Cultural Identity

Izzy Regalado, Liz Burns, Kat Schaaf, Ruibo Liu

Cultural Identity: Part of a person's self-conception and self-perception relating to nationality, ethnicity,religion, and social class.

Cultural identities we have in common:

Hawkeyes
Interest in youth education
Hawkeye Service Team members
Generation Z
Similar socioeconomic backgrounds

While we all share some similar cultural identities, we also embody unique cultural identities that made our team diverse and effective while in Kansas City.

Our personal cultural identities:

Ruibo Liu

International Student
Statistics student
Asian
Buddhism

Izzy Regalado

Hispanic
Women in Science
Engineering Student
Out of State Student

Kat Schaaf

Psychology/ Ethics and public policy student
Catholic
Out of state student
Caucasian, American

Liz Burns

Caucasian, American
Christian
Out of state student
Communication Studies/Nonprofit Management student

Cultural Identities of our Kansas City Community partners and the people they serve:

YMCA Head Start Program

Families currently at or below the federal poverty guidelines or families in the foster care system.
Children between the ages of 0-5 yrs old as well as their parents.
Diverse population of students/families
The YMCA is a christian based organization but serves all individuals regardless of religion.

Literacy KC

Help people who want to improve literacy skills and enhance quality of life
Student above 16 yrs old or older
Serve residents of the Kansas City metropolitan area
Diverse population
Students with reading disabilities including dyslexia

Avenue of Life

Christian/faith-based
Low-income individuals and families
Individuals and families experiencing homelessness
Diverse population
Provide services and support for immigrants and convicted felons

Cultural Activities on our trip:

On our trip we visited the Brown vs Board of Education Museum in Topeka, Kansas and got to learn about the injustices that took place within the segregated school system back in the 1950s.

We also got to visit the equality house in Topeka, Kansas which is an amazing representation of the love that still exists in the world. It stands as a symbol of inclusion and acceptance while across the street from the Westboro Baptist Church headquarters.

One of our last stops was at the Jazz museum in the historic 18th and Vine District of Kansas City where we learned about the history of jazz.

"WHAT IS SAID HERE STAY HERE, WHAT IS LEARNED HERE LEAVES HERE"

-WHAT WE TOOK AWAY FROM OUR TRIP-

"Throughout this trip I learned more about myself everyday by having daily reflections after our day of service. By hearing my peer's view points and then saying my own, I gained a better understanding on how everyone has different perspectives on the world. It was truly an enriching experience hearing everyone's view points and how it correlates with their own identities and then receiving the opportunity to explore my own cultural identity ." -Izzy

"During my time in Kansas City, I thoroughly enjoyed being able to learn more about other cultures and speak with people who are different than me. During our cultural day, I enjoyed learning more about our country's history while spending time at the Negro Leagues Baseball museum as well as the Jazz museum. When reflecting on our service in Kansas City, I am thankful that I was able to help others as well as see the impact we had on many people's lives. Since the trip, I have been more inspired than ever to continue to explore my cultural identity as well as those of other people." -Liz

"While in Kansas City I learned so much about issues that affect so many people around the country. I felt honored to get to know some amazing people while serving and get a change to understand what I can do to make a difference. While doing our cultural activities I got to see and understand so many more aspects of Kansas City and the Kansas City culture." -Kat

"During this trip to Kansas City, I obtained the things that I expected to get from this trip . More importantly, I also experienced something that I have never thought I could be involved in. As an international student, this trip encourages me to continue to discover multi-culture . I feel honored to be a member of our Hawkeye service team ." -Ray

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