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4.5: Growing Your Intercultural Communication Skills and Identity

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    322854
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    Communicating About Cultural Identity

    As we’ve explored throughout this chapter, identity isn’t something we’re born with fully formed—it grows, shifts, and evolves as we move through life. Communication plays a major role in shaping how we understand ourselves and how others understand us. Our earliest ideas about identity often come from our families, but they continue to develop through our friendships, education, religious or community groups, and the media we consume, from TV and film to TikTok and Instagram.


    1. Take time to explore your own identities.

    Look back at the personal, social, and cultural identities discussed in this chapter.
    Ask yourself: How do I describe myself in each of these areas? Which identities feel central to who I am right now?
    Example: You might identify as a first‑generation college student, an athlete, a caregiver, or part of a particular cultural or linguistic community.


    2. Practice talking about the identities you embrace—and the ones you don’t.

    Identity work takes reflection. Try having open conversations with trusted friends, family members, or mentors about why certain identities feel authentic to you while others do not.
    Example: You might embrace the label “Latinx” but not “Hispanic." Can you explain the difference and why it matters to you?


    3. Respect the identities and labels others choose for themselves.

    Language evolves, and so do the words people use to describe who they are. Instead of questioning or dismissing someone’s identity, approach with curiosity.
    A simple question like “What does that identity mean to you?” can open the door to meaningful understanding.


    4. Learn about the cultural and historical identities within your own family.

    Understanding your family’s story—migration, traditions, struggles, celebrations—can deepen your sense of self and help you appreciate the diversity of others’ experiences.


    5. Learn about the cultural and historical identities of the people you care about.

    Ask friends or partners about the traditions, values, or histories that shape them. This builds empathy and strengthens relationships.


    6. Notice how media influences identity.

    Pay attention to how TV shows, films, influencers, and online communities shape your ideas about yourself and others.
    Ask: Whose stories are being told? Whose are missing? How does this affect the way I see the world?


    7. Use language that invites connection, not assumptions.

    Phrases like “I’d love to hear more about that” or “Thanks for sharing that with me” help create a space where people feel safe expressing who they are.


    8. Stay open to growth.

    Your understanding of identity—your own and others’—will continue to evolve. Being willing to learn, unlearn, and adjust is one of the most powerful communication tools you have.


    4.5: Growing Your Intercultural Communication Skills and Identity is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Angela Hoppe-Nagao & Kim Yee, Cerritos College..

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