1. CULTURAL IDENTITY COMM 400 by William J Haynes

2. THE HAYNES FAMILY What my family taught me..

3. FAMILY HERITAGE My father was of Welch descent; My Mother was of Blackfoot Indian descent. What a strange family tree I fell from. We had a complicated family structure. I am of mixed blood and possess the intuitive traits that my ancestors possessed. They were hard workers and bloodline was important. My entire family is deceased so learning my family traits and customs can be examined from the memories of what I recall, as time has passed. The most important life lesson I know, is that once your family flame has been extinguished, all you remember is what you once were. A viable important portion of a larger community (family) still exists; you. All they were is within me; good traits, bad traits and a small piece of each of their being is who I really am. One day you wake up and realize that you can never make amends ever again to a loved one you quarreled with, nor any of your wrong doings to another can be fixed, a beautiful conversation about important issues with the ones you love can never take place, you can never laugh at the funny things you shared ever again. Time and death has robbed you of any future encounters and memories are terminated when they passed over to the other side. It makes the world a little darker when the flames of their existence have been extinguished permanently. Life is a lot colder without the warmth they provided in your life. Do yourself a favor; make peace within your family before that opportunity is gone forever.

4. THE HISTORY LESSON IN THE HAYNES FAMILY My family was divided by miles and philosophy, My fathers side was of blue blood linage and I learned valuable lessons about life during the Post-Civil War period, the Industrial Revolution, the Great War (WWI), the Depression, the attack at Pearl Harbor, the H-Bomb on Hiroshima, about life during the Korean and Vietnam. I travelled through time as they told me their stories. I experienced the joy and the sorrow that my family experienced throughout these periods in history. My experience was acquired by being present to the hardships we shared and my Grandmothers being centurions at the time of their death, were a wealth of knowledge. They both were wise beyond their years; One grew up in a prominent Virginia working farm the other grew up in squalor. Both knew the power of words and their ability to enhance ones life, as well as their effectiveness at you as a weapon in anger.

5. CULTURAL IDENTITY Being from Appalachian descent and a touch of Native American, my family was a wealth of knowledge and very earthy in spirit. The geographical locations where I was raised would enhance my understanding of nature and man. It molded my growth and enhanced the vocabulary I possess. My mannerisms, courtesy, family tradition and others personal gifts they bestowed on me were priceless. It is funny to me that as I get older, that fact becomes clearer. It doesn’t matter where I went in my travels through life, a reminder or a lesson from someone in my family would raise concern within me and helped influence the choices I made when life challenged me.

6. IN CLOSING I believe growing up in a rural environment has helped me become a good ambassador of America. I learned to appreciate other cultures because I never accepted the negative views of the men in my family, their prejudices, their views of women. Instead I chose to embody the women's views and attitudes toward other cultures. Making me “ globally-friendly ”. I have been around the world, and these travels enhanced my life on a personal note. I learned to be flexible, considerate and open to suggestion, ceremony, and celebrations to make cultural enlightenment a joy.

7. REFERENCES Martin, J. N., & Nakayama, T. K. (2011). Experiencing intercultural communication. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.