I come from Colfax, Washington; which is about fifty-eight miles south of Spokane. It isn't too far, and I really like being this close to home. I'd say I come from an upper-class family, I think. We have a pretty nice home, and live fairly comfortably. My last name is 'Huber,' and I've found out it is a Germanic name, meaning one who owns a 'hube' of land. No one knows what a hube is anymore, but apparently it was a large spread of land. We celebrate fairly German things, too, like every year we get together, the whole family, and eat Runza. It's a type of food which contains bits of bacon rolled in dough and covered in butter. It's really unhealthy, I'm sure, but it's fantastic, and it's a great way to remember our heritage.
But, coming from a small town with little obvious poverty, it was very meaningful to me to learn and see what histories people have hidden beneath their outside appearances. From my perspective, I can provide my own insights to a culture and lifestyle, and see the same and different ones provided by others.
Josh,
ReplyDeleteI think it's really great that you've taken initiative to meet people a lot of different people a Whitworth, whether you're actually able to relate to them or not. I too come from an upper-class family who lived in a nice neighborhood and it's been a very different experience being in Spokane where you have everything from blatant poverty to blatant wealth in just a few square miles. My person experience is that it takes time and patience to find your own niche, especially at Whitworth because of the lack of diversity. I think it's wonderful that your family has it's own traditions that you still celebrate.
Thank you, and I completely agree. It's nice to see all of the different kinds of people, and especially in such a diverse place like Spokane, with the huge gulf in between the poverty lines. And, yes, we enjoy a great many European traditions. I think it's important to remember and celebrate your culture. Just because one's white doesn't they can't have a cultural history.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you Josh. It is important to remember and celebrate your culture because it is part of who you are. Whether you know it or not, your culture shapes you in so many ways. I also agree that being white does not mean you don't have a culture. It makes me happy to see that your family continues to practice those European traditions. Sadly, the majority of whites in America have completely assimilated to the "American culture" and have gone astray from their cultural roots. Keep on practicing those traditions and celebrating your heritage!
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