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From Mortal Enemies to Strategic Partners: Examining the History of Vietnamese American Post-War Relations

This essay explores biculturalism, third culture identity, cultural hybridity, acculturation, and cultural dissonance to articulate my experiences as a second-generation immigrant and connect with others on similar journeys

Diaz, Jesus

Parkland College 
SPARK: Scholarship at Parkland 
A with Honors Projects Honors Program 
Fall 2024 
Between Two Worlds: Navigating Bicultural Identity 
Jesus Diaz 
Parkland College 
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Recommended Citation 
Diaz, Jesus, "Between Two Worlds: Navigating Bicultural Identity" (2024). A with Honors Projects. 317. 
https://spark.parkland.edu/ah/317 
Open access to this Essay is brought to you by Parkland College's institutional repository, SPARK: Scholarship at 
Parkland. For more information, please contact spark@parkland.edu. 
Diaz 1 
 
Jesus Diaz  
Dr. Jones 
Honors Project 
12/17/2024 
 
Between Two Worlds: Navigating Bicultural Identity 
 
 Last month, I attended my first Race Talk, which took place the day after Election Day. 
The conference room was filled with many people, including myself, who voiced their opinions 
and shared their experiences. One common theme I noticed was that some people felt alienated 
or unable to be their true selves. This reminded me of my experiences of feeling out of place, a 
struggle that began as far back as elementary school. I remember being in the third grade during 
Reading class. The teacher said, “Okay, class, take out your reading books and gather around 
me.” Then she pulled three classmates and me aside, explaining we would read separately with 
the teacher's aide because we needed help with our reading. Up to this point, I had always 
learned together with my friends. Even though I was young, I felt a sense of separation. I could 
not read as well as some of my friends, who knew more English than I did then. At that moment, 
I felt less American. 
This experience marked the beginning of my struggle with dual cultures and the internal 
and external tensions of feeling too Mexican in some spaces and too American in others. As a 
second-generation immigrant with parents who migrated from Mexico while I was born in the 
United States, navigating this “in-between” identity has defined my life. This essay explores how 
concepts like biculturalism, third culture identity, cultural hybridity, acculturation, and cultural 
Diaz 2 
 
dissonance help me better articulate my experiences and offer connections to others on similar 
journeys. 
 The first concept we will discuss is “Biculturalism,” but what does it mean? Portes and 
Rumbaut argue that “biculturalism represents comfort and proficiency with both one’s heritage 
culture and the culture of the country or region in which one has settled. It is applicable not only 
to immigrants who have come from other countries, but also to children of immigrants who -
although they are born and raised in the receiving society- are likely deeply embedded in the 
heritage culture at home with their families” (qtd. in Schwartz and Unger 26). For me, 
biculturalism meant eating flour bean burritos at home while watching Mexican cartoons, then 
heading to school to experience meatloaf, macaroni and cheese, and G.I. Joes. It meant speaking 
Spanish with my family but learning English from my friends at school. Both settings pulled me 
in different directions, yet they both offered value. Biculturalism has enriched my life by giving 
me access to two languages, traditions, and perspectives. The challenge lies in learning to 
embrace this complexity without feeling forced to choose one identity over the other. 
When kids encounter two different cultures, they experience the concept called “Third 
Culture Kid.” Pollock and Van Reken describe a Third Culture Kid (TCK) as “someone who has 
spent a significant part of their developmental years outside their parents' culture, building 
relationships with all cultures without full ownership in any” (qtd. in Bell-Villada et al. 2011). As 
a child, I loved American football, a passion I adopted from growing up in Texas. However, 
when visiting my family in Mexico, my uncles would gather around to watch “fútbol.” I would 
get frustrated and ask them to change the channel. Their response was always, “You need to like 
soccer because it’s the real football. You’re Mexican.” At those moments, I felt too American. 
Over time, I found my love for soccer, which helped bridge the gap between these two cultural 
Diaz 3 
 
worlds. As a TCK, I began to occupy a “third space,” blending aspects of both cultures. While 
such experiences initially felt isolating, they eventually became empowering, helping me forge 
deeper connections to both my American and Mexican identities. 
After discussing Biculturalism and Third Culture Kid, we can start to notice that 
individuals experience a fusion of identities. There is a term for this, and it's called “Cultural 
Hybridity.” Cultural hybridization is defined as "the process by which a cultural element blends 
into another culture by modifying the element to fit cultural norms" ("Cultural Hybridization"). 
For me, one of the clearest examples of cultural hybridity is speaking “Spanglish,” a mixture of 
Spanish and English that feels natural and expressive. Spanglish reflects the creativity of my 
bilingual mind, combining words and phrases that make sense in my unique cultural context. 
Rather than feeling pressured to “pick” one language or culture, I embrace this hybridity as a 
strength. It highlights the uniqueness of my identity, showing that I do not have to choose 
between two cultures—I can live comfortably as a blend of both. 
The next concept that I will review is “Acculturation.” Sam defines acculturation as “a 
process characterized by changes in one’s culture, which occurs when people (mainly 
immigrants and native-born minorities) adjust to the mainstream culture of a plural society” (qtd. 
in Ndika 2013). Growing up in a Texas border town, Spanish was the dominant language. As I 
moved to Austin, Texas, and later to Illinois, I had to adapt to speaking English more often. This 
shift was part of my acculturation process. Living in the heart of the United States, I have 
absorbed aspects of American life, from customs to traditions. At the same time, I’ve held tightly 
to my Mexican roots, whether through celebrating Día de los Muertos or enjoying tamales at 
family gatherings. Acculturation has not been about replacing my heritage, but about creating 
Diaz 4 
 
harmony between my roots and the culture I now live in. This balance has opened doors while 
keeping me grounded in my identity. 
 Finally, “Cultural Dissonance” is the last concept I will discuss in navigating a complex 
identity. "In sociology and cultural studies, cultural dissonance is a sense of discord, disharmony, 
confusion, or conflict experienced by people in the midst of change in their cultural environment. 
The changes are often unexpected, unexplained or not understandable due to various types of 
cultural dynamics" (Wikipedia). I first experienced cultural dissonance at eighteen when I moved 
to Austin, Texas. For the first time, I encountered racism directed at my ethnic group and cultural 
heritage, which left me feeling like my identity was under attack. Cultural dissonance also 
manifests internally. For example, during the FIFA World Cup, I always cheer for the Mexican 
team, even when they play against the U.S. This sometimes creates a sense of guilt, as though 
I’m being unpatriotic to the country I was born in. Such moments reveal the complexity of my 
identity: externally and internally, I feel pulled between two worlds. Yet, these tensions remind 
me of how deeply I value both cultures. 
 In this essay, I explored the concepts of biculturalism, third culture identity, cultural 
hybridity, acculturation, and cultural dissonance to articulate my experiences as a second-
generation immigrant better. Each idea provides a lens to understand the challenges and strengths 
of living between two cultural worlds. For those who share similar struggles, know that you are 
not alone. Our experiences, though complex, are valuable and uniquely ours. Utilizing forums 
like Race Talks and embracing our blended identities, we can celebrate diversity and build 
connections with others living between worlds. Together, we can contribute to a society that 
values inclusion and the richness of multicultural perspectives. 
 
Diaz 5 
 
Works Cited 
Bell-Villada, Gene H., et al. Writing Out of Limbo: International Childhoods, Global Nomads 
and Third Culture Kids. 1st ed., Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2011. 
"Cultural Dissonance." Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 6 Aug. 2024, 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_dissonance. 
“Cultural Hybridization.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2014. Web. 
17 Dec. 2024. https://sociologydictionary.org/cultural-hybridization/. 
Ndika, N. (2013). Acculturation: A Pilot Study on Nigerians in America and Their Coping 
Strategies. Sage Open, 3(4). https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244013515687 
Schwartz, Seth J., and Jennifer B. Unger. “Biculturalism and Context: What Is Biculturalism, and 
When Is It Adaptive?: Commentary on Mistry and Wu.” Human Development, vol. 53, 
no. 1, 2010, pp. 26–32, https://doi.org/10.1159/000268137. 
 


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