My Family Culture

A catastrophe that destroys everything I know would be absolutely devastating.  If I were fortunate enough to be among the survivors of this catastrophe, I would see new opportunities in being able to relocate to a new country willing to take on refugees, however many challenges would ensure.  Living in an entirely new culture completely different from my own would be frightening, nerve-racking, yet intellectually stimulating.
Although the situation would be shocking and distressing, I would want to make the most of it. Realizing that living in an entirely new country is much different than being a tourist and simply visiting there, it would be time to start learning about an entirely new set of norms.  That being said, I would be careful not to take anything with me that would offend or upset the people in my new home country, however, I would not want to completely forget the family culture that I would leave behind.  If I could take three items with me, they would be:

• A family photo album full of pictures and memories from my family experiences from the time of my birth to present time
• An afghan blanket my grandmother made for me when I was younger. It would serve as a memory of my family's giving spirit (and it would be responsible for keeping me warm!)
• A family cookbook full of recipes that remind me of home

I would be distraught to learn that upon arrival, I could only keep one item.  While I would be in a situation where I had lost so much already, this would be an additional shock.  Giving up any two of the three would force me to give up either physical representation of family memories, a meaningful and practical gift, or the comfort that comes along with home cooking.
As a person new to a country, I would feel the responsibility to adapt my behavior to the cultural norms of the country that has accepted me in as a refugee.  In respecting the culture of others, I am saddened to think that I would lose some of my own family culture.
This activity serves as a reminder of how many families who have origins in other countries may feel upon their move to the United States.  They may be forced into situations in which family members feel the pressure to assimilate into the power culture, and in doing so, some of their own family culture may be lost.