities. I appreciate the University of Michigan’s long-standing dedication to supporting students with disabilities in ways ranging from accessible housing to assistive technology. At the University of Michigan Engineering, I want to receive a top-notch education and use it to inspire others to strive for their best, regardless of their circumstances.

If you want to know more about academic writing , effective communication , or parts of speech , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

Academic writing

• Writing process
• Transition words
• Passive voice
• Paraphrasing

 Communication

• How to end an email
• Ms, mrs, miss
• How to start an email
• I hope this email finds you well
• Hope you are doing well

 Parts of speech

• Personal pronouns
• Conjunctions

In addition to your main college essay , some schools and scholarships may ask for a supplementary essay focused on an aspect of your identity or background. This is sometimes called a diversity essay .

Many universities believe a student body composed of different perspectives, beliefs, identities, and backgrounds will enhance the campus learning and community experience.

Admissions officers are interested in hearing about how your unique background, identity, beliefs, culture, or characteristics will enrich the campus community, which is why they assign a diversity essay .

To write an effective diversity essay , include vulnerable, authentic stories about your unique identity, background, or perspective. Provide insight into how your lived experience has influenced your outlook, activities, and goals. If relevant, you should also mention how your background has led you to apply for this university and why you’re a good fit.

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How to Write a Cultural Identity Essay With Tips and Examples

11 December 2023

last updated

Writing a cultural identity essay is an exciting academic exercise that allows students to develop and utilize critical thinking, reflective, and analytical skills. Unlike a standard essay, this type of paper requires learners to use first-person language throughout. In essence, a cultural identity essay is about writers and what makes them identify with a particular cultural orientation. When writing a cultural identity essay, authors should choose a specific identity and focus on it throughout their texts. Moreover, they should reflect and brainstorm, use the “show, not tell” method, utilize transitions to create a natural flow, and proofread their papers to eliminate mistakes and errors. Hence, students need to learn how to write a cultural identity essay to provide high-quality papers to their readers.

Definition of a Cultural Identity Essay

Students undertake different writing exercises in the learning environment to develop their critical thinking, reflective, and analytical skills. Basically, one of these exercises is academic writing , and among different types of essays that students write is a cultural identity essay. In this case, it is a type of essay where authors write about their culture, which entails exploring and explaining the significance of their cultural identity. Moreover, there are numerous topics that instructors may require students to write about in a cultural identity essay. For example, some of these essay topics fall under different disciplines, such as religion, socio-economic status, family, education, ethnicity, and business. In essence, the defining features of a cultural identity essay are what aspects make authors know that they are writing in this type of essay. In turn, these features include language, nationality, gender, history, upbringing, and religion, among many others.

Differences Between a Cultural Identity Essay and Other Papers

Generally, a cultural identity essay is similar to a standard essay regarding an essay structure and an essay outline . However, the point of difference is the topic. While standard essays, such as argumentative, persuasive, and informative essays, require learners to use third-person language, such a paper requires them to use first-person language. In this case, when writing a cultural identity essay, authors should use the word “I” throughout to show the audience that they are writing from their perspective. Indeed, this aspect is the primary objective of a cultural identity essay – to give the writer’s perspective concerning their culture. Besides, another point of difference between a cultural identity essay and other papers is that the former does not require writers to utilize external sources but to write from a personal viewpoint.

List of Possible Examples of Cultural Identity Essay Topics

1. cultural identity and socialization in a learning environment.

Here, a cultural identity essay prompt may require students to discuss the significance of culture in education, focusing on cultural identity and socialization. As such, this topic requires writers to reflect on how culture influences behavior in a learning environment.

2. The Impact of Culture Change on Family

Here, this prompt may require students to explore and discuss how culture impacts a family unit. Moreover, the theme is a family, and the students’ mission would be to explain how culture in all its dynamics affects families in diverse settings.

3. The Role of Language in Building a Cultural Identity

Here, instructions may require students to explore and explain the significance of language in cultural identity. Hence, writers should focus on explaining the place of culture in the sociology discipline, focusing on the connection between language and cultural identity.

4. The Significance of Culture in a Globalized Economy

Here, a cultural identity essay topic may require students to explore and discuss how culture affects individuals and businesses in today’s connected world. Also, the students’ task would be to explain how culture, in all its dynamics, such as language, is essential in business for individuals and enterprises.

5. How Culture Influences Relations in the Workplace

Here, an essay prompt may require students to explore and explain how culture, in all its dynamics, affects or influences social relations at the workplace. In turn, the task of writers, for example, would be to focus on how Human Resource (HR) departments can use culture to enrich workplace relations.

6. The Place of Culture in Individuals’ Self-Concept

Here, an analysis of a theme may require students to reflect on how their cultural orientation has affected their self-concept. Moreover, the student’s task would be to discuss how culture and its dynamics enable individuals to build a strong or weak understanding of themselves.

7. The Importance of Cultural Orientation in a Multicultural Environment

Here, assignment instructions may require students to explore and discuss how their cultural orientation enables them to operate in a culturally diverse environment, such as a school or workplace. In this case, the student’s task would be to explain how cultural characteristics, such as language and religion, facilitate or hamper social competency in a multicultural setting. 

8. How Global Conflicts Disturb Cultural Identity for Refugees

Here, this example of a cultural identity topic may require students to explore and explain how conflicts in today’s world, such as civil unrest, affect the cultural identity of those who flee to foreign countries. Also, the student’s task would be to explain how one’s culture is affected in a new environment with totally different cultural dynamics.

9. The Challenges of Acculturation

Here, a cultural identity essay prompt may require students to explore and explain the challenges that individuals face in identifying with the dominant culture. In particular, the student’s task would be to explain the significance of the dominant culture and what those from other cultures that try to identify with it must confront.

10. Host Country Culture and Multinational Enterprises

Here, this prompt sample may require students to explore and explain how a host country’s culture affects expatriates working for multinational corporations. Besides, the students’ task would be to show how one’s culture defines their behaviors and how that can be affected in a new environment with new cultural characteristics.

11. Compare and Contrast Native Culture and Dominant Culture in the United States

Here, such instructions require students to explain specific areas of similarity and difference between the Native culture and the dominant culture. In turn, the students’ task would be to define the Native culture and the dominant culture and help the audience to understand whether they mean the same thing. Hence, whether they do or do not, students should elaborate.

12. The Objective of Acculturation

Here, this example of a cultural identity essay topic requires students to explore and explain why people prefer to identify with the dominant culture. Moreover, the students’ task would be to note the advantages of the dominant culture over others and the opportunities that one may access to identify with this dominant culture.

13. The Challenges That the LGBTQ Community Faces in the Modern World

Here, essay prompt instructions require students to explore and discuss the challenges that lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender people face in their normal day-to-day activities. In this case, the students’ task would be to explain the uniqueness of the LGBTQ community and how stereotyping makes their lives miserable in an environment where people are intolerant of different personalities and viewpoints.

14. Dangers of Cultural Intolerance in the Health Care System

Here, instructions may require students to explore and discuss how nurses that are intolerant to cultural differences may jeopardize patients’ lives.

15. Advantages and Disadvantages of Acculturation

Here, a cultural identity essay prompt requires students to discuss the pros and cons of identifying with the dominant culture.

How Students Know if They Write a Cultural Identity Essay

The defining features of a cultural identity essay give students the indication that they need to write this kind of essay. Basically, when learners read instructions regarding their essay topics they need to write about, they should identify one or several defining elements. In turn, these elements include language, nationality, religion, ethnicity, and gender.

Structure of a Cultural Identity Essay

As stated previously, the primary point of similarity between a cultural identity essay and standard papers is an essay structure and an essay outline. Basically, this structure and outline comprise of three main sections: introduction, body, and conclusion. Like in all other essays, writing a cultural identity essay requires students to address specific issues, which are, in essence, the defining characteristics of the essay’s structure and outline.

I. Introduction and Its Defining Characteristics

The introduction is the first paragraph of a cultural identity essay. Here, students introduce themselves to the audience, giving a brief background of their cultural identity. Moreover, rules of academic writing dictate that this part should not exceed 10 percent of the entire paper. In this case, writers should be brief and concise. Then, the most prominent component of this section is a thesis, a statement that appears at the end of an introduction paragraph and whose objective is to indicate the writer’s mission. In summary, the introduction part’s defining features are the writer’s background and thesis statement . In turn, the former gives a hint about a writer, and the latter provides the audience with insight into the writer’s objective in writing a cultural identity essay.

The body of a cultural identity essay is the most significant section of a paper and takes the largest part. Generally, writers use several paragraphs to advance different arguments to explain specific concepts. In a cultural identity essay, writers can use different paragraphs to explain important aspects of their cultural identity. Nonetheless, what determines the number of paragraphs and the content of each is a paper topic. Also, the most prominent defining features of a cultural identity essay’s body are paragraphs, with each advancing a unique concept about the writer’s cultural identity. In turn, paragraphs are where writers provide real-life experiences and other personal anecdotes that help the audience to develop a deeper understanding of authors from a cultural perspective.

III. Conclusion

The conclusion part is the last section of a cultural identity essay. In particular, writers restate a thesis statement and summarize the main points from body paragraphs. Moreover, authors provide concluding remarks about a topic, which is mostly an objective personal opinion. In summary, the conclusion part’s defining features are a restatement of a thesis, a summary of the main points, and the writer’s final thoughts about a topic.

Outline Template for a Cultural Identity Essay

I. Introduction

A. Hook statement/sentence. B. Background information. C. A thesis statement that covers the main ideas from 1 to X in one sentence.

II. Body Paragraphs

A. Idea 1 B. Idea 2 … X. Idea X

A. Restating a thesis statement. B. Summary of the main points from A to X. C. Final thoughts.

An Example of a Cultural Identity Essay

Topic: Identifying as a Naturalist

I. Introduction Sample in a Cultural Identity Essay

The period of birth marks the beginning of one’s identity, with culture playing a significant role. However, from the stage of adolescence going forward, individuals begin to recognize and understand their cultural makeup. In my case, I have come to discover my love for nature, an aspect that I believe has made me a naturalist both in belief and action.

II. Examples of Body Paragraphs in a Cultural Identity Essay

A. idea 1: parents.

Parents play a critical role in shaping the cultural and personal identity of their children. In my case, it is my mother who has instilled in me a love for nature. Although I may not say exactly when this love started, I can only reason that since it was ingrained in me since childhood, it has developed gradually.

B. Idea 2: Naturalism

Today, naturalism defines my interactions with people and the environment. In short, I can say it shapes my worldview. As a lover of nature herself, my mother had this habit of taking me outdoors when I was a toddler. I have seen family photographs of my mother walking through parks and forests holding my hand. What is noticeable in these pictures besides my mother and me is the tree cover that gives the setting such a lovely sight. Moreover, I can now understand why I seem more conversant with the names and species of flowers, trees, and birds than my siblings- my mother was the influence. In turn, my siblings and friends make a joke that I have developed a strong love for nature to the point of identifying myself with the environment. Hence, the basis for this argument is my love for the green color, where even my clothes and toys are mostly green.

III. Conclusion Sample of a Cultural Identity Essay

Naturally, human beings behave in line with their cultural background and orientation. Basically, this behavior is what determines or reflects their cultural identity. In turn, my intense love for nature underscores my naturalist identity. While I may not tell the stage in life when I assumed this identity, I know my mother has played a significant role in shaping it, and this is since childhood.

Summing Up on How to Write a Good Cultural Identity Essay

Like any standard paper, writing a cultural identity essay allows students to build essential skills, such as critical thinking, reflective, and analytical skills. In this case, the essence of a paper is to provide the writer’s cultural identity, background, or orientation. Therefore, in order to learn how to write a good cultural identity essay, students should master the following tips:

• Decide where to focus. Culture is a broad topic, and deciding what to focus on is essential in producing a cultural identity essay. For example, one may have several cultural identities, and addressing all may lead to inconclusive explanations.
• Reflect and brainstorm. Given the close link between one’s cultural identity and personal experiences, learners need to reflect on experiences that would provide the audience with an accurate picture of their cultural identity.
• Adopt the “Show, not tell” approach by providing vivid details about one’s experiences. Using personal anecdotes may be effective in accomplishing this objective.
• Use transitions , such as “therefore,” “thus,” ” additionally,” and “furthermore,” to enhance a natural and logical flow throughout the essay.
• Stay personal by using first-person language to describe one’s background and experiences.
• Proofread a cultural identity essay to eliminate spelling and grammatical mistakes and other notable errors, such as an inconsistent life storyline.

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6 Diversity College Essay Examples

What’s covered:, how to write the diversity essay after the end of affirmative action, essay #1: jewish identity, essay #2: being bangladeshi-american, essay #3: marvel vs dc, essay #4: leadership as a first-gen american, essay #5: protecting the earth, essay #6: music and accents, where to get your diversity essays edited, what is the diversity essay.

While working on your college applications, you may come across essays that focus on diversity , culture, or values. The purpose of these essays is to highlight any diverse views or opinions that you may bring to campus. Colleges want a diverse student body that’s made up of different backgrounds, religions, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and interests. These essay prompts are a way for them to see what students can bring to their school.

In this post, we will share six essays written by real students that cover the topic of culture and diversity. We’ll also include what each essay did well and where there is room for improvement. Hopefully, this will be a useful resource to inspire your own diversity essay.

Please note: Looking at examples of real essays students have submitted to colleges can be very beneficial to get inspiration for your essays. That said, you should never copy or plagiarize from these examples when writing your own essays. Colleges can tell when an essay isn’t genuine and they will not have a favorable view of students who have plagiarized.

In June 2023, the Supreme Court ruled that the use of race in college admissions was unconstitutional. In other words, they struck down the use of affirmative action in college admissions . This will affect college-bound students of color in a number of ways, including lowering their chances of acceptance and reducing the amount of direct outreach they’ll receive from colleges. Another change to consider is the ways in which students should tackle their diversity essays.

Although colleges can no longer directly factor race into admissions, students aren’t prohibited from discussing their racial backgrounds in supplemental application essays. If your racial background is important to you, seriously consider writing about it in your diversity essays. If you don’t, admissions officers are extremely limited in their ability to consider your race when making an admission decision.

As in the essays listed below, discussing your race is an excellent tool for showing admissions officers the person behind the grades and test scores. Beyond that, it provides admissions officers with an opportunity to put themselves in your shoes—showing them how your background has presented challenges to overcome, helped build important life skills, and taught you valuable lessons.

Diversity Essay Examples

I was thirsty. In my wallet was a lone $10 bill, ultimately useless at my school’s vending machine. Tasked with scrounging together the $1 cost of a water bottle, I fished out and arranged the spare change that normally hid in the bottom of my backpack in neat piles of nickels and dimes on my desk. I swept them into a spare Ziploc and began to leave when a classmate snatched the bag and held it above my head.

“Want your money back, Jew?” she chanted, waving the coins around. I had forgotten the Star-of-David around my neck, but quickly realized she must have seen it and connected it to the stacks of coins. I am no stranger to experiencing and confronting antisemitism, but I had never been targeted in my school before. I grabbed my bag and sternly told her to leave. Although she sauntered away, the impact remained.

This incident serves as an example of the adversity I have and will continue to face from those who only see me as a stereotype. Ironically, however, these experiences of discrimination have only increased my pride as a member of the Jewish Community. Continuing to wear the Star-of-David connects me to my history and my family. I find meaning and direction in my community’s values, such as pride, education, and giving—and I am eager to transfer these values to my new community: the Duke community.

What the Essay Did Well

Writing about discrimination can be difficult, but if you are comfortable doing it, it can make for a powerful story. Although this essay is short and focused on one small interaction, it represents a much larger struggle for this student, and for that reason it makes the essay very impactful.

The author takes her time at the beginning of the essay to build the scene for the audience, which allows us to feel like we are there with her, making the hateful comments even more jarring later on. If she had just told us her classmate teased her with harmful stereotypes, we wouldn’t feel the same sense of anger as we do knowing that she was just trying to get a drink and ended up being harassed.

This essay does another important thing—it includes self-reflection on the experience and on the student’s identity. Without elaborating on the emotional impact of a situation, an essay about discrimination would make admission officers feel bad for the student, but they wouldn’t be compelled to admit the student. By describing how experiences like these drive her and make her more determined to embody positive values, this student reveals her character to the readers.

What Could Be Improved

While including emotional reflection in the latter half of the essay is important, the actual sentences could be tightened up a bit to leave a stronger impression. The student does a nice job of showing us her experience with antisemitism, but she just tells us about the impact it has on her. If she instead showed us what the impact looked like, the essay would be even better.

For example, rather than telling us “Continuing to wear the Star-of-David connects me to my history and my family,” she could have shown that connection: “My Star-of-David necklace thumps against my heart with every step I take, reminding me of my great-grandparents who had to hide their stars, my grandma’s spindly fingers lighting the menorah each Hanukkah, and my uncle’s homemade challah bread.” This new sentence reveals so much more than the existing sentence about the student and the deep connection she feels with her family and religion.

Life before was good: verdant forests, sumptuous curries, and a devoted family.

Then, my family abandoned our comfortable life in Bangladesh for a chance at the American dream in Los Angeles. Within our first year, my father was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. He lost his battle three weeks before my sixth birthday. Facing a new country without the steady presence of my father, we were vulnerable—prisoners of hardship in the land of the free.

We resettled in the Bronx, in my uncle’s renovated basement. It was meant to be our refuge, but I felt more displaced than ever. Gone were the high-rise condos of West L.A.; instead, government projects towered over the neighborhood. Pedestrians no longer smiled and greeted me; the atmosphere was hostile, even toxic. Schoolkids were quick to pick on those they saw as weak or foreign, hurling harsh words I’d never heard before.

Meanwhile, my family began integrating into the local Bangladeshi community. I struggled to understand those who shared my heritage. Bangladeshi mothers stayed home while fathers drove cabs and sold fruit by the roadside—painful societal positions. Riding on crosstown buses or walking home from school, I began to internalize these disparities.

During my fleeting encounters with affluent Upper East Siders, I saw kids my age with nannies, parents who wore suits to work, and luxurious apartments with spectacular views. Most took cabs to their destinations: cabs that Bangladeshis drove. I watched the mundane moments of their lives with longing, aching to plant myself in their shoes. Shame prickled down my spine. I distanced myself from my heritage, rejecting the traditional panjabis worn on Eid and refusing the torkari we ate for dinner every day.

As I grappled with my relationship with the Bangladeshi community, I turned my attention to helping my Bronx community by pursuing an internship with Assemblyman Luis Sepulveda. I handled desk work and took calls, spending the bulk of my time actively listening to the hardships constituents faced—everything from a veteran stripped of his benefits to a grandmother unable to support her bedridden grandchild.

I’d never exposed myself to stories like these, and now I was the first to hear them. As an intern, I could only assist in what felt like the small ways—pointing out local job offerings, printing information on free ESL classes, reaching out to non-profits. But to a community facing an onslaught of intense struggles, I realized that something as small as these actions could have vast impacts.

Seeing the immediate consequences of my actions inspired me. Throughout that summer, I internalized my community’s daily challenges in a new light. I began to see the prevalent underemployment and cramped living quarters less as sources of shame. Instead, I saw them as realities that had to be acknowledged, but that could ultimately be remedied.

I also realized the benefits of the Bangladeshi culture I had been so ashamed of. My Bangla language skills were an asset to the office, and my understanding of Bangladeshi etiquette allowed for smooth communication between office staff and the office’s constituents. As I helped my neighbors navigate city services, I saw my heritage with pride—a perspective I never expected to have.

I can now appreciate the value of my unique culture and background, and the value of living with less. This perspective offers room for progress, community integration, and a future worth fighting for. My time with Assemblyman Sepulveda’s office taught me that I can be an agent of change who can enable this progression. Far from being ashamed of my community, I want to someday return to local politics in the Bronx to continue helping others access the American Dream. I hope to help my community appreciate the opportunity to make progress together. By embracing reality, I learned to live it. Along the way, I discovered one thing: life is good, but we can make it better.

This student’s passion for social justice and civic duty shines through in this essay because of how honest it is. Sharing their personal experience with immigrating, moving around, being an outsider, and finding a community allows us to see the hardships this student has faced and builds empathy towards their situation.

However, what really makes it strong is that the student goes beyond describing the difficulties they faced and explains the mental impact it had on them as a child: “Shame prickled down my spine. I distanced myself from my heritage, rejecting the traditional panjabis worn on Eid and refusing the torkari we ate for dinner every day.” The rejection of their culture presented at the beginning of the essay creates a nice juxtaposition with the student’s view in the latter half of the essay, and helps demonstrate how they have matured.

They then use their experience interning as a way to delve into a change in their thought process about their culture. This experience also serves as a way to show how their passion for social justice began. Using this experience as a mechanism to explore their thoughts and feelings is an excellent example of how items that are included elsewhere on your application should be incorporated into your essay.

This essay prioritizes emotions and personal views over specific anecdotes. Although there are details and certain moments incorporated throughout to emphasize the author’s points, the main focus remains on the student and how they grapple with their culture and identity.

One area for improvement is the conclusion. Although the forward-looking approach is a nice way to end an essay focused on social justice, it would be nice to include more details and imagery in the conclusion. How does the student want to help their community? What government position do they see themselves holding one day?

A more impactful ending might describe the student walking into their office at the New York City Housing Authority in 15 years. This future student might be looking at the plans to build a new development in the Bronx just blocks away from where they grew up that would provide quality housing to people in their Bangladeshi community. They would smile while thinking about how far they have come from that young kid who used to be ashamed of their culture.

Superhero cinema is an oligopoly consisting of two prominent, towering brands: Marvel and DC. I’m a religious supporter of Marvel, but last year, I discovered that my friend, Tom, was a DC fan. After a vociferous 20-minute quarrel about which was better, we decided to allocate one day to have a professional debate, using carefully assembled and coherent arguments.

One week later, we both brought pages of notes and evidence cards (I also had my Iron-Man bobblehead for moral support). Our impartial moderator—a Disney fan—sat in the middle with a stopwatch, open-policy style. I began the debate by discussing how Marvel accentuated the humanity of the storyline—such as in Tony Stark’s transformation from an egotistical billionaire to a compassionate father—which drew in a broader audience, because more people resonated with certain aspects of the characters. Tom rebutted this by capitalizing on how Deadpool was a duplicate of Deathstroke, how Vision copied Red Tornado, and how DC sold more comics than Marvel.

40 minutes later, we reached an impasse. We were out of cards, and we both made excellent points, so our moderator was unable to declare a winner. Difficult conversations aren’t necessarily always the ones that make political headlines. Instead, a difficult discussion involves any topic with which people share an emotional connection.

Over the years, I became so emotionally invested in Marvel that my mind erected an impenetrable shield, blocking out all other possibilities. Even today, we haven’t decided which franchise was better, but I realized that I was undermining DC for no reason other than my own ignorance.

The inevitability of diversity suggests that it is our responsibility to understand the other person and what they believe in. We may not always experience a change in opinion, but we can grant ourselves the opportunity to expand our global perspective. I strive to continue this adventure to increase my awareness as a superhero aficionado, activist, and student, by engaging in conversations that require me to think beyond what I believe and to view the world from others’ perspectives.

And yes, Tom is still my friend.

Diversity doesn’t always have to be about culture or heritage; diversity exists all around us, even in our comic book preferences. The cleverness of this essay lies in the way the student flipped the traditional diversity prompt on its head and instead discussed his diverse perspective on a topic he is passionate about. If you don’t have a cultural connection you are compelled to write about, this is a nifty approach to a diversity prompt—if it’s handled appropriately.

While this student has a non-traditional topic, he still presents it in a way that pays respect to the key aspects of a diversity essay: depicting his perspective and recognizing the importance of diverse views. Just as someone who is writing about a culture that is possibly unfamiliar to the reader, the student describes what makes Marvel and DC unique and important to him and his friend, respectively. He also expands on how a lack of diversity in superhero consumption led to his feeling of ignorance, and how it now makes him appreciate the need for diversity in all aspects of his life.

This student is unapologetically himself in this essay, which is ultimately why this unorthodox topic is able to work. He committed to his passion for Marvel by sharing analytical takes on characters and demonstrating how the franchise was so important to his identity that it momentarily threatened a friendship. The inclusion of humor through his personal voice—e.g., referring to the argument as a professional debate and telling us that the friendship lived on—contributes to the essay feeling deeply personal.

Choosing an unconventional topic for a diversity essay requires extra care and attention to ensure that you are still addressing the core of the prompt. That being said, if you accomplish it successfully, it makes for an incredibly memorable essay that could easily set you apart!

While this is a great essay as is, the idea of diversity could have been addressed a little bit earlier in the piece to make it absolutely clear the student is writing about his diverse perspective. He positions Marvel and DC as two behemoths in the superhero movie industry, but in the event that his reader is unfamiliar with these two brands, there is little context about the cultural impact each has on its fans.

To this student, Marvel is more than just a movie franchise; it’s a crucial part of his identity, just as someone’s race or religion might be. In order for the reader to fully understand the weight of his perspective, there should be further elaboration—towards the beginning—on how important Marvel is to this student.

Leadership was thrust upon me at a young age. When I was six years old, my abusive father abandoned my family, leaving me to step up as the “man” of the house. From having to watch over my little sister to cooking dinner three nights a week, I never lived an ideal suburban life. I didn’t enjoy the luxuries of joining after-school activities, getting driven to school or friends’ houses, or taking weekend trips to the movies or bowling alley. Instead, I spent my childhood navigating legal hurdles, shouldering family responsibilities, and begrudgingly attending court-mandated therapy sessions.

At the same time, I tried to get decent grades and maintain my Colombian roots and Spanish fluency enough to at least partially communicate with my grandparents, both of whom speak little English. Although my childhood had its bright and joyful moments, much of it was weighty and would have been exhausting for any child to bear. In short, I grew up fast. However, the responsibilities I took on at home prepared me to be a leader and to work diligently, setting me up to use these skills later in life.

I didn’t have much time to explore my interests until high school, where I developed my knack for government and for serving others. Being cast in a lead role in my school’s fall production as a freshman was the first thing to give me the confidence I needed to pursue other activities: namely, student government. Shortly after being cast, I was elected Freshman Vice-President, a role that put me in charge of promoting events, delegating daily office tasks, collaborating with the administration on new school initiatives, and planning trips and fundraisers.

While my new position demanded a significant amount of responsibility, my childhood of helping my mom manage our household prepared me to be successful in the role. When I saw the happy faces of my classmates after a big event, I felt proud to know that I had made even a small difference to them. Seeing projects through to a successful outcome was thrilling. I enjoyed my time and responsibilities so much that I served all four years of high school, going on to become Executive Vice-President.

As I found success in high school, my mother and grandparents began speaking more about the life they faced prior to emigrating from Colombia. To better connect with them, I took a series of Spanish language classes to regain my fluency. After a practice run through my presentation on Bendíceme, Ultima ( Bless me, Ultima ) by Rudolofo Anaya, with my grandmother, she squeezed my hand and told me the story of how my family was forced from their home in order to live free of religious persecution. Though my grandparents have often expressed how much better their lives and their children’s lives have been in America, I have often struggled with my identity. I felt that much of it was erased with my loss of our native language.

In elementary school, I learned English best because in class I was surrounded by it. Spanish was more difficult to grasp without a formal education, and my family urged me to become fluent in English so I could be of better help to them in places as disparate as government agencies and grocery stores. When I was old enough to recognize the large part of my identity still rooted in being Colombian, it was challenging to connect these two sides of who I was.

Over time I have been able to reconcile the two in the context of my aspirations. I found purpose and fulfillment through student council, and I knew that I could help other families like my own if I worked in local government. By working through city offices that address housing, education, and support for survivors of childhood abuse, I could give others the same liberties and opportunities my family has enjoyed in this country. Doing so would also help me honor my roots as a first-generation American.

I have been a leader my entire life. Both at Harvard and after graduation, I want to continue that trend. I hope to volunteer with organizations that share my goals. I want to advise policy-making politicians on ways to make children and new immigrants safer and more secure. When my family was at their worst, my community gave back. I hope to give that gift to future generations. A career in local, city-based public service is not a rashly made decision; it is a reflection of where I’ve already been in life, and where I want to be in the future.

Although this essay begins on a somber note, it goes on to show this student’s determination and the joy he found. Importantly, it also ends with a positive, forward-looking perspective. This is a great example of how including your hardship can bolster an essay as long as it is not the essay’s main focus.

Explaining the challenges this student faced from a young age—becoming the man of the house, dealing with legal matters, maintaining good grades, etc.—builds sympathy for his situation. However, the first paragraph is even more impactful because he explains the emotional toll these actions had on him. We understand how he lost the innocence of his childhood and how he struggled to remain connected to his Colombian heritage with all his other responsibilities. Including these details truly allows the reader to see this student’s struggle, making us all the more joyful when he comes out stronger in the end.

Pivoting to discuss positive experiences with student government and Spanish classes for the rest of the essay demonstrates that this student has a positive approach to life and is willing to push through challenges. The tone of the essay shifts from heavy to uplifting. He explains the joy he got out of helping his classmates and connecting with his grandparents, once again providing emotional reflection to make the reader care more.

Overall, this essay does a nice job of demonstrating how this student approaches challenges and negative experiences. Admitting that the responsibilities of his childhood had a silver lining shows his maturity and how he will be able to succeed in government one day. The essay strikes a healthy balance between challenge and hope, leaving us with a positive view of a student with such emotional maturity.

Although the content of this essay is very strong, it struggles with redundancy and disorganized information. He mentions his passion for government at the beginning of the student government paragraph, then again addresses government in the paragraph focused on his Colombian heritage, and concludes by talking about how he wants to get into government once more. Similarly, in the first paragraph, he discusses the struggle of maintaining his Colombian identity and then fully delves into that topic in the third paragraph.

The repetition of ideas and lack of a streamlined organization of this student’s thoughts diminishes some of the emotional impact of the story. The reader is left trying to piece together a swirling mass of information on their own, rather than having a focused, sequential order to follow.

This could be fixed if the student rearranged details to make each paragraph focused on a singular idea. For example, the first paragraph could be about his childhood. The second could be about how student government sparked his interest in government and what he hopes to do one day. The third could be about how he reconnected with his Colombian roots through his Spanish classes, after years of struggling with his identity. And the final paragraph could tie everything together by explaining how everything led to him wanting to pursue a future serving others, particularly immigrants like his family.

Alternatively, the essay could follow a sequential order that would start with his childhood, then explain his struggle with his identity, then show how student government and Spanish classes helped him find himself, and finally, conclude with what he hopes to accomplish by pursuing government.

I never understood the power of community until I left home to join seven strangers in the Ecuadorian rainforest. Although we flew in from distant corners of the U.S., we shared a common purpose: immersing ourselves in our passion for protecting the natural world.

Back home in my predominantly conservative suburb, my neighbors had brushed off environmental concerns. My classmates debated the feasibility of Trump’s wall, not the deteriorating state of our planet. Contrastingly, these seven strangers delighted in bird-watching, brightened at the mention of medicinal tree sap, and understood why I once ran across a four-lane highway to retrieve discarded beer cans.

Their histories barely resembled mine, yet our values aligned intimately. We did not hesitate to joke about bullet ants, gush about the versatility of tree bark, or discuss the destructive consequences of materialism. Together, we let our inner tree-huggers run free.

In the short life of our little community, we did what we thought was impossible. By feeding on each other’s infectious tenacity, we cultivated an atmosphere that deepened our commitment to our values and empowered us to speak out on behalf of the environment. After a week of stimulating conversations and introspective revelations about engaging people from our hometowns in environmental advocacy, we developed a shared determination to devote our lives to this cause.

As we shared a goodbye hug, my new friend whispered, “The world needs saving. Someone’s gotta do it.” For the first time, I believed that that someone could be me.

This student is expressing their diversity through their involvement in a particular community—another nice approach if you don’t want to write about culture or ethnicity. We all have unique things that we geek out over. This student expresses the joy that they derived from finding a community where they could express their love for the environment. Passion is fundamental to university life and generally finds its way into any successful application.

The essay finds strength in the fact that readers feel for the student. We get a little bit of backstory about where they come from and how they felt silenced— “Back home in my predominantly conservative suburb, my neighbors had brushed off environmental concerns” —so it’s easy to feel joy for them when they get set free and finally find their community.

This student displays clear values: community, ecoconsciousness, dedication, and compassion. An admissions officer who reads a diversity essay is looking for students with strong values who will enrich the university community with their unique perspective—that sounds just like this student!

One area of weakness in this essay is the introduction. The opening line— “I never understood the power of community until I left home to join seven strangers in the Ecuadorian rainforest” —is a bit clichéd. Introductions should be captivating and build excitement and suspense for what is to come. Simply telling the reader about how your experience made you understand the power of community reveals the main takeaway of your essay without the reader needing to go any further.

Instead of starting this essay with a summary of what the essay is about, the student should have made their hook part of the story. Whether that looks like them being exasperated with comments their classmates made about politics, or them looking around apprehensively at the seven strangers in their program as they all boarded their flight, the student should start off in the action.

India holds a permanent place in my heart and ears. Whenever I returned on a trip or vacation, I would show my grandmother how to play Monopoly and she would let me tie her sari. I would teach my grandfather English idioms—which he would repeat to random people and fishmongers on the streets—and he would teach me Telugu phrases.

It was a curious exchange of worlds that I am reminded of every time I listen to Indian music. It was these tunes that helped me reconnect with my heritage and ground my meandering identity. Indian music, unlike the stereotype I’d long been imbued with, was not just a one-and-done Bollywood dance number! Each region and language was like an island with its own unique sonic identity. I’m grateful for my discovery of Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, and Tamil tunes, for these discoveries have opened me up to the incredible smorgasbord of diversity, depth, and complexity within the subcontinent I was born in.

Here’s an entirely-different sonic identity for you: Texan slang. “Couldya pass the Mango seltzer, please, hon?” asked my Houstonian neighbor, Rae Ann—her syllables melding together like the sticky cake batter we were making.

Rae Ann and her twang were real curiosities to me. Once, she invited my family to a traditional Texan barbecue with the rest of our neighbors. As Hindus, we didn’t eat beef, so we showed up with chicken kebabs, instead. Rather than looking at us bizarrely, she gladly accepted the dish, lining it up beside grilled loins and hamburger patties.

Her gesture was a small but very well-accepted one and I quickly became convinced she was the human manifestation of “Southern hospitality”—something reflected in each of her viscous, honey-dripping phrases. “Watch out for the skeeters!” was an excellent example. It was always funny at first, but conveyed a simple message: We’ve got each other’s backs and together, we can overcome the blood-sucking mosquitoes of the Houstonian summer! I began to see how her words built bridges, not boundaries.

I believe that sounds—whether it’s music or accents—can make a difference in the ways we perceive and accept individuals from other backgrounds. But sound is about listening too. In Rice’s residential college, I would be the type of person to strike up a conversation with an international student and ask for one of their Airpods (you’d be surprised how many different genres and languages of music I’ve picked up in this way!).

As both an international student and Houstonian at heart, I hope to bridge the gap between Rice’s domestic and international populations. Whether it’s organizing cultural events or simply taking the time to get to know a student whose first language isn’t English, I look forward to listening to the stories that only a fellow wanderer can tell.

This essay does an excellent job of addressing two aspects of this student’s identity. Looking at diversity through sound is a very creative way to descriptively depict their Indian and Texan cultures. Essays are always more successful when they stimulate the senses, so framing the entire response around sound automatically opens the door for vivid imagery.

The quotes from this student’s quirky neighbor bring a sense of realism to the essay. We can feel ourselves at the barbecue and hear her thick Texan accent coming through. The way people communicate is a huge part of their culture and identity, so the way that this student perfectly captures the essence of their Texan identity with accented phrases is skillfully done.

This essay does such a great job of making the sounds of Texas jump off the page, so it is a bit disappointing that it wasn’t able to accomplish the same for India. The student describes the different Indian languages and music styles, but doesn’t bring them to life with quotes or onomatopoeia in the manner that they did for the sounds of Texas.

They could have described the buzz of the sitar or the lyrical pattern of the Telugu phrases their grandfather taught them. Telling us about the diversity of sounds in Indian music is fine, but if the reader can’t appreciate what those sounds resemble, it makes it harder to understand the Indian half of the author’s identity. Especially since this student emulated the sounds and essence of Texas so well, it’s important that India is given the same treatment so we can fully appreciate both sides of this essay.

More Supplemental Essay Tips

How to Write a Stellar “Why This College?” Essay + Examples

How to Write a Stellar Extracurricular Activity College Essay

Do you want feedback on your diversity essays? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays.

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

Cultural Diversity Essay & Community Essay Examples

If you’ve started to research college application requirements for the schools on your list, you might have come across the “cultural diversity essay.” In this guide, we’ll explore the cultural diversity essay in depth. We will compare the cultural diversity essay to the community essay and discuss how to approach these kinds of supplements. We’ll also provide examples of diversity essays and community essay examples. But first, let’s discuss exactly what a cultural diversity essay is. 

The purpose of the cultural diversity essay in college applications is to show the admissions committee what makes you unique. The cultural diversity essay also lets you describe what type of “ diversity ” you would bring to campus.

We’ll also highlight a diversity essay sample for three college applications. These include the Georgetown application essay , Rice application essay , and Williams application essay . We’ll provide examples of diversity essays for each college. Then, for each of these college essays that worked, we will analyze their strengths to help you craft your own essays. 

Finally, we’ll give you some tips on how to write a cultural diversity essay that will make your applications shine. 

But first, let’s explore the types of college essays you might encounter on your college applications. 

Types of College Essays

College application requirements will differ among schools. However, you’ll submit one piece of writing to nearly every school on your list—the personal statement . A strong personal statement can help you stand out in the admissions process. 

So, how do you know what to write about? That depends on the type of college essay included in your college application requirements. 

There are a few main types of college essays that you might encounter in the college admissions process. Theese include the “Why School ” essay, the “Why Major ” essay, and the extracurricular activity essay. This also includes the type of essay we will focus on in this guide—the cultural diversity essay. 

“Why School” essay

The “Why School ” essay is exactly what it sounds like. For this type of college essay, you’ll need to underscore why you want to go to this particular school. 

However, don’t make the mistake of just listing off what you like about the school. Additionally, don’t just reiterate information you can find on their admissions website. Instead, you’ll want to make connections between what the school offers and how you are a great fit for that college community. 

“Why Major” essay

The idea behind the “Why Major ” essay is similar to that of the “Why School ” essay above. However, instead of writing about the school at large, this essay should highlight why you plan to study your chosen major.

There are plenty of directions you could take with this type of essay. For instance, you might describe how you chose this major, what career you plan to pursue upon graduation, or other details.

Extracurricular Activity essay

The extracurricular activity essay asks you to elaborate on one of the activities that you participated in outside of the classroom. 

For this type of college essay, you’ll need to select an extracurricular activity that you pursued while you were in high school. Bonus points if you can tie your extracurricular activity into your future major, career goals, or other extracurricular activities for college. Overall, your extracurricular activity essay should go beyond your activities list. In doing so, it should highlight why your chosen activity matters to you.

Cultural Diversity essay

The cultural diversity essay is your chance to expound upon diversity in all its forms. Before you write your cultural diversity essay, you should ask yourself some key questions. These questions can include: How will you bring diversity to your future college campus? What unique perspective do you bring to the table? 

Another sub-category of the cultural diversity essay is the gender diversity essay. As its name suggests, this essay would center around the author’s gender. This essay would highlight how gender shapes the way the writer understands the world around them. 

Later, we’ll look at examples of diversity essays and other college essays that worked. But before we do, let’s figure out how to identify a cultural diversity essay in the first place. 

How to identify a ‘cultural diversity’ essay

So, you’re wondering how you’ll be able to identify a cultural diversity essay as you review your college application requirements. 

Aside from the major giveaway of having the word “diversity” in the prompt, a cultural diversity essay will ask you to describe what makes you different from other applicants. In other words, what aspects of your unique culture(s) have influenced your perspective and shaped you into who you are today?

Diversity can refer to race, ethnicity, first-generation status, gender, or anything in between. You can write about a myriad of things in a cultural diversity essay. For instance, you might discuss your personal background, identity, values, experiences, or how you’ve overcome challenges in your life. 

However, don’t feel limited in what you can address in a cultural diversity essay. The words “culture” and “diversity” mean different things to different people. Above all, you’ll want your diversity essays for college to be personal and sincere. 

How is a ‘community’ essay different? 

A community essay can also be considered a cultural diversity essay. In fact, you can think of the community essay as a subcategory of the cultural diversity essay. However, there is a key difference between a community essay and a cultural diversity essay, which we will illustrate below. 

You might have already seen some community essay examples while you were researching college application requirements. But how exactly is a community essay different from a cultural diversity essay?

One way to tell the difference between community essay examples and cultural diversity essay examples is by the prompt. A community essay will highlight, well, community . This means it will focus on how your identity will shape your interactions on campus—not just how it informs your own experiences.

Two common forms to look out for

Community essay examples can take two forms. First, you’ll find community essay examples about your past experiences. These let you show the admissions team how you have positively influenced your own community. 

Other community essay examples, however, will focus on the future. These community essay examples will ask you to detail how you will contribute to your future college community. We refer to these as college community essay examples.

In college community essay examples, you’ll see applicants detail how they might interact with their fellow students. These essays may also discuss how students plan to positively contribute to the campus community. 

As we mentioned above, the community essay, along with community essay examples and college community essay examples, fit into the larger category of the cultural diversity essay. Although we do not have specific community essay examples or college community essay examples in this guide, we will continue to highlight the subtle differences between the two. 

Before we continue the discussion of community essay examples and college community essay examples, let’s start with some examples of cultural diversity essay prompts. For each of the cultural diversity essay prompts, we’ll name the institutions that include these diversity essays for college as part of their college application requirements. 

What are some examples of ‘cultural diversity’ essays? 

Now, you have a better understanding of the similarities and differences between the cultural diversity essay and the community essay. So, next, let’s look at some examples of cultural diversity essay prompts.

The prompts below are from the Georgetown application, Rice application, and Williams application, respectively. As we discuss the similarities and differences between prompts, remember the framework we provided above for what constitutes a cultural diversity essay and a community essay. 

Later in this guide, we’ll provide real examples of diversity essays, including Georgetown essay examples, Rice University essay examples, and Williams supplemental essays examples. These are all considered college essays that worked—meaning that the author was accepted into that particular institution. 

Georgetown Supplementals Essays

Later, we’ll look at Georgetown supplemental essay examples. Diversity essays for Georgetown are a product of this prompt: 

As Georgetown is a diverse community, the Admissions Committee would like to know more about you in your own words. Please submit a brief essay, either personal or creative, which you feel best describes you. 

You might have noticed two keywords in this prompt right away: “diverse” and “community.” These buzzwords indicate that this prompt is a cultural diversity essay. You could even argue that responses to this prompt would result in college community essay examples. After all, the prompt refers to the Georgetown community. 

For this prompt, you’ll want to produce a diversity essay sample that highlights who you are. In order to do that successfully, you’ll need to self-reflect before putting pen to paper. What aspects of your background, personality, or values best describe who you are? How might your presence at Georgetown influence or contribute to their diverse community? 

Additionally, this cultural diversity essay can be personal or creative. So, you have more flexibility with the Georgetown supplemental essays than with other similar diversity essay prompts. Depending on the direction you go, your response to this prompt could be considered a cultural diversity essay, gender diversity essay, or a college community essay. 

Rice University Essays

The current Rice acceptance rate is just 9% , making it a highly selective school. Because the Rice acceptance rate is so low, your personal statement and supplemental essays can make a huge difference. 

The Rice University essay examples we’ll provide below are based on this prompt: 

The quality of Rice’s academic life and the Residential College System are heavily influenced by the unique life experiences and cultural traditions each student brings. What personal perspective would you contribute to life at Rice? 

Breaking down the prompt.

Like the prompt above, this cultural diversity essay asks about your “life experiences,” “cultural traditions,” and personal “perspectives.” These phrases indicate a cultural diversity essay. Keep in mind this may not be the exact prompt you’ll have to answer in your own Rice application. However, future Rice prompts will likely follow a similar framework as this diversity essay sample.

Although this prompt is not as flexible as the Georgetown prompt, it does let you discuss aspects of Rice’s academic life and Residential College System that appeal to you. You can also highlight how your experiences have influenced your personal perspective. 

The prompt also asks about how you would contribute to life at Rice. So, your response could also fall in line with college community essay examples. Remember, college community essay examples are another sub-category of community essay examples. Successful college community essay examples will illustrate the ways in which students would contribute to their future campus community. 

Williams Supplemental Essays

Like the Rice acceptance rate, the Williams acceptance rate is also 9% . Because the Williams acceptance rate is so low, you’ll want to pay close attention to the Williams supplemental essays examples as you begin the writing process. 

The Williams supplemental essays examples below are based on this prompt: 

Every first-year student at Williams lives in an Entry – a thoughtfully constructed microcosm of the student community that’s a defining part of the Williams experience. From the moment they arrive, students find themselves in what’s likely the most diverse collection of backgrounds, perspectives, and interests they’ve ever encountered. What might differentiate you from the 19 other first-year students in an Entry? What perspective would you add to the conversation with your peer(s)?

Reflecting on the prompt.

Immediately, words like “diverse,” “backgrounds,” “perspectives,” “interests,” and “differentiate” should stand out to you. These keywords highlight the fact that this is a cultural diversity essay. Similar to the Rice essay, this may not be the exact prompt you’ll face on your Williams application. However, we can still learn from it.

Like the Georgetown essay, this prompt requires you to put in some self-reflection before you start writing. What aspects of your background differentiate you from other people? How would these differences impact your interactions with peers? 

This prompt also touches on the “student community” and how you would “add to the conversation with your peer(s).” By extension, any strong responses to this prompt could also be considered as college community essay examples. 

Community Essays

All of the prompts above mention campus community. So, you could argue that they are also examples of community essays. 

Like we mentioned above, you can think of community essays as a subcategory of the cultural diversity essay. If the prompt alludes to the campus community, or if your response is centered on how you would interact within that community, your essay likely falls into the world of college community essay examples. 

Regardless of what you would classify the essay as, all successful essays will be thoughtful, personal, and rich with details. We’ll show you examples of this in our “college essays that worked” section below. 

Which schools require a cultural diversity or community essay? 

Besides Georgetown, Rice, and Williams, many other college applications require a cultural diversity essay or community essay. In fact, from the Ivy League to HBCUs and state schools, the cultural diversity essay is a staple across college applications. 

Although we will not provide a diversity essay sample for each of the colleges below, it is helpful to read the prompts. This will build your familiarity with other college applications that require a cultural diversity essay or community essay. Some schools that require a cultural diversity essay or community essay include New York University , Duke University , Harvard University , Johns Hopkins University , and University of Michigan . 

New York University

NYU listed a cultural diversity essay as part of its 2022-2023 college application requirements. Here is the prompt:

NYU was founded on the belief that a student’s identity should not dictate the ability for them to access higher education. That sense of opportunity for all students, of all backgrounds, remains a part of who we are today and a critical part of what makes us a world class university. Our community embraces diversity, in all its forms, as a cornerstone of the NYU experience. We would like to better understand how your experiences would help us to shape and grow our diverse community.

Duke university.

Duke is well-known for its community essay: 

What is your sense of Duke as a university and a community, and why do you consider it a good match for you? If there’s something in particular about our offerings that attracts you, feel free to share that as well.

A top-ranked Ivy League institution, Harvard University also has a cultural diversity essay as part of its college application requirements: 

Harvard has long recognized the importance of student body diversity of all kinds. We welcome you to write about distinctive aspects of your background, personal development, or the intellectual interests you might bring to your Harvard classmates.

Johns hopkins university.

The Johns Hopkins supplement is another example of a cultural diversity essay: 

Founded in the spirit of exploration and discovery, Johns Hopkins University encourages students to share their perspectives, develop their interests, and pursue new experiences. Use this space to share something you’d like the admissions committee to know about you (your interests, your background, your identity, or your community), and how it has shaped what you want to get out of your college experience at Hopkins. 

University of michigan.

The University of Michigan requires a community essay for its application: 

Everyone belongs to many different communities and/or groups defined by (among other things) shared geography, religion, ethnicity, income, cuisine, interest, race, ideology, or intellectual heritage. Choose one of the communities to which you belong and describe that community and your place within it. 

Community essay examples.

The Duke and Michigan prompts are perfect illustrations of community essay examples. However, they have some critical differences. So, if you apply to both of these schools, you’ll have to change the way you approach either of these community essays. 

The Duke prompt asks you to highlight why you are a good match for the Duke community. You’ll also see this prompt in other community essay examples. To write a successful response to this prompt, you’ll need to reference offerings specific to Duke (or whichever college requires this essay). In order to know what to reference, you’ll need to do your research before you start writing. 

Consider the following questions as you write your diversity essay sample if the prompt is similar to Duke University’s

• What values does this college community have? 
• How do these tie in with what you value? 
• Is there something that this college offers that matches your interests, personality, or background?  

On the other hand, the Michigan essay prompt asks you to describe a community that you belong to as well as your place within that community. This is another variation of the prompt for community essay examples. 

To write a successful response to this prompt, you’ll need to identify a community that you belong to. Then, you’ll need to think critically about how you interact with that community. 

Below are some questions to consider as you write your diversity essay sample for colleges like Michigan: 

• Out of all the communities you belong to, which can you highlight in your response? 
• How have you impacted this community? 
• How has this community impacted you?

Now, in the next few sections, we’ll dive into the Georgetown supplemental essay examples, the Rice university essay examples, and the Williams supplemental essays examples. After each diversity essay sample, we’ll include a breakdown of why these are considered college essays that worked. 

Georgetown Essay Examples

As a reminder, the Georgetown essay examples respond to this prompt: 

As Georgetown is a diverse community, the Admissions Committee would like to know more about you in your own words. Please submit a brief essay, either personal or creative, which you feel best describes you.

Here is the excerpt of the diversity essay sample from our Georgetown essay examples: 

Georgetown University Essay Example

The best thing I ever did was skip eight days of school in a row. Despite the protests of teachers over missed class time, I told them that the world is my classroom. The lessons I remember most are those that took place during my annual family vacation to coastal Maine. That rural world is the most authentic and incredible classroom where learning simply happens and becomes exponential. 

Years ago, as I hunted through the rocks and seaweed for seaglass and mussels, I befriended a Maine local hauling her battered kayak on the shore. Though I didn’t realize it at the time, I had found a kindred spirit in Jeanne. Jeanne is a year-round resident who is more than the hard working, rugged Mainer that meets the eye; reserved and humble in nature, she is a wealth of knowledge and is self-taught through necessity. With thoughtful attention to detail, I engineered a primitive ramp made of driftwood and a pulley system to haul her kayak up the cliff. We diligently figured out complex problems and developed solutions through trial and error.

After running out of conventional materials, I recycled and reimagined items that had washed ashore. We expected to succeed, but were not afraid to fail. Working with Jeanne has been the best classroom in the world; without textbooks or technology, she has made a difference in my life. Whether building a basic irrigation system for her organic garden or installing solar panels to harness the sun’s energy, every project has shown me the value of taking action and making an impact. Each year brings a different project with new excitement and unique challenges. My resourcefulness, problem solving ability, and innovative thinking have advanced under her tutelage. 

While exploring the rocky coast of Maine, I embrace every experience as an unparalleled educational opportunity that transcends any classroom environment. I discovered that firsthand experience and real-world application of science are my best teachers. In school, applications of complex calculations and abstract theories are sometimes obscured by grades and structure. In Maine, I expand my love of science and renourish my curious spirit. I am a highly independent, frugal, resilient Mainer living as a southern girl in NC. 

Why this essay worked

This is one of the Georgetown supplemental essay examples that works, and here’s why. The author starts the essay with an interesting hook, which makes the reader want to learn more about this person and their perspective. 

Throughout the essay, the author illustrates their intellectual curiosity. From befriending Jeanne and creating a pulley system to engineering other projects on the rocky coast of Maine, the author demonstrates how they welcome challenges and work to solve problems. 

Further, the author mentions values that matter to them—taking action and making an impact. Both facets are also part of Georgetown’s core values . By making these connections in their essay, the author shows the admissions committee exactly how they would be a great fit for the Georgetown community. 

Finally, the author uses their experience in Maine to showcase their love of science, which is likely the field they will study at Georgetown. Like this writer, you should try to include most important parts of your identity into your essay. This includes things like life experiences, passions, majors, extracurricular activities for college, and more. 

Rice University Essay Examples

The Rice University essay examples are from this prompt: 

The quality of Rice’s academic life and the Residential College System are heavily influenced by the unique life experiences and cultural traditions each student brings. What personal perspective would you contribute to life at Rice? (500-word limit)

Rice university essay example.

Like every applicant, I also have a story to share. A story that makes me who I am and consists of chapters about my life experiences and adventures. Having been born in a different country, my journey to America was one of the most difficult things I had ever experienced. Everything felt different. The atmosphere, the places, the food, and especially the people. Everywhere I looked, I saw something new. Although it was a bit overwhelming, one thing had not changed.

The caring nature of the people was still prevalent in everyday interactions. I was overwhelmed by how supportive and understanding people were of one another. Whether it is race, religion, or culture, everyone was accepted and appreciated. I knew that I could be whoever I wanted to be and that the only limitation was my imagination. Through hard work and persistence I put my all in everything that I did. I get this work ethic from my father since he is living proof that anything can be accomplished with continued determination. Listening to the childhood stories he told me, my dad would reminisce about how he was born in an impoverished area in a third world country during a turbulent and unpredictable time.

Even with a passion for learning, he had to work a laborious job in an attempt to help his parents make ends meet. He talked about how he would study under the street lights when the power went out at home. His parents wanted something better for him, as did he. Not living in America changed nothing about their work ethic. His parents continued to work hard daily, in an attempt to provide for their son. My dad worked and studied countless hours, paying his way through school with jobs and scholarships. His efforts paid off when he finally moved to America and opened his own business. None of it would have been possible without tremendous effort and dedication needed for a better life, values that are instilled within me as well, and this is the perspective that I wish to bring to Rice. 

This diversity essay sample references the author’s unique life experiences and personal perspective, which makes it one example of college essays that worked. The author begins the essay by alluding to their unique story—they were born in a different country and then came to America. Instead of facing this change as a challenge, the author shows how this new experience helped them to feel comfortable with all kinds of people. They also highlight how their diversity was accepted and appreciated. 

Additionally, the author incorporates information about their father’s story, which helps to frame their own values and where those values came from. The values that they chose to highlight also fall in line with the values of the Rice community. 

Williams Supplemental Essay Examples

Let’s read the prompt that inspired so many strong Williams supplemental essays examples again: 

Every first-year student at Williams lives in an Entry—a thoughtfully constructed microcosm of the student community that’s a defining part of the Williams experience. From the moment they arrive, students find themselves in what’s likely the most diverse collection of backgrounds, perspectives and interests they’ve ever encountered. What might differentiate you from the 19 other first-year students in an entry? What perspective(s) would you add to the conversation with your peers?

Williams college essay example.

Through the flow in my head

See you clad in red

But not just the clothes

It’s your whole being

Covering in this sickening blanket

Of heat and pain

Are you in agony, I wonder?

Is this the hell they told me about?

Have we been condemned?

Reduced to nothing but pain

At least we have each other

In our envelopes of crimson

I try in vain

“Take my hands” I shriek

“Let’s protect each other, 

You and me, through this hell”

My body contorts

And deforms into nothingness

You remain the same

Clad in red

With faraway eyes

You, like a statue

Your eyes fixed somewhere else

You never see me

Just the red briefcase in your heart

We aren’t together

It’s always been me alone

While you stand there, aloof, with the briefcase in your heart.

I wrote this poem the day my prayer request for the Uighur Muslims got denied at school. At the time, I was stunned. I was taught to have empathy for those around me. Yet, that empathy disappears when told to extend it to someone different. I can’t comprehend this contradiction and I refuse to. 

At Williams, I hope to become a Community Engagement Fellow at the Davis Center. I hope to use Williams’ support for social justice and advocacy to educate my fellow classmates on social issues around the world. Williams students are not just scholars but also leaders and changemakers. Together, we can strive to better the world through advocacy.

Human’s capability for love is endless. We just need to open our hearts to everyone. 

It’s time to let the briefcase go and look at those around us with our real human eyes.

We see you now. Please forgive us.

As we mentioned above, the Williams acceptance rate is incredibly low. This makes the supplemental essay that much more important. 

This diversity essay sample works because it is personal and memorable. The author chooses to start the essay off with a poem. Which, if done right, will immediately grab the reader’s attention. 

Further, the author contextualizes the poem by explaining the circumstances surrounding it—they wrote it in response to a prayer request that was denied at school. In doing so, they also highlight their own values of empathy and embracing diversity. 

Finally, the author ends their cultural diversity essay by describing what excites them about Williams. They also discuss how they see themselves interacting within the Williams community. This is a key piece of the essay, as it helps the reader understand how the author would be a good fit for Williams. 

The examples provided within this essay also touch on issues that are important to the author, which provides a glimpse into the type of student the author would be on campus. Additionally, this response shows what potential extracurricular activities for college the author might be interested in pursuing while at Williams. 

How to Write a Cultural Diversity Essay

You want your diversity essay to stand out from any other diversity essay sample. But how do you write a successful cultural diversity essay? 

First, consider what pieces of your identity you want to highlight in your essay. Of course, race and ethnicity are important facets of diversity. However, there are plenty of other factors to consider. 

As you brainstorm, think outside the box to figure out what aspects of your identity help make up who you are. Because identity and diversity fall on a spectrum, there is no right or wrong answer here. 

Fit your ideas to the specific school

Once you’ve decided on what you want to represent in your cultural diversity essay, think about how that fits into the college of your choice. Use your cultural diversity essay to make connections to the school. If your college has specific values or programs that align with your identity, then include them in your cultural diversity essay! 

Above all, you should write about something that is important to you. Your cultural diversity essay, gender diversity essay, or community essay will succeed if you are passionate about your topic and willing to get personal. 

Additional Tips for Community & Cultural Diversity Essays

1. Start Early

In order to create the strongest diversity essay possible, you’ll want to start early. Filling out college applications is already a time-consuming process. So, you can cut back on additional stress and anxiety by writing your cultural diversity essay as early as possible. 

2. Brainstorm

Writing a cultural diversity essay or community essay is a personal process. To set yourself up for success, take time to brainstorm and reflect on your topic. Overall, you want your cultural diversity essay to be a good indication of who you are and what makes you a unique applicant. 

3. Proofread

We can’t stress this final tip enough. Be sure to proofread your cultural diversity essay before you hit the submit button. Additionally, you can read your essay aloud to hear how it flows. You can also can ask someone you trust, like your college advisor or a teacher, to help proofread your essay as well.

Other CollegeAdvisor Essay Resources to Explore

Looking for additional resources on supplemental essays for the colleges we mentioned above? Do you need help with incorporating extracurricular activities for college into your essays or crafting a strong diversity essay sample? We’ve got you covered. 

Our how to get into Georgetown guide covers additional tips on how to approach the supplemental diversity essay. If you’re wondering how to write about community in your essay, check out our campus community article for an insider’s perspective on Williams College.

Want to learn strategies for writing compelling cultural diversity essays? Check out this Q&A webinar, featuring a former Georgetown admissions officer. And, if you’re still unsure of what to highlight in your community essay, try getting inspiration from a virtual college tour . 

Cultural Diversity Essay & Community Essay Examples – Final Thoughts

Your supplemental essays are an important piece of the college application puzzle. With colleges becoming more competitive than ever, you’ll want to do everything you can to create a strong candidate profile. This includes writing well-crafted responses for a cultural diversity essay, gender diversity essay, or community essay. 

We hope our cultural diversity essay guide helped you learn more about this common type of supplemental essay. As you are writing your own cultural diversity essay or community essay, use the essay examples from Georgetown, Rice, and Williams above as your guide. 

Getting into top schools takes a lot more than a strong resume. Writing specific, thoughtful, and personal responses for a cultural diversity essay, gender diversity essay, or community essay will put you one step closer to maximizing your chances of admission. Good luck!

CollegeAdvisor.com is here to help you with every aspect of the college admissions process. From taking a gap year to completing enrollment , we’re here to help. Register today to receive one-on-one support from an admissions expert as you begin your college application journey.

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What are examples of cultural background?

Understanding the different cultures that exist in the world is a great way to be tolerant of other people and their backgrounds.

There are many different types of cultural backgrounds, but they can all vary based on geographical location or ethnicity. It’s important to understand these differences so we know how to behave and be tolerant of other cultures.

It is important to be aware of and understand these differences so we know how to behave and be tolerant of other cultures. Let’s explore some examples of cultural backgrounds!

Table of Contents

What are cultural backgrounds?

Cultural background is the environment in which an individual grew up. The word “background” generally implies that it may pose some limitations on what they are able to do, their attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors.

The context of one’s life experience as influenced by membership in organizations based on ethnicity, race, economic position, gender, exceptionalities, language, religion, sexual orientation, and geographical location.

There are many various sorts of cultural backgrounds that may differ depending on the country or region where the person was brought up. Culture might be defined as race/ethnicity-based, religion-based, or as language-based.

The culture of a person is the history and traditions that they have been brought up with from birth. In some cultures, people may eat different foods than what you are used to at home; in others, people will dress differently; in yet others, there are many different holidays and nationally recognized days of celebration.

A cultural background can be shaped at the family, societal or organizational level. Examples of different cultural groups include:

• Educated people (such as elites, middle class)
• People who value work ethic and approach goals with a strong sense of self-discipline (such as immigrants, entrepreneurs, small business owners)
• Religious people who values family and traditions (such as Christian, Muslim, Jewish)
• People who tend to be liberal and progressive (such as students, artists)
• People who come from a wealthy family and believes in saving money or people with a lower economic status (such as millionaires)

Cultural background influences the world we live in, and can create stereotypes between different groups of people. For instance, since some immigrants come Cultural background is an important way to define an individual’s identity.

What are some examples of cultures and their backgrounds?

There are many examples of cultures with certain backgrounds, but in general there are several key criteria that determine someone’s culture. Those important identifiers are geographical location, ethnicity, nationality, political beliefs or system of government.

• Geographical location, country or region in which someone lives or was brought up
• Ethnicity, a group of people that share a common national or cultural tradition
• Nationality, the legal relationship between an individual and a country, that is created by naturalization or birth in certain geographic territories. A nation is a group of people who have been linked by shared ancestry, history, culture, or language. This implies that all of the citizens in a country are from the same background, country, or region and shares a common border with other nations recognized by the United Nations
• Political beliefs or system of government, a governing system based on the ideology and power of the people who rule and control that specific nation for an extended period

How do cultures vary based on geographical location?

Geographical location is a huge factor in culture. Just because of the location, there are slight variations of culture that can influence values and traditions of a person or group.

For example: In the United States as one travels westward from Chicago to Los Angeles one will find progressively more Americanized cultures with higher populations of people of color and less racially segregated cities. Upwards toward Alaska there is a gradual decrease in flora and fauna, eventually ending at the Bering Strait that separates Asia from North America.

As one travels south or east from Chicago, there is a much higher probability of encountering more European and Middle Eastern culture. This could be because people migrated westward over time to follow economic opportunities and seek out new land. Beaches along the Pacific Ocean were likely populated with individuals who had more closeness with nature before white settlers arrived on their land.

Overall, it’s very easy to see how geography has influenced human development and can continue to help us understand how people of different backgrounds might behave in different areas of the world.

How do cultures vary based on ethnicity?

Cultures vary significantly based on ethnicity , and the reasons for this difference may be rooted in many places including religion, geographic location and history.

An Example of how nature vs nurture works: different cultures worship nature as a force that deserves respect, and this attitude is often reflected in its laws protecting land and water (An example of such a culture would be those found in South America). As an opposite example to those cultures with “Nature-worshipping” attitudes would be the American culture, where our country is considered more as a man made product rather than something influenced by forces such as religion or water (such as those who live near bodies)

While there are examples can be found everywhere can create studies to look at the differences between countries.

An example of how ethnicity can influence culture today: There are still pockets of people in the United States whose families have lived here for generations. They may be more likely to speak their ancestral language (for example, Mandarin) and follow traditions practiced by that ethnic group (such as celebrating the lunar new year).

How do cultures vary based on nationality?

Political beliefs or system of government can also heavily affect culture, especially within a nation. A nation will have norms with what is proper and improper behavior, with most people subscribing to these standards.

For example: While Americans might find it strange if someone were to pour their entire soda into the cup, Chinese people actually do this as a sign of respect. As another example, in America we place our shoes by the door when entering a house, but visitors in Japan will remove their shoes at the entrance before stepping on any interior flooring.

How do cultures vary based on political beliefs or system of government?

There are many reasons but let’s first look at the basics.

Many cultures vary based on political belief. Some people believe in a policy of government control, aka Communism or Nazism, while others believe in a system of self-governance with no one governing them which is called anarchy or Libertarianism. The populations from these countries typically display different values and beliefs towards how things should be done because they have been raised under different philosophies.

Get a person from one country to interact with a person from another country and there will often be a clash of ideas because their views on life could not be more different depending on what type of system their representatives created for them to live under.

The needs that the people have may also be affected by the political belief of the country they live in. People who believe in anarchy or Libertarianism, for example, might want to be able to carry guns to protect themselves where people who practice Communism may not want this ability. The policies that are enacted in one area will affect what type of culture their citizens can flourish under or create within.

For Example: The political ideology of Nordic nations is generally considered to be Socialism, which implies that their society has a well-developed middle class and a high standard of living.

When compared to Americans, who were reared in a capitalistic culture that thrives on competition, individualism, and consumerism.

The American attitude towards consumption may be contrasted with the energy-efficiency ethic in Nordic cultures, where exports generally include cars, but also dairy products.

What is the difference between a cultural background and ethnicity?

Cultural background is the framework of knowledge and references that define a person’s mental model for their past, present and future lives. Ethnicity defines who we associate with in our own imagination.

The two do not always coincide because we can share a culture with people who belong to other ethnicities and vice-versa.

For example, it would be possible for someone living in India to come from one or more different backgrounds – Muslim Gujarati, Hindu Tamil etc., depending on geographical origin.

Someone could also be American but have an Indian racial background if they trace their ancestry back through generations of Americans with Indian bloodlines mixed into the genealogical tree. 

A neutral definition of ethnicity might read as “the kinship lines which define membership in a group; the law of shared blood”.

As this definition would apply to anyone who is related by an ancestor, it does not identify differences between cultures.

While some people use the terms interchangeably, there are important distinctions that must be made when talking about them.

Why do people have different cultures around the world?

The human population is made up of billions and billions of people that come from an uncountable number of backgrounds and cultures.

This means there are many different cultural understandings and views across the world. One explanation for these differences might be because we’re all humans with similar emotions, desires, perspectives, memories and thought patterns (although there are still some who argue this point).

Another possible explanation is because we can’t ever know if our own culture is the “right” one – given that it’s impossible to completely understand other cultures on their terms.

The last option could also be true; this would mean that every country has its own unique subject matter in economics, politics, sciences, sociology which undeniably shapes how each culture thinks about themselves and others.

Is there a map for cultural backgrounds in the world?

Yes. A map is a great way to understand the geographical spread of different cultures, and a fantastic tool for organizing information about countries and cities around the world.

There are many free or low-cost alternatives, from Google or Bing when you’re just curious to play with this neat data, to more intensive web-based databases that go into more depth when you’re researching a particular kind of information in greater detail.

Some gathered together some interesting ways people have mapped out culture around the world in Geographic Information Systems (GIS). 

One project in this field is called The World Culture Map. It was developed by the World Bank with researchers at Harvard University, who looked at how cultural diversity relates to economic growth and social progress.

Another map that’s interesting to look at is known as “ The World Values Survey “. This looks into people’s subjective preferences, including their opinions on sex, politics and religion. It is an organization that has looked into how people’s core beliefs are distributed across different countries.

How can communication be difficult with these varying cultures?

Culture is defined as any distinct way of behaving, relating, or thinking that lasts more than one generation.

Different cultures often have different communication styles and expectations. Even though communication can be difficult between these varying cultures, understanding each other’s communication style is key for productive communications.

If you’re unsure of the proper communication etiquette in the specific culture you’re communicating with it’s best to err on the side of caution by speaking in generalities until it becomes clear what customs are appropriate.

For example, in some cultures it is not considered polite to ask too many questions or be nosy. In such cases you might want to keep your conversations on a more superficial level until the other person opens up and invites personal questions.

Which countries have the most diverse populations when it comes to ethnicity and religion?

The United States, India, and Nigeria have a very diverse populations when it comes to ethnicity. In the United States 27% of Americans are African American or black, 39% are white non-hispanic, 24% are Hispanic or Latino (of any race), 6% are Asian American, 3% Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander American.

In India there is a rich diversity in culture but most people identify themselves as Indian because they follow many of the same traditions including customs and speak the same language.

Nigerians identify themselves by tribe or ancestry. 55 million Nigerians have an Igbo heritage specifically while 36 million Nigerians have Yoruba heritages. Nigeria contains more than 250 ethnic groups and over 500 languages total with 12 different types of accepted religions.

Another countries is Brazil, China, and Indonesia.

Brazil has over 50 million African descendants. The percentage of people in Brazil who identify as black, the largest ethnic group there, accounts for 38.5% of the total population.

China is also diverse with 55 different minorities. Indonesia has 34 provinces, but all are pretty similar when it comes to identifying themselves by their ethnicity. 97% of the population identifies themselves as being ethnically Indonesian.

What are some examples of cultural backgrounds?

Here is a list of specific culture examples:

• American (United States) Cultural Backgrounds: In the United States, there are many different cultures which includes immigrant or descended from an immigrant background. In modern times it is common to have a multicultural heritage due to the number of immigrants arriving in the recent 20th century. American culture places emphasis on thrift, hard work and self-reliance.
• Argentinian Cultural Background: This culture is known for being polite but assertive, they are family oriented and don’t like high-pressured situations. They enjoy talking through problems to avoid any confrontations or arguments.
• Australian Culture Background: Australians are seen as very laid back with a very casual demeanor. They love sports and beer making them easy going people who can make small-talk without thinking about it too much.
• Austrian Cultural Background: This culture is known to be tradition oriented, but very relaxed in their traditions. They take time to discuss problems and come up with compromises for them so everyone feels included.
• Belgian Cultural Background: Belgian people are known to be very thrifty and detail-oriented. They value their privacy and enjoy spending time at home rather than socializing.
• Brazilian Cultural Background: Brazilian people tend to be very passionate and friendly. They can also be quite sensitive and sometimes too willing to accommodate others.
• Chinese Cultural Background: People from the Chinese culture are very friendly and family oriented. They have a strong sense of duty to serve others, but can be short-tempered when it comes to criticism.
• Colombian Cultural Background: Colombian people are passionate and hospitable. They like to include everyone and make them feel welcome, but can be a bit too relaxed about things like punctuality, which drives others crazy.
• Danish (Denmark) Cultural Background: In Denmark, politeness and punctuality are considered extremely important. They have a very relaxed attitude to life but stick to their goals when they have one.
• Dutch (Netherland) Cultural Background: The Dutch are very frugal people who love working hard. They have a reputation for being friendly and self-controlled people who also value their privacy highly.
• Egyptian Cultural Background: People from the Egyptian culture are known to be successful business-wise. They are family oriented people, but also very gossipy and criticize others frequently.
• Ethiopian Cultural Background: Ethiopians are known for being very emotional people who often have their feelings on their sleeve, they can be extremely sensitive to criticism as well.
• English (UK) Cultural Background: The English value tradition and their heritage. Rules are important to them and they tend to be on time for appointments.
• French (France) Cultural Background: French people are known to be very nonchalant about many things. They are also known for creating a lot of drama by making everything seem more important than it really is.
• German (Germany) Cultural Background: The German culture is known to be very efficient and direct. They too value punctuality, rules, and being prepared.
• Japanese Cultural Background: Japanese people tend to be quiet and reserved in public, but in a private setting they are open about their opinions. They can also appear very aloof due to being unfamiliar with many public displays of affection.
• Greek/Mediterranean Cultural Background: People from this culture enjoy socializing and expressing themselves. They tend to be very family-oriented people, but sometime take on too much responsibility for others.
• Indian Cultural Background: Indian people are known for their very friendly nature. They love to host guests in their homes and celebrate any special occasion with much enthusiasm.
• Indonesian Cultural Background: The Indonesian people enjoy socializing and making new acquaintances. They tend to be family oriented and value their heritage, but also want the world to know that they’re quite progressive in involving women in business and politics.
• Iranian Cultural Background: Iranian people are very family oriented and value camaraderie. They can be too sensitive to criticism, however, and tend to argue over every little disagreement.
• Irish/Celtic Cultural Backgrounds: Similar to Americans, the Irish/Celtic people value their heritage and take a lot of pride in their families. They are quite fun-loving and don’t mind being a little reckless from time to time.
• Italian (Italy) Cultural Background: Italians are known for loving life, and enjoying whatever they do. They can be quite loud and boisterous, but also very romantic.
• Israel Cultural Background: Israelis take a lot of pride in their heritage and family. They enjoy being social and take great care to provide for their families.
• Jamaican Cultural Background: Jamaicans are known for their extremely friendly and welcoming nature. They love to socialize and they look out for everyone- whether it’s family or strangers.
• Korean Cultural Backgrounds: Even though people from the Korean culture are very shy, they are also very competitive and ambitious. They tend to study many years to achieve their goals.
• Mexican Cultural Background: Mexican people are very family oriented and value their heritage. They can be loud, but they love to show concern for family members that live far away.
• Middle East (Arabian) Cultural Backgrounds: Arabian people value their heritage, family, and tradition. They are very friendly with strangers, but can also be argumentative at times.
• Nigerian Cultural Background: Nigerians are known for being very talkative people who love sharing stories with others. They can be quite loud and boisterous, but they have a giving nature and always stick together in times of need.
• Norwegian Cultural Background: People from the Norwegian culture tend to be very hard working and goal-oriented. They place a lot of importance on education as well.
• Pakistani Cultural Background: Pakistani people are known for being very spiritual and family-oriented. They value their heritage, but also want to be recognized as modern citizens from a developing country.
• Peruvian Cultural Background: Peruvian people are very family oriented and they love to make new friends. They tend to keep most of their personal problems with themselves, not wanting to burden others with their struggles.
• Polish Cultural Background: Polish people tend to be family oriented and love spending time with relatives. They can be a little blunt at times, but they enjoy traditions and large gatherings.
• Russian Cultural Background: Russian people have a very strong work ethic and tend to be very independent. They value success and enjoy being in a leadership role.
• Spanish/Portuguese Cultural Background: People from this culture are known for being warm, friendly, and very open with everyone they meet. They love being social and interacting with others while dancing or playing music.
• Swedish Cultural Background: People from the Swedish culture are well known for their nature. They enjoy being in the outdoors, and take time to appreciate everything around them.
• Thailand Cultural Background: Thai people are very loyal to their friends and family. They treasure education, but also like to spend time relaxing with others.
• Turkish Cultural Background: Turkish people value close bonds between friends, groups, and families. They enjoy spending time socializing in large settings, especially when eating delicious food together!
• Ukraine Cultural Background: Ukrainian people are known for being very family oriented and they cherish their heritage. They enjoy celebrating with others, but also like to listen to music, play games and spend time with each other.
• Vietnamese Cultural Backgrounds: Vietnamese people are known for being very family-oriented and value traditions. They can be a little reserved at first, but they’re always willing to help out their friends or neighbors in need.

It is important to be aware of and understand these differences so we know how to behave and be tolerant of other cultures. Let’s explore some examples of cultural backgrounds! We hope you found this article helpful in understanding the different types of culture that exist around the world.

Understanding each type will help us better appreciate our own culture as well as those who live a life vastly different from ours.

In order for things to continue progressing, it is imperative that people are open-minded about others’ opinions, traditions, values etc., while always respecting their right not to share theirs if they choose not too.

It’s time for everyone on Earth to come together with one common goal: mutual respect and tolerance no matter what your background may be.

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If you want to know about Ethiopians cultural background read a bible it describes very well.

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, personal background essay examples.

Hey everyone! I'm working on my college applications, and part of it requires a personal background essay. I'm a little stuck, so if you guys could share some examples or tips, that'd be great! Please help me out, thanks!

Hello! It's understandable that writing a personal background essay can be challenging. Here are some tips to get you started and an example of how you might approach this essay:

1. Reflect on what makes your background unique. Consider your family's history, culture, traditions, values, and how these have shaped your experiences.

2. Delve into the details. Discuss specific experiences, anecdotes, or events that have had a significant impact on your life and highlight the lessons you've gained from your background.

3. Be authentic. Write from the heart and let your personality shine through. This essay is your opportunity to help the admissions officers get to know you beyond your stats and accomplishments.

4. Avoid clichés. Personal background essays are quite common, so if you're writing about a widely-covered topic (moving, learning a new language, etc.), try to find a unique angle or aspect that will set your essay apart.

Growing up in a multigenerational household, I've had the rare privilege of experiencing diverse perspectives on life from my grandparents, parents, and siblings. My grandparents, who emigrated from Vietnam, taught me the importance of staying true to our cultural heritage and maintaining strong connections with family. Daily rituals like preparing and enjoying traditional Vietnamese meals, participating in Lunar New Year celebrations, and listening to stories about my grandparents' journey to the United States helped me appreciate the strength and resilience of my ancestors.

However, this cultural pride was not always something I cherished. As a child, I was bullied for my Banh Khot and Banh Mi lunches, and I'd often ask my parents to pack more generic-looking sandwiches to avoid feeling like an outsider at school. It wasn't until my grandmother shared her own story of assimilation and how she strived to maintain her cultural identity in a new country that I realized the value of embracing my heritage. Inspired by her courage, I decided to educate my peers about Vietnamese traditions and founded a cultural exchange club at school. Together, we explored our heritages, organizing potlucks, cultural presentations, and language exchange sessions.

Through this experience, I've learned that embracing who I am and the unique background I come from has made me a stronger person. My personal background has taught me to be open to learning about other cultures, which I look forward to bringing to my future college community.

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The Influence of Cultural Background on Students’ Approach to Essay Writing in Literature Courses

Cultural background is a crucial factor in shaping perspectives, values, and approaches to various aspects of life, including education. In literature courses, students’ cultural backgrounds can significantly impact their approach to essay writing assignments.

This article delves into the complex relationship between cultural background and students’ approach to essay writing in literature courses. It explores the various ways in which cultural influences manifest in writing styles, interpretations of literature, and values related to essay writing.

Impact of Cultural Background on Writing Style

Different writing norms and conventions in diverse cultures.

Cultural background can influence students’ writing styles, as different cultures have varying norms and conventions regarding communication and expression.

For example, students from collectivist cultures may prioritize harmony and group cohesion in their writing, while those from individualistic cultures may focus more on assertiveness and personal opinion.

Influence of Language Proficiency on Essay Writing

Language proficiency is intricately connected to culture, and students’ linguistic abilities can impact their essay writing skills.

Students whose first language is different from the language of instruction may struggle with grammar, vocabulary, and syntax, which can affect the clarity and coherence of their essays.

Use of Storytelling and Oral Traditions in Some Cultures

In cultures with prevalent storytelling and oral traditions, students may incorporate narrative elements into their essays, making their writing more engaging and vivid.

However, this storytelling approach may not align with the academic writing conventions typically expected in literature courses, leading to potential misunderstandings or misinterpretations by instructors.

Influence of Cultural Background on Understanding Literature

Different perspectives and interpretations of literary works.

Cultural background influences how people perceive and interpret literary works, leading to diverse perspectives and analyses.

Students from marginalized or underrepresented cultural backgrounds may offer unique insights into literature that challenge mainstream interpretations and broaden the understanding of literary texts.

Cultural Biases and Stereotypes Affecting Analysis

Students’ cultural biases and stereotypes can impact their analysis of literature, potentially shaping their interpretation of characters, themes, and plotlines.

Educators must be mindful of these biases and work to create an inclusive and culturally responsive learning environment that encourages critical thinking and reflection on cultural influences in literature.

Connection to Personal Experiences and Background Knowledge

Cultural background can provide students with a rich reservoir of personal experiences, traditions, and beliefs that they may draw upon when engaging with literary texts.

Encouraging students to connect their cultural background to the literature they are studying can deepen their understanding and appreciation of the material.

Cultural Values and Beliefs Affecting Essay Writing

Cultural values and beliefs can significantly impact how students approach essay writing in literature courses. Some cultures may place a strong emphasis on respectful and diplomatic language when presenting opinions and arguments, while others prioritize directness and assertiveness.

Educators can support students by providing guidance on essay structure, offering opportunities for creative expression, and creating a supportive learning environment that values diverse writing styles and approaches. For additional support, literature review generators can be utilized at academichelp.net .

Attitudes Towards Authority and Critical Thinking

Cultural attitudes towards authority figures and academic institutions can shape students’ willingness to challenge existing ideas and engage in critical thinking.

Empowering students to question, analyze, and critique literature from diverse perspectives can foster a deeper understanding of the text and a more enriching academic experience.

Cultural Emphasis on Structure, Organization, and Creativity in Writing

Different cultures may place varying degrees of emphasis on the structure, organization, and creativity of written work.

Educators can support students by providing guidance on essay structure, offering opportunities for creative expression, and fostering a supportive learning environment that values diverse writing styles and approaches.

Strategies for Addressing Cultural Differences in Essay Writing Instruction

Providing Context and Background Information on Literary Works

Offering context and background information on the cultural, historical, and social context of literary works can help students from diverse backgrounds better understand and engage with the material.

This contextual information can enhance students’ comprehension of the themes, characters, and settings in the literature, enabling them to write more informed and insightful essays.

Encouraging Diverse Perspectives and Interpretations in Classroom Discussion

Creating space for diverse perspectives and interpretations in classroom discussions can foster a more inclusive and enriching learning environment.

By valuing and incorporating diverse viewpoints, educators can challenge students to think critically, explore alternative interpretations, and engage in meaningful dialogue about literature and culture.

Tailoring Feedback and Support to Individual Students’ Needs and Cultural Backgrounds

Recognizing and addressing students’ individual needs and cultural backgrounds in feedback and support can enhance their learning and academic growth.

Educators can provide personalized feedback that acknowledges and respects students’ cultural influences, offering guidance and resources to help them improve their essay writing skills and develop their academic voice.

Case Studies and Examples of Cultural Influences on Essay Writing in Literature Courses

Comparison of Essays from Students of Different Cultural Backgrounds

Analyzing and comparing essays by students of diverse cultural backgrounds can reveal how cultural influences manifest in writing.

By examining the language use, argumentation, and narrative style in students’ essays, educators can gain insights into the impact of culture on essay writing.

Interviews with Students About Their Writing Process and Cultural Influences

Interviewing students about their writing process and cultural influences can provide valuable firsthand perspectives on the connection between culture and essay writing.

Students’ reflections on how their cultural background shapes their approach to writing can offer important insights for educators seeking to support diverse learners in literature courses.

Analysis of Student Performance and Achievement Based on Cultural Background

Assessing student performance and achievement in literature courses through the lens of cultural background can uncover patterns and trends that inform instructional practices.

By examining how students from different cultural backgrounds experience and navigate essay writing assignments, educators can identify strategies for promoting student success and engagement.

Cultural background plays a significant role in shaping students’ approach to essay writing in literature courses. It influences writing style, interpretations of literature, and values related to essay writing.

By understanding and addressing cultural differences in essay writing instruction, educators can create a more inclusive and culturally responsive learning environment that supports students from diverse backgrounds.

Embracing diverse perspectives, encouraging critical thinking, and providing tailored support are key strategies for promoting academic success and fostering a deep appreciation for literature across cultures.

As educators continue to explore the intricate relationship between cultural background and essay writing in literature courses, they can enhance the learning experiences and outcomes of all students, empowering them to engage thoughtfully and meaningfully with literary texts and express their unique voices through writing.

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Essays on Cultural Background

Cultural background is a term used to refer to the ethnic, religious, and social background of an individual or group. It includes factors such as nationality, language, race, religion, and traditions that shape an individual’s identity. Cultural background also plays a significant role in how people interact with one another and their environment.People from different cultural backgrounds bring unique knowledge and perspectives which contribute to our understanding of the world around us. Having a diverse range of cultural backgrounds helps us understand each other better and develop more meaningful relationships. It can also help foster creativity and innovation by allowing for novel approaches to problem solving. Furthermore, it encourages dialogue about topics such as politics, beliefs, gender issues and even morality that may be difficult to discuss with those who share similar cultural backgrounds. However, our cultural backgrounds can sometimes lead to misunderstandings due conflict between differing values or beliefs held by people from different cultures. This has resulted in tension between individuals or groups based on their respective cultures leading at times even violence when disagreements become heated enough. Therefore it is important for us all to be conscious of our own biases while being open-minded towards those whose views differ from ours so that we may peacefully resolve any potential conflicts stemming from these differences in opinion instead of resorting back into our shells where we are surrounded only by what is familiar yet comfortable for us. In conclusion ,our cultural background provides both opportunities for growth but also challenges too overcome .It is up too each person individually whether they choose too embrace their culture wholeheartedly or attempt too bridge gaps between various cultures through mutual understanding .With this approach ,we will surely have better communal bonds regardless of where we come from .

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Abstract Anorexia Nervosa is common in Western Culture, because of the influence of social media, movies, magazines, etc., which portray the perfect woman as thin. Anorexia in adolescents can also be linked to parental steadiness and background. Anorexia in Adolescents Cultural Perspective Culture is a shared set of characteristics such as language, religion, social behavior […]

In the recent times, the understanding of the term ‘race” has significantly changed. For a long time, a person’s race was identified based on their physical characteristics, such as skin color, facial looks, complexion, and eye color. However, modern scholars have rejected the biological explanation and suggest that this concept should be viewed from the […]

Workforce diversity means similarities and differences among employees in terms of age, cultural background, physical abilities, race and gender. The following are how I can manage my employees Firstly, I will acknowledge and respect cultural difference: that is addressing the existence of diverse cultural background within the team and the necessity of navigation those differences […]

Why is there a conflict between Karen and Ted? Karen Leary being the manager was not successfully able to effectively manage the cultural difference and mindset of her new employee Ted Chung. One conflict between Karen Leary and Ted Chung was the cultural diversity that gave way to Ted Chung being unhappy with the culture […]

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Misunderstandings can occur in all communications, even among people from the same cultural and background. We should not only understand the culture of our country, but also understand the culture of the west, and try to understand those culture deeply, take apart in more activities to know the difference between two cultures. Therefore, taking away […]

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Home — Essay Samples — Arts & Culture — Heritage — My Family Cultural Background

My Family Cultural Background

• Categories: Family History Heritage

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Words: 762 |

Published: Mar 20, 2024

Words: 762 | Pages: 2 | 4 min read

Table of contents

Introduction, cultural heritage, language and communication, religious traditions, cuisine and culinary traditions, values and beliefs, challenges and adaptation.

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Socialization and Cultural Background of People Essay

Introduction, modern multicultural society.

It is clear that it is necessary to speak the same language to be able to communicate, but now it is also obvious that cultural backgrounds (especially religious beliefs and mindsets) have an important impact on people’s ability to understand each other and help each other in the modern multicultural societies.

It has been acknowledged that speaking the same language in a community (or/and in the society) is very important for people who have to interact through even this sociolinguistic tool cannot be enough as the cultural background of people can often become a serious obstacle for understanding and effective communication in different situations.

Numerous examples of hardships of immigrants and their children show that language is one of the most important tools to develop trust which is the basis of peaceful and fruitful communication through the cultural background of people often plays a more important role as even understanding of some words does not lead to an understanding of some concepts and building trust.

Experiences of Tan’s mother and Lia’s parents show that the modern world is divided into loads of micro-worlds where people do not understand each other and do not want to help each other as they are separated by language and their cultural backgrounds which make them see the world differently.

Hardships of Tan’s mother and Lia’s parents can be regarded as an illustration of the importance of speaking the same language which is not limited to speaking ‘perfect’ English but it also means to be able to understand the way different people see the world around them and to understand the spiritual part of other people’s universe.

The five thesis statements, written above, focus on the importance of understanding different people’s spirituality and their cultural backgrounds as well as speaking proper English which is necessary in the modern multicultural world, but some of the thesis statements are a bit general. Admittedly, different statements can affect the choice of arguments as some of them concentrate on language and cultural backgrounds, while others focus on the importance of speaking the same language and paying attention to cultural backgrounds concerning specific examples taken from the life of immigrants, so these statements are better as they are not too general.

To my mind, the fifth thesis statement is the most effective since it is expressive and comprehensive as it shows the importance of taking into account other people’s cultural backgrounds and has an exact reference to the readings which will be the basis of the paper.

• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2024, February 12). Socialization and Cultural Background of People. https://ivypanda.com/essays/socialization-and-cultural-background-of-people/

"Socialization and Cultural Background of People." IvyPanda , 12 Feb. 2024, ivypanda.com/essays/socialization-and-cultural-background-of-people/.

IvyPanda . (2024) 'Socialization and Cultural Background of People'. 12 February.

IvyPanda . 2024. "Socialization and Cultural Background of People." February 12, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/socialization-and-cultural-background-of-people/.

1. IvyPanda . "Socialization and Cultural Background of People." February 12, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/socialization-and-cultural-background-of-people/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Socialization and Cultural Background of People." February 12, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/socialization-and-cultural-background-of-people/.

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