Journal Entry 3: Transculturation and Syncretism
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Symbols of two different cultures can co-exist in the same space and at the same time. When this happens, concepts from different cultures may influence each other or create a new cultural form. In the U.S.A, cultural mixing has been experienced for decades. The American culture has significantly been influenced since colonization by the English people in the 1600’s. Africans and Asians have influenced American culture because they came into contact for various reasons, such as slavery and colonization (Cheon, 2019). Multiple cultural mixing cases have been witnessed from interactions that different cultures have had in history, resulting in particular influence degrees.
In New York City’s Chinatown, there exist a considerable number of Chinese people. In the late 1800s, Chinatown came to fruition due to the immigration of Chinese people to the east coast in search of a better life. Continued migration spurred the rise in the Chinese population in New York’s metropolitan area. This population growth fuelled some Chinese cultural concepts and further exchanged traits with the American people (Cheon, 2019). Currently, Chinatown has the largest concentration of Chinese people in the western hemisphere. The influence of Chinese concepts on American people is mainly the food that they prepare, including, Scallions, pork buns, noodles, egg rolls, among others. Many people have traveled from all over the country to learn and have a taste of Chinese delicacies. The American influence on the Chinese people is through language, for the Chinese also know and communicate in English.
Another good example of cultural mixing is the Caribbean culture of the Rastafarian movement in Jamaica. It began with the colonization of Africa. European powers took Africans as slaves, divided them, and send them into exile. The movement started in 1930, adopting Christianity and pan-African political consciousness (Johnson, 2016). It was based on the belief of the divinity of Haile Selassie (late Ethiopian emperor) by drawing from biblical stories in the Old Testament.
The spread of music throughout the world also gives a clear indication of cultural mixing. For example, jazz music began in the U.S.A as a result of already existing musical traditions. Since the 1920s, it became a means of bringing young people together because of its growing popularity (Johnson, 2016). As highly rhythmic music, jazz became the basis of most social dance and provided public interaction opportunities.
The first instance in New York’s Chinatown denotes the aspect of transculturation. The coexistence of Chinese and American people led to an exchange of some traits between the two cultural groups. The American culture did not dominate the Chinese culture; neither did the Chinese culture dominate the American culture, but rather, the two interacted. The different cultures’ elements influenced each other, causing the other culture to adopt new ideas. Chinese foods influenced the Native American people, and hence, people traveled from all over the country to Chinatown to taste the food. It came to a time when American cooks adopted Chinese dishes such as chop sue (Cheon, 2019). Chinese foods had become popular among middle-class Americans in the 1920s. Some of the Chinese foods are prepared in Native American homes. On the other hand, the Chinese people became accustomed to American English accompanied by the subsequent learning of some terminologies and hence, resulted in American English use.
The second example of the Caribbean culture denotes the aspect of syncretism. The Caribbean culture blends from Christianity, the Ethiopian –Hebrew spirituality, Caribbean freed slave culture, and their African identity to result in a unique concept influenced by the cultures. Despite being influenced by these cultures, it remains unique in its views (Johnson, 2016). Ever since the culture came into fruition, it’s clear that it emerged as a new religious movement.
The third example of jazz music’s emergence denotes syncretism because it emerged to be a unique type. It is a blend of different sounds combined into one work of art. It took root from the African –American and European musical traditions (Arroyo, 2016). Its uniqueness was based on its rhythmic flow, which made it the only genre to which people could dance.
Some of these examples that prove the aspects of transculturation and syncretism have positively influenced my way of life. The Chinese cuisines have been one of my favorite foods, preferably chop sue and Chinese egg rolls. The jazz tradition has also influenced my social life. Jazz music is dance music, and therefore, it has positively impacted my social life by enabling me to interact with my peers when we are out for dance lessons.
These examples have also made several impacts on the entire society. Chinese foods have impacted people’s lives by enabling them to have various meals and new delicacies in the hotel industry. The change has contributed to increased customers. The jazz tradition has also impacted the entire society by enhancing social circles (Johnson, 2016). Listening and dancing to music is also good for people’s overall well-being, for it is a source of enjoyment and aids relieve the body from unwanted stress.
Cultural appropriation entails using elements of a non-dominant culture not to give credit to the legitimate source. The example of New York City’s Chinatown may prove the aspect of cultural appropriation. When some Native Americans found the Chinese foods to be delicious, they began preparing these foods in their hotels without an indication of whether these foods were foreign or not. They did not give credit to the Chinese people but instead started preparing them for their self-interests (Arroyo, 2016).
When different cultures co-exist in the same space simultaneously, elements from these two cultures may influence each other or blend to form a unique cultural form. Various groups have shaped American culture at different times. These groups include Africans, Asians, and Latin Americans. Examples of cultural mixing include; the jazz music tradition that emerged from the blend between the African-American and European musical traditions. The other is the Caribbean culture that emerged from the blend of Christianity and Ethiopian-Hebrew beliefs; and the cultural interaction in New York City’s Chinatown between the Chinese immigrants and Native Americans.
References
Arroyo, J. (2016). Transculturation, syncretism, and hybridity. In Critical Terms in Caribbean and Latin American Thought (pp. 133-144). Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1057/9781137547903_12
Johnson, P. C. (2016). Syncretism and Hybridization. In The Oxford Handbook of the Study of Religion. https://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780198729570.001.0001/oxfordhb-9780198729570-e-50
Cheon, B. K. (2019). The diversity of cultural diversity: Psychological consequences of different patterns of intercultural contact and mixing. Asian Journal of Social Psychology, 22(1), 93-105. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ajsp.12321