The Importance of Cultural Ties Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Importance of Cultural Ties - Essay Example It's vital that people who find themselves in this position find new ways to cope with that loss, maintain a sense of their cultural heritage, and create some form of identity with their country of birth. Cross culture adoption, a trend that has become more popular in recent years, points to the child's need to maintain close cultural ties with their birth country. In a recent study of Asian American adoptions it was found that while growing up, the children often considered themselves white. As they reached adulthood, that trend had reversed and most considered themselves Asian American (Dong). As adults they would seek out ways to connect to their country of birth through language, art, and ethnic organizations. Many of the adoptees in the survey reported lifelong feelings of alienation and isolation. Nancy Ng, member on the board of the Palo Alto group Families Adopting in Response (FAIR) asserts the importance of "the need to honor the birth country and raise them with knowledge of their birth culture" (Dong), Developing a cultural awareness and close ties to your ethnic heritage is more than just the curiosity to discover who you are. Lacking the knowledge of ones background can lead to more serious issues and manifest in an identity crises.