Dominican American

       Why is every one looking at me weird? We have been in the air for a few hours and we landed safely. so the next most obvious thing you should do is clap. So i started clapping with a smile on my face excited that we are on the ground. It's not that I'm afraid of flying, I actually have the tendency of falling asleep on airplanes. Whenever I fly down to Dominican Republic everyone's always clapping once we land. So here i am. I just landed in New Orleans and I am the only one clapping. At this moment i realized that i was part of of both an American culture and a Dominican culture. My Dominican culture decided to show up once we were on the ground.
       I am first generation American. This means my parents were both born outside of the United States. Both of my parents were born in the Dominican Republic, which is located in the Caribbean. However my father came to the United States when he was three years old and my mother came when she married my father. My father was immersed in American culture unlike my mother who was raised in the Dominican Republic. So this means when my father throws a barbeque it is going to be completely different from when my mother throws a barbeque. At my mothers barbeque there is spanish music playing to the max, there's always rice with beans, people are always dancing, and is always loud. At my fathers barbeque its a much calmer atmosphere, where there is more conversation going on, everyone is doing there own thing either watching a baseball or football game, or outside in a pool.
       Another easy way to see both cultures through my family is at thanksgiving. Since my fathers culture is more americanized than my mothers family the food that is served will be different. For example, thanksgiving at my uncles home from fathers side will have sweet potatoes, filling within the turkey, cranberry sauces, and a bunch of different pies as desert. On my mothers side there will be Arroz con guandules(yellow rice with pigeon peas), pernil (pork shoulder), potato salad, macaroni salad, and for desert there will be flan or dominican cake. Just by the food there is a difference between both cultures.
       Another huge difference is baseball. Baseball is an American Past time that has been instilled in Dominican culture. However the atmosphere in the two countries is experienced differently. At the Cibao Stadium in the Dominican Republic for the Aguilas there are cheerleaders. While there are no cheerleaders for baseball games across the country for the United States. Another difference is the way Dominicans dress to go watch the game. In America people go wearing shorts and a jersey of their player wearing sneakers, a lot of women wear hats. In Dominican Republic people go dressed as if they are going to a party or nightclub. the men are wearing dress shirts and shoes, while the women go in high heels looking ready to go out dancing for the night.
       As you can see there are many differences between the two cultures. Whether it be as subtle as clapping on a plane to dressing up for a baseball game both cultures exemplify ones character.

Hello Everyone,

       My name is Steven Cabrera. Thats short for Steven Reynaldo Cabrera Gonzalez Taveraz Martinez. I was born in Brooklyn, New York. I'm what you might say a typical New Yorker. I'm a Yankees fan and that means im also a Giants fans. This does not mean I dont root for other New York teams but I do happen to like the Phillies.
       Apart from watching sports i also enjoy playing sports. This allows me to understand the intensity and the struggle that arises from trying to hit a baseball. You failed twice when the third time, you have a man on second and third with two outs and a hit is the deciding factor of the game. No matter what the outcome is, the importance of it all is the struggle. This gives you character. Stepping back into the plate after failing is what builds your character. So now your staring back at the pitcher assuming inside fastball, knowing before the pitcher even throws the ball that this struggle has built your character that has now become your fate.