The Divide Between Cultures

Growing up, my mother, who was born and raised in Finland, spoke Finnish with my sister and I. We spend almost every summer in Finland and twice I spent 6 months there studying in a local school—first during first grade and then again during my junior year of high school. I attached a photo of my mother, sister, brother and I at the Jussila family summer cabin, which is located in the middle of an empty forest with no running water and a very rustic way of life. This is where most of my summers were spent fishing, interacting with wildlife, picking berries and mushrooms, taking saunas, and spending time with my Finnish family. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but being Finnish has contributed immensely to who I am today. Where a person grows up and the culture and ideas that surround them really determines a lot of their history. Geographically speaking, America and Finland are on completely different parts of the world and as a result they have very different views and ideas. In Maus, geography was also important in the aspects that the Jews that lived in closer proximity to Germany were the ones that were sent to concentration camps first. For example, the Jews living in Germany were captured much sooner than those living in Hungary—the Hungarian Jews were not sent to Auschwitz until later than the Jews in western Poland and as a result Vladek tried to sneak to Hungary with his wife Anja. On the same note, I feel that spending my time in two different countries has greatly changed who I am and how I view the world. I am slow to judge and I understand that many people see things differently than I do. I am also very easy going and I think that comes from growing up in two different cultures. What language you speak can also have a great effect of how one becomes themselves. In Maus, Vladek’s knowledge of many languages helped him to survive more than once. The Inuit’s have a large number of words to describe snow, while many cultures near the equator never see snow so they don’t have a need for many words. I think language can really determine one’s perceptions since connections and ideas in one language are unique and cannot always be reproduced in another language. Additionally, my Finnish relatives have had a huge effect on who I am. Although I only get to see them some summers, they are the most loving and caring people I have ever met which has really changed me into who I am today. They have all been a positive influence in my life in many ways and opened my eyes to new ideas, experiences, and situations. They act and think very differently than the majority of people I have met in the states. Growing up I didn’t realize the effects Finland—its culture, language and people—was having on me. However, I am now forever grateful for the wonderful memories and relationships it has provided me. Looking back on all the ways being Finnish has changed me, not all of its effects have been positive. Having roots in two places has created a conflict of interest within me. The ways I act in America are sometimes really different from the ways I act in Finland, since people there are reserved and quiet, while I am usually a loud, outgoing, and enthusiastic individual. This conflict has forced me to choose which culture I want to be loyal to. Another difficultly created by this difference in cultures is my parent’s divorce. They were from two completely different places with contrasting cultures and ideas. After many years of struggling to find an equilibrium of both cultures and all the ideas, traditions, languages, values, and religions, my parents realized they were not going to find the answer and decided to separate. Overall, I am really grateful of my Finnish heritage and couldn’t imagine spending a summer anywhere else but Finland.