Thomas Patterson 4th Hour My Cultural Box Thomas Patterson 4th Hour

Origins My family originated down south and some of them moved up north. My name came straight from my dad. Don’t have many “traditions” Only see everyone for big holidays/events

Birth/Formative Years Born and raised in Detroit Made me live a tough life growing up in Detroit Raised to be a good, respectful kid. Don’t be influenced by what I see. My parents are strict when they need to be but I get a lot of freedom.

Food Memories My favorite foods are yams and macaroni and cheese. Family eats a lot of foods for celebrations. Usually soul food. We get together at parks or my granddad’s house.

Home You often hear my mom yelling and my sister crying. You can hear rap/hip hop, R&B, or gospel. My home is small and old and my room is the basement. We don’t usually gather.

Beliefs My family believes in Christianity. They want everyone to go to college or at least graduate high school to be more successful. They want us to have careers rather than just jobs so we can make more money.

Immediate Family/Parents Both parents play the role of provider and disciplinarian. Decisions are made through one or both of them I have a lot of responsibility taking care of my sister. I do lots of chores all day. We had a dog for about 6 years but she got killed this year.

Holidays Celebrate all of the American holidays. Celebrate birthdays by having parties with cake and ice cream or going out to eat and somewhere fun. We eat soul foods for all of the holidays (macaroni, yams, ribs, greens, etc.) The most celebrated holidays are Christmas and Thanksgiving.