- PRO Courses Guides New Tech Help Pro Expert Videos About wikiHow Pro Upgrade Sign In
- EDIT Edit this Article
- EXPLORE Tech Help Pro About Us Random Article Quizzes Request a New Article Community Dashboard This Or That Game Popular Categories Arts and Entertainment Artwork Books Movies Computers and Electronics Computers Phone Skills Technology Hacks Health Men's Health Mental Health Women's Health Relationships Dating Love Relationship Issues Hobbies and Crafts Crafts Drawing Games Education & Communication Communication Skills Personal Development Studying Personal Care and Style Fashion Hair Care Personal Hygiene Youth Personal Care School Stuff Dating All Categories Arts and Entertainment Finance and Business Home and Garden Relationship Quizzes Cars & Other Vehicles Food and Entertaining Personal Care and Style Sports and Fitness Computers and Electronics Health Pets and Animals Travel Education & Communication Hobbies and Crafts Philosophy and Religion Work World Family Life Holidays and Traditions Relationships Youth
- Browse Articles
- Learn Something New
- Quizzes Hot
- This Or That Game New
- Train Your Brain
- Explore More
- Support wikiHow
- About wikiHow
- Log in / Sign up
- Philosophy and Religion
- Positive and Reflective Lifestyles
Preserving Your Culture and Traditions: Tips for Sharing Your Heritage
Last Updated: March 20, 2024 Fact Checked
Participating in Cultural Traditions
Creating a cultural record, sharing your culture, expert interview, expert q&a.
This article was co-authored by Melissa Matos and by wikiHow staff writer, Jennifer Mueller, JD . Dr. Melissa Matos is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist based in Long Beach, California. With over ten years of experience, she specializes in rehabilitation psychology and helping individuals adapt and thrive while living with a chronic health condition or disability. She has presented nationally on the psychological aspects of living with chronic health conditions including social stigma and concealment in apparent and non-apparent differences. She was also recently featured in Bald Life magazine where she discussed mental health awareness and alopecia areata. She earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Alliant International University, Los Angeles, her MA in Psychology from Chapman University, and her BA in Psychology from California State University-Fullerton. Dr. Matos is a Multiple Sclerosis Certified Specialist and is licensed to practice psychology in California. She is a member of the American Psychological Association and Division 22 Rehabilitation Psychology of the American Psychological Association. She is also listed in the National Register as a Health Service Provider in Psychology. There are 12 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 727,347 times.
Your culture is a huge part of who you are and the way you see the world. When you live in a place where your culture is the mainstream culture, you likely don't have to put much effort into preserving it—it's all around you! But what happens if you move to another country or when younger generations lose contact with older generations? If you don't actively preserve your culture, you risk losing the art, traditions, food, and language that give life meaning. Read on to find out what you can do to keep your culture alive.
Things You Should Know
- Participate in cultural events and traditions or organize your own events to share your culture with others outside of it.
- Cook family recipes to get in touch with your culture through all 5 senses and enjoy a taste of home even when you're far away.
- Learn and speak your ancestral language to preserve your culture's perspective and outlook on life and the world.
- Interview elders in your community to create a cultural record of your beliefs and traditions that you can pass on to others.
- While this does relate to art you might find in a museum, material culture goes far beyond that. Even a basic kitchen spoon or video game could be considered a cultural artifact.
- You can even learn things from less sophisticated technology. Cultures pass on tools adapted to their specific environment over generations. For example, even shaping a stone tool , as simple as it may seem, requires great skill and knowledge.
- Even if you don't recognize some of the dishes, a lot of them could be your favorite comfort food or a source of family pride.
- Don't have family recipes? Write your own! Look for old cookbooks online or at flea markets, or write down ingredients and directions based on a dish handed down orally through generations.
- Compare conversations you have within your culture to those in the mainstream culture where you live. Does one feel more energetic or friendly than the other? Would a normal statement in one culture be considered rude in another? [4] X Research source
- Understanding the differences in communication between different cultures helps you get to the core of your cultural experience so you can share it with others.
- Sacred texts and ceremonies can seem confusing with no one there to guide you. Find an expert willing to explain their significance or read a copy of the text with annotations.
- Many languages are at risk of extinction. If you know a rare or endangered language, do what you can to teach it to others. Share examples of the knowledge and perspective that would be lost if the language went away.
- Record the language in speech and writing or work on translations from your ancestral language to more common and widely-spoken languages so that your traditions can be preserved.
- For example, you might write a personal history of your own lived experience or that of a family member.
- A detailed look at a specific aspect of your culture, such as cooking, jokes, myths, specific festivals, or clothing can also be an interesting project.
- Explore intellectual property protection related to your medium to better protect and preserve your cultural legacy. For example, traditional fabric or clothing patterns can be copyrighted.
- Try to keep the interview to an hour or two, unless the person is willing to go for longer.
- Use a video or audio recorder (with permission from the person you're interviewing) so you're better able to capture quotes and other nuances, such as tone and body language.
- Ask family for scrapbooks, journals, and other documents early on. You might discover that someone else has started working on a family tree already!
- Government websites and physical record collections can offer additional information about family members going back centuries.
- Social media allows you to connect with people from all over the world. This is especially helpful if you've moved to a different country or are studying abroad because you can connect with people from your home country.
- Don't forget to make your own content as well! For example, if you play a traditional instrument, you could upload videos of yourself playing both pop and traditional music.
- If you've moved to a country where your culture is a minority, it's also likely you'll encounter people who have the same ancestral background as you but don't know a lot about their cultural traditions.
- Interacting with others, whether they share your culture or not, is a great way to keep your culture alive and relevant in society.
- If there are members of your cultural community who live near you, you might volunteer to help them by translating documents they need to read or fill out. Reach out to your local community center or library to find out how to get started.
- Talk to someone in the student organization that oversees clubs to see what your school's requirements are to have a club recognized. Then, post fliers or talk to someone at the school newspaper to help get the word out.
- If there's a broader club that you might fit into, join that and represent your culture within it. For example, if your school has a Latinx club, you might join that to help raise awareness for your Aztec roots.
- Almost everyone participates in more than one culture. Be proud of your blend of ideas and behaviors. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
- If you’re an art student or artist, you have a key role in promoting and preserving culture through the arts. Art has an impact on how we all view and recall social developments. Your work can preserve history and culture, and it can help represent or even shape society’s outlook on shared events. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
- Traditions can be celebrated in any way that feels meaningful to each person within their respective culture. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
You Might Also Like
Thanks for reading our article! If you'd like to learn more about keeping your culture alive, check out our in-depth interview with Melissa Matos .
- ↑ https://borderzine.com/2019/03/how-to-stay-connected-to-your-culture-when-far-from-home/
- ↑ https://cec.vcn.bc.ca/cmp/modules/emp-cul.htm
- ↑ https://www.pbs.org/ampu/crosscult.html
- ↑ https://web.cocc.edu/cagatucci/classes/hum211/CoursePack/culture.htm
- ↑ http://news.unm.edu/news/saving-a-language-preserving-a-culture
- ↑ https://cec.vcn.bc.ca/cmp/modules/emp-pre.htm
- ↑ https://www.wipo.int/edocs/pubdocs/en/wipo_pub_1048.pdf
- ↑ https://folklife.si.edu/the-smithsonian-folklife-and-oral-history-interviewing-guide/the-interview/smithsonian
- ↑ https://www.nicwa.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Tracing-Your-Native-Ancestry-2019-Final.pdf
- ↑ https://growingupbilingual.com/how-has-social-media-allows-me-to-share-my-culture-with-others/
- ↑ https://drexel.edu/soe/resources/student-teaching/advice/importance-of-cultural-diversity-in-classroom/
- ↑ https://www.cc-seas.columbia.edu/OMA/studentgroups
About This Article
If you want to preserve your culture, start by learning its religious traditions since religion is strongly linked to language and culture. You should also try to learn your ancestral language if you can find someone to teach you. Then, start cooking some of your family’s recipes to bring back memories and call attention to how much things have changed. To make all of this more fun and engaging, spend time with other community members and attend major events for your group. Keep reading to learn how to effectively teach others about your culture! Did this summary help you? Yes No
- Send fan mail to authors
Reader Success Stories
kathy emmell
Apr 25, 2017
Did this article help you?
Mar 31, 2021
Charlene Mcjim
Oct 12, 2016
Flying Donkeys
Mar 21, 2021
Emma Daunakelo
Jun 14, 2017
Featured Articles
Trending Articles
Watch Articles
- Terms of Use
- Privacy Policy
- Do Not Sell or Share My Info
- Not Selling Info
Get all the best how-tos!
Sign up for wikiHow's weekly email newsletter
Home / Essay Samples / Science / Science and Culture / Passing Down Our Heritage: How to Preserve Our Culture
Passing Down Our Heritage: How to Preserve Our Culture
- Category: Education , Science , Culture
- Topic: Personal Statement , Science and Culture , Youth Culture
Pages: 2 (926 words)
Views: 2923
- Downloads: -->
Introduction
Advantages of culture preservation, disadvantages of culture preservation, my opinion - conclusion.
- MSUFA (2014). Preserving culture and heritage through generations. Australian Multicultural Foundation.
- Thomas-Hoffman, E. A. (2015). Cultural preservation and protection.
--> ⚠️ Remember: This essay was written and uploaded by an--> click here.
Found a great essay sample but want a unique one?
are ready to help you with your essay
You won’t be charged yet!
Halloween Essays
Birthday Essays
Day of The Dead Essays
Multiculturalism Essays
Thanksgiving Essays
Related Essays
We are glad that you like it, but you cannot copy from our website. Just insert your email and this sample will be sent to you.
By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.
Your essay sample has been sent.
In fact, there is a way to get an original essay! Turn to our writers and order a plagiarism-free paper.
samplius.com uses cookies to offer you the best service possible.By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .--> -->