My Culture

Doriane Zorio-Ricardo
My Culture
 Cultural
Belonging
My family is Czechoslovakian, Austrian, and Hungarian all mixed into one and this is
called Slovenian. This is a picture of the Slovenian flag. I was adopted when I was
born and my mother was only thirteen years old when she gave birth to me. This is
the only piece of my blood-related family’s culture that I have been given so it is
near and dear to my heart.
 http://www.theatlantic.com/past/issues/98may/biling.htm

My husband is of Cuban decent and speaks Spanish and I only speak English. My husband has
found it difficult to teach the children and I how to speak Spanish so we only know a little.
This has caused some difficulties with his family because my husband’s grandmother only
speaks Spanish. Now the children and I cannot have conversations with her. My husband and I
are trying to fix this problem.
The birth of children is prized and a large celebration. We shower
the mother and baby with gifts. The baby is said to bring good
luck and fortune to the family. This picture is from the birth of my
daughter, Alyna. She was born on May 2, 2008.
Birthdays are an exciting time of year. It’s a time to celebrate another
blessed year of this Earth. We shower the person with gifts and make
them feel special. It is important to show them how much we appreciate
them for being in our lives. This picture is from my son, Anthony’s fifth
birthday party.
I am a very proud American citizen. My husband is a member of the Army
National Guard. He fights for our lives and our freedoms. I am blessed to be in
a country that is free. We celebrate the 4th of July dressed in red, white, and
blue from head to toe. We teach our children how important it is to respect the
American flag.
 Christmas is an extremely
pertinent holiday for us. We
celebrate the birth of Jesus
Christ. We teach the children
the importance of Jesus’ birth.
We also emphasize the
significance of giving gifts and
not just receiving them.
Another exciting aspect of
Christmas is Santa Claus. We
love to keep his magic alive in
our house. He brings the
children tons of presents of
Christmas morning.
Easter is another
momentous holiday for
us. We celebrate the
resurrection of Jesus. A
turning point for
people in the Christian
faith. Now all of our
sins have been washed
away. We also
celebrate the magic of
Easter. The kids get a
visit from the Easter
bunny, participate in
egg hunts, and eat lots
of candy.
 Life
Experiences
 I was born and raised in Las
Vegas, NV. I have become
accustomed to the city life. I
enjoy being able to go to the
store at any time of day to
get what I need. I am
comfortable having multiple
people around. When I visit
other states, it irks me when
stores are closed by 9pm. It
also makes me nervous
when I am in places that are
not as populated. Honestly,
it can be a little creepy.
http://www.50states.com/flag/nvflag.htm
 http://www.lvaband.com/

I graduated from high school at Las Vegas Academy. My experience

there was monumental. I was able to express myself through singing
and dancing. The teachers had a intense curriculum that challenged
me to the fullest. I got to meet a diverse group of people with great
talents in choir, band, orchestra, dance, and art. The best part was that
I was accepted for who I was as a person.
The occurrences on 911 were a
turning point for me. I was only
fourteen when the twin towers
were hit. This act made me
realize how much I truly love our
country. For our freedom to
possibly be compromised scared
me to death. I new I had to
support our troops to keep this
country safe. My eyes were
opened that day that because we
are not as safe as we think we
are.

http://www.beliefnet.com/columnists//faithandjustice/files/2011/07/shutterstock_69142240.jpg
Ballet has been a part of my
life since I was three years
old. It gave me confidence,
poise, and grace. It also
taught me discipline and
teamwork. Dancing is my
passion and I thought it was
very important to pass this on
to my own daughter so she
can learn and experience it.
One of my hobbies is
doing different
hairstyles everyday on
my daughter, Alyna. I
am a hair guru on
Instagram and have a
large following. This is
also a way to bond
with my daughter.
Keeping family
relationships strong is
very important.
 My
Worldview
My family values God first and then our family next. We always put God first in our life. He is our creator. If we pray
everyday, follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, and go to church every Sunday, we will reap the benefits of that in the
afterlife. Also, our family is very sacred. If a family member is ill, we take care of them. If a family member needs
help, we help them. They are the ones that will be there when we are old and grey.
 http://www.stocktonteachers.org/information-for-special-education-teachers/

My short term goal is to get good grades and to learn as much in college as I can to assist
the children in my job. I am currently working in an elementary school resource team as an
assistant. My long term goal is to be a resource teacher in the special education field.
Helping children with learning disabilities read, write, and do math is such a fulfilling
experience. It is so amazing when all of your efforts come together and the student has
began to read. I want to be the voice for these children. They need someone to advocate
for them and fight for their rights. There are a great deal of people that do not understand
what children with disabilities need. I would like to teach them to love these students as
much as I do.
 My husband and I have prejudice against illegal
aliens. We think that it is unfair that they come
into the country without having to go through the
proper channels. My husband’s family fought for
years to come to this country from Cuba and spent
thousands of dollars. It is also unfair that they are
able to take jobs from Americans who need them.
We want them to go back to their country and
come back the right way. We don’t mind having
them her if it is done legally.
My husband and I’s values are to always
try to be honest, friendly, caring, and
respectful. These are standards that we
uphold with our children too. Our
religion is Christian and we believe that
if you live your life following Jesus Christ,
you will get to spend eternity in the
promised land. If you should sin, you
should admit your wrong doing and
repent. All of our principles are biased
in Christianity. We try to live by what the
Bible tells us to do.
Cultural
Artifacts
This ring is a treasured family heirloom.
It belonged to my great grandmother
Marie. She was born on a boat coming
from Austria. She had thirteen brothers
and sisters. She owned a bar and was
wealthy. In the 1920s-1930s, she owned
half of Freemont Street. She ended up
being swindled by her younger, second
husband and this ring was all she had
left. This ring has been passed down
from grandma to granddaughter for
generations and will continue down the
line for years to come.
One craft that I enjoy doing is
making no-sew tutus. I do not know
how to sew so this was the perfect
craft for me. My daughter is
extremely girly and loves to wear
tutus. Tutus are expensive so I went
on YouTube and looked up how to
make my own. I have been making
them ever since. I craft them in
various colors for holidays and for
my daughter’s ballet class. I love to
be creative so this is a great way for
me to let out my talents.
Photography is one of my
passions. I mostly shoot
pictures of my children. I
love to look back at the
experiences that we have
had together. The
memories are so special
and my children are only
going to be little for so
long. I would like to
cherish every moment
with them forever.
 Works Cited Page
Digitalimage. 50states.com. DigitalProperties,LLC,2016. Web. 21 Sept. 2016.

Why Even Latino Parents are Rejecting a Program Designed for Their Children’s Benefits
Rosalie Padalino Porter. Digital Image. The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Compay, May
2008. Web. 22 Sept. 2016.

Digital Image. Beliefnet. Beliefnet, Inc, n.d. Web. 21 Sept. 2016.

Digital Image. Stockton Teachers Association. Stockton Teachers Association, 2010. Web.
21 Sept. 2016.

Digital Image. Soar Blog. Soar Blog, 2016. Web. 21 Sept. 2016.
ge. 50states.com. Digital Properties, LLC, 2016. Web. 21 Sept. 2016.