Week 1: Two Cultures

Hello peers and instructors of Desma 9! My name is Rachel Aquino. I am looking forward to what Desma 9 has in store for all of us! This week we are covering the topic of “Two Cultures”.

As a Pilipina-American, the concept of “Two Cultures” speaks to me ever since I was a born. I am a first generation, meaning my parents immigrated to the United States from the Philippines. I’ve grown up in America learning the Pilipino culture, lthe Pilipino mannerisms, and eating the Pilipino food. I’ve actually never eaten a Cheese burger till I was 8 years old. For my parents, they wanted to instill the Pilipino roots in me before adopting the American lifestyle.

Going to UCLA, it was a hard transition for me because I was surrounded by so many Filipinos and minorities who had similar backgrounds. Our parents coming to America for a better life. UCLA definitely challenged me to not necessarily clash the two cultures together, but define one culture that may or may not blend the American and Pilipino cultures.

This relates to the readings with the idea of two cultures or two different worlds acting as one. According to the readings by Vesna and Snow about “Two Cultures”, what captivated me the most was the concept of the “bridge” between art and science. Snow predicts a day when literary intellectuals will communicate effectively with scientists. This however can be a long shot. Most of the arts and sciences construe misconceptions of one another because both of their works do not cover multiple disciplines. According to Vesna and Snow, universities and academia is the best place for art and sciences to thrive. This is due to the fact that both areas are encouraged to contact scholars of multiple disciplines and academia allows both the arts and sciences to engage in the most recent technological advances. Vesna and Snow cover the notion that if we think of arts and sciences the same way academia perceives the arts and sciences, aiming for the same goal, there would be fewer misconceptions.

These perceptions from the readings made me think a lot about my own culture as a Pilipina-American and the culture that I had nourished as a Bruin. By changing to my environment, remembering your roots while still being willing to adapt and grow is the best culture there is. 

*Citations*

Vesna, Victoria, Toward a Third Culture: Being in between, Leonardo, Vol. 34, No. 2 (2001) pp 121-125

Snow, C.P. The Two Cultures and The Scientific Revolution, Seventh Edition 1961, pp 1-55

"Twenty Fil Am Authors to Sign at Launching of the Philippine Heritage Collection." January 1, 2010. Accessed April 6, 2015. https://philippineexpressionsbookshop.wordpress.com/2012/10/.

"Uncontrollable Destiny." Uncontrollable Destiny. Accessed April 6, 2015. http://theillusionherself.blogspot.com/.

Sharma, Ritu. "Connecting Art and Science." The Art and Science of Content Marketing. Accessed April 6, 2015. http://www.pagetrafficbuzz.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Content-Art-and-Science-Edits.jpg.