I am an Australian woman 41 years old.

Reflective Essay on Culture                                    1
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Reflective Essay on Culture
Introduction
Cultural Identity is a large part of the individual. The identity influences the food that they et, the languages that they eat, and their beliefs towards not just the environment, but also their beliefs towards the world around them. Cultural identity can change the experiences a person can have, and the negativity and hatred that they can face (Dahanayake, et al, 2018). The cultural identity of a person can reflect in the attitudes that they carry towards other people, and towards the world. The attitude, for example, that people of European heritage have towards the environment and preservation, is different from the attitudes that the aboriginal people have, primarily because of their culture.
The following is a reflective essay where I will look at my own identity and reflect on the experiences that I have had. I will look at the values that I have been taught in my house, and how these values have manifested in my attitudes and experiences as well. It will also aim to document my experiences with racism and discrimination. It will look at the cultural privilege I have, and analyse the effect that my identity has had on the assumptions that have been made towards me as well.
Effect of my Culture
My cultural history does not tie me to Australia from time immemorial. I am a 41-year-old Australian woman, and my ancestor came to Australia on a ship called Lady Penrhyn. This makes me an Australian of European decent, and not one of the original inhabitants of the land. My ancestor was Jane Langley and he was a convict who had been shipped off to Australia for the crimes that he committed in London. Since Lady Penrhyn is a British ship, it carried British convicts, which would imply that I am of British origin. Lady Penrhyn carried female convicts, and was part of the First Fleet, which is the first European ships to carry people in Australia (Johnstone, 2016). Thus, my ancestors were the first European people to have settled in the country. They had thus, been migrants themselves, who had been shipped off to Australia so that they could have a life away from the mainland British population.
My ancestors were convicts, who were given a sentence so that they would be safely removed from British society. They had committed crimes, and were exiled to Australia (Dunn, et al, 2016). This is not something that is should be immensely proud of or something that can impact my status in society. I feel that the people who have come as migrants, in order to make something of themselves should be accepted with open arms. If the aboriginals had not accepted the British with open arms, there are chances that none of us would be here. I always remind myself that this is not my land. The native people, the aboriginal tribe, have a deeper connection with the land than I do, and their connection and ancestry go back thousands of years.
My ancestor came to Australia in 1786, and is thus, one of the oldest European families in Australia (Hickey, 2016). We are one of the major families living in my area. Since we are of European Origin, we have always celebrated Christmas and Easter where I live. The celebrations are loud and boisterous, and they are always fun. The Christmas and Easter celebrations take up the majority of the celebratory spirit and are extremely inclusive. We have had experiences with people from other cultures joining in on our celebrations as well. We have been celebrating these festivals since I was a little girl, and most of these experiences make it memorable for me.
When I was young, we rarely, if ever, had any migrants in our town. The town consisted of a few Italian and Greek migrants when I was in school. They had come to town to grow and sell their produce, which was seen as a positive change from the way that the town had been before. It was only later that...