Tag Archives: Culture

Festival: Japanese New Year

Date of Performance: 04/30/2025

Nationality: American

Primary Language: English

Residence: Los Angeles, California

My informant, who is half-Japanese, tells me of the traditional New Year’s celebration her and her family would follow every year. She didn’t grow up in Japan, but her grandparents still lived in Tokyo, so around the new year, they would visit and stay with them for about a week. The week would be spent watching reruns of 80s television, and then on the 31st, her grandmother would prepare a traditional wintertime stew called Oden, which consists of fish cakes, radish, and other vegetables. They would stay up until midnight, and then celebrate with the annual airing of a New Year’s concert attended by various important figures in the Japanese political and entertainment world. The following day, they would eat something called Osechi Ryori, an assortment of traditional dishes that is eaten every new year’s day, each of which have symbolic meaning for good luck and fortune. Then, they would all go to the shrine near her grandmother’s house, where they would make their first prayer of the year, draw cards that symbolized their incoming fortunes, and eat from traditional food stalls. Sometimes she would go in traditional kimono attire, but for the most part she describes this experience as pretty casual. 

Kind of like the Christmas celebrations described by my other informant, while this practice has its roots in religion, my informant has treated it as more of an informal, familial celebration than one related to its Shinto foundation. They related this experience more to their memories of their grandparents than to its cultural and religious significance, but stated that its yearly practice helped to link my informant with her Japanese side.

Spanish Ancestry and Family Heritage (Family Legend)

From My Informant:
 “A family story that has been passed down is the arrival of our Spanish ancestors to Mexico, many of whom were captains or individuals looking for a place to build a better future during the 1600s and 1700s.”

Context:
My informant first became deeply interested(not to say that they weren’t already) in their family history about two years ago, prompting discussions with multiple relatives including their grandmother, parents, aunts, and uncles. These conversations typically took place during family gatherings, celebrations, or holidays—occasions where stories naturally emerged. My informant described the storytelling experience as mixed; while some family members enthusiastically shared memories with vivid hand gestures and smiles, others were notably reluctant, withholding details and even disputing certain aspects of the family narrative.

The lack of visual documentation, such as photographs, due to limited access to early cameras, meant that the oral storytelling tradition became especially significant within my informant’s family. This storytelling environment revealed family tensions and differing attitudes towards their Spanish heritage, often highlighting discomfort with aspects of colonization and historical relations between Spain and Mexico.

Analysis:
My informant’s story underscores the complex interplay between personal identity, cultural heritage, and historical memory. The reluctance of some family members to share certain aspects of their past reflects broader cultural and historical anxieties about colonization and identity in the Hispanic world, particularly between Spain and Mexico. This family legend serves as both a repository of familial pride and an uncomfortable reminder of historical tensions associated with colonization.

Family narratives, such as the one with my informant, are vital in preserving cultural identity and transmitting intergenerational memory. They provide individuals with a sense of belonging, shaping their understanding of their heritage and personal identity. My informant’s effort to uncover this history indicates a desire for deeper personal connection and cultural awareness, despite potential familial resistance or discomfort.

Although my informant did not feel completely comfortable with sharing their family’s “baggage” with the outside world, they ultimately wanted their narrative to highlight the importance of preserving familial stories, regardless of their complexity or discomfort, as a means of fostering cultural pride and a deeper understanding of personal identity. This storytelling practice serves as a vital link, connecting past generations to future ones, enabling individuals to grasp their cultural and historical roots more fully.

Uun yi agbalagba ri n’oiho joko, omoiton le ri un n’oiho uduo – Proverb

Nationality: Nigerian
Age: 20
Occupation: College Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Language: Yoruba

Text:

Uun yi agbalagba ri n’oiho joko, omoiton le ri un n’oiho uduo

Translation:

“What an elder can see when sitting down, a child cannot see when standing up”

Context:

My informant told me that this proverb is “usually invoked when a child is trying to get smart with an adult or an older person” (his words). He said this proverb can also be used as a warning even when there is no act of disobedience. He told me that there are different versions of this proverb, one ending with “a child cannot see when climbing the tallest tree,” but the one above, in Yoruba, was the version he was told growing up.

Analysis:

When my informant shared this proverb with me, I realized that the idea of “respect your elders” is a somewhat universal idea. I interpreted that the elder seeing more while sitting down is because they have literally seen/experienced more in their life than the child. The child, while standing, cannot see/experience everything the elder sees due to their lack of life experience. Growing up, and even still to this day, I received a similar sentiment from the older people around me. It is interesting how Western cultures, similarly to African cultures, deem elders as “wiser” than children because they have lived longer, and therefore, there is an expectation placed that children need to respect and listen to their elders.

Lushang-lushang

Text: “I didn’t wear any makeup when I went out today… I was walking around all lushang-lushang.”

Context: As a first-generation Filipino-American who doesn’t speak their native dialect (Ilocano), my mom has picked up a few words from her familydespite the language barrier. As my mom has often told me, there are just some words that don’t really have a meaning in the English language. This word, Lushang, is a word mostly used by the women of my family. My mother believes that it directly translates to something like “frumpy.” It is often used when to describe a woman goes out without dressing up or putting on any makeup. When I was growing up, I always thought it had a meaning somewhat like “ghetto” until I talked to my mom about it for this project. She remembers when she was a child and first remembered the context in which she first heard her mother (my grandmother) use that word. My grandmother had found out that her cousin that she had not seen in a while moved to the area close to her. After she found out, she would refuse to go out of the house without putting on some makeup or a nice outfit. She wanted to look her best just in case she ever ran into her cousin and would be embarrassed if she saw them in a state where she didn’t care about her appearance. Now, this word is often uttered before the women in my family go out of the house in a lazy outfit or when they want to take photos and touch up their makeup.

Analysis: The women of my family often pride themselves on their looks and appearance. So much so that this word for it has transcended through two generations of Filipinos that do not speak the language at all. I think it has definitely promoted a certain mindset for us women. I would say that it can appear to be a bit shallow to be so focused on the way we look to others, but I really like how it reflects a deeper value to my family: they think that is of utmost importance to always look our best, not only to be perceived by the public, but also for ourselves. If we feel our best, we act our best. We always want to be the best versions of ourselves and put that version out into the world.

Spanish Proverb

Nationality: Mexican-American
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Residence: United States
Language: English

Text:

Spanish: “el que se enoja, pierde”

Translation: “The one who gets mad loses”

Context:

“It’s kind of hard to pin point as to when I first heard it. I’ve always known this phrase since I was young. I think my grandpa was the one who taught me this concept since I would often talk back or argue with my siblings. I think the phrase explains that when we become very emotional in any given situation, like being angry, we often don’t think rationally.”

Analysis:

This phrase represents Latin culture, showing the informant’s culture to be considered as hard-workers and diligent in the workforce, which also emphasizes the group’s oichotype. For the literal meaning, the phrase values and favors those who are patient rather than those who let their anger win. The saying also consists of an importance within family values as the informant states that she mostly heard it within family contexts. This relates to the folk as the informant family in addition to their culture with the lore showcasing the idea of patience winning over anger. It’s used in situations of emotions or a battle between favorable and undesirable feelings.