Cultural Autobiography
Cultural Autobiography
Maria Skoulidas
MHC
My father’s parents were born in a small village in the Peloponnese. They were kind and humble people that eventually made their way to Athens. My mother’s parents were born in Kafkaso, a town in Minor Asia, which at that time belonged to Greece. With the war of 1921, the Turks forced my mother’s parents to flee to Athens. They were wealthy and proud, as were many Pontian Greeks at that time. Both of my parents were born in Athens in the fifties. My mother left Athens in 1969, America bound and my father followed soon after. Born to immigrant parents in the United States has had its challenges. I was raised in a Greek household with Greek morals and ideals, which at often times clash with those of American culture. The outside world is perceived inversely when your inside world is conducted in a completely different manner. However, having been born to immigrant parents I have the ability to empathize with other cultures. This is a gift, which in this field I have often times used. One of the traditions that have been passed down in my family, thanks to our culture, is attending church every Sunday. Church, for Greek-Americans, is more than just a place of worship; it is also a communal gathering. Through church attendance we maintain our religious traditions, language, Sunday school, even meet our future mates. Even though some Greeks marry outside of the culture most choose partners with the same ethnic background. Many may argue that this is a form of brainwash from our parents but those of us that have married outside our culture tend to think our parents were correct. In addition to attending church nearly every Sunday and attempting to stick to our own, Greeks are very affectionate people. As a race, we publicly and obviously like to show our love for one another. At times, I have found my non-Greek friends taken aback by my affectionate demeanor. We kiss friends upon meeting, touch
Maria Skoulidas
MHC
My father’s parents were born in a small village in the Peloponnese. They were kind and humble people that eventually made their way to Athens. My mother’s parents were born in Kafkaso, a town in Minor Asia, which at that time belonged to Greece. With the war of 1921, the Turks forced my mother’s parents to flee to Athens. They were wealthy and proud, as were many Pontian Greeks at that time. Both of my parents were born in Athens in the fifties. My mother left Athens in 1969, America bound and my father followed soon after. Born to immigrant parents in the United States has had its challenges. I was raised in a Greek household with Greek morals and ideals, which at often times clash with those of American culture. The outside world is perceived inversely when your inside world is conducted in a completely different manner. However, having been born to immigrant parents I have the ability to empathize with other cultures. This is a gift, which in this field I have often times used. One of the traditions that have been passed down in my family, thanks to our culture, is attending church every Sunday. Church, for Greek-Americans, is more than just a place of worship; it is also a communal gathering. Through church attendance we maintain our religious traditions, language, Sunday school, even meet our future mates. Even though some Greeks marry outside of the culture most choose partners with the same ethnic background. Many may argue that this is a form of brainwash from our parents but those of us that have married outside our culture tend to think our parents were correct. In addition to attending church nearly every Sunday and attempting to stick to our own, Greeks are very affectionate people. As a race, we publicly and obviously like to show our love for one another. At times, I have found my non-Greek friends taken aback by my affectionate demeanor. We kiss friends upon meeting, touch
References: Cabral, Raquel R. and Timothy B. Smith. (2011). Racial/Ethnic Matching of Clients and Therapists in Mental Health Services: A Meta-Analytic Review of Preferences, Perceptions, and Outcomes. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 58, 12-27. Hays, Pamela. (2008). How to help best: Culturally responsive therapy. Addressing Cultural Complexities in Practice: Assessment, diagnosis, and therapy (2nd ed.). 275. Sue, D., & Sue, D.W. (2008). Culturally diverse: theory and practice (5th ed.) Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.