Cultural Interview Questions…

1. What is your definition of “culture?”
a. Culture is a way of life which is determined by particular social customs, family tradition, and anything else that makes a person, family or group unique.

2. How do you define “family?”
a. Family has two different meanings to me, you have your biological family, those who share your DNA. Your other family are those individuals you’ve built a bond with that can’t be broken. It’s stronger than a friendship.

3. Who holds the most “status” in your family? Why?
a. The man because he is directly under Allah, it is the Muslim belief that he is our direct link to Allah. The man is the provider, supporter, educator and protector. I was always taught to find a husband who can support you and your family in the way that the patriarch could. So that in the event of a tragedy, if something were to happen to me, I know I left my family in good hands.

4. How do you define success?
a. Success is self-defined. Some people may view success as having a huge home with a white picket fence and a ton of money. However, in the Nation of Islam, success is fulfilling your sole purpose on earth. Your sole purpose is to be discussed between you and the divine ruler. Success is also being able to maintain a balance in life. Mentally, spiritually, physically and emotionally.

5. Do you consider your parents to be successful?
a. Yes. They are successful in terms of following the correct path which will lead them fulfilling their sole purpose in life. My mom feels as if it is her purpose to open her own bakery and she is on the right track of doing so. My father’s purpose in life is to educate others about the Nation of Islam and he has been fulfilling his calling for many years.

6. How important is education in your family?
a. Education is VERY important in the Nation of Islam. However, we don’t believe in the European educational system AT ALL. This is because the curriculum is set up in a way where students are unable to express creativity, and suppresses their ability to actively imagine. It is based on memorization and obedience rather than comprehension and understanding. They also don’t teach you anything worth learning. Yes math is cool but not over and over again. What about the essentials? Stuff you need to know before you enter the real world like filing taxes, buying/owning homes, opening your own business, etc.

7. Is punctuality important to you? Why or why not?
a. Yes punctuality is important because it shows that you have respect for your own time as well as others’. It shows that you’re a responsible individual. You can tell a lot about someone’s character by their punctuality. My mother always told me that if you’re early youre on time and if youre on time youre late.

8. What is the most important meal of the day?
a. Dinner because in the Nation of Islam you are only supposed to eat one meal a day. That meal must be consumed after the sunsets but before the sun rises. We don’t believe in eating a lot throughout the day because we dont believe in gluttony or over burdening the stomach. You only get one.

9. Do you eat foods that are indigenous to your culture? Why or why not? If you answered yes, name some of the foods that you eat. If you answered no, what types of foods do you eat?
a. The only food that I eat which is indigenous to my culture are navy beans because they are a staple in the Islamic culture because they are the healthiest beans for you. They can be made in the form of soup, pies, cake, cheesecake and chips. Other than that I typically eat Italian because pasta makes my soul glow.

10. How important is religion in your family? Why ?
a. Yes be we don’t technically consider it a religion. We like to refer to it as a way of life. Being a muslim means one who does the will of God in all aspects of life. This is important because it has instilled strong moral values within us. Its not just about going to the mosque every Sunday or praying once in a while, its about committing yourself to fulfill your righteous destiny.

11. Do you plan to pass this on to your children? Why or why not?
a. I will pass down the same values and lessons that I’ve learned. However I will not force them to follow a religion. I wont speak of religion, I will just pass down knowledge and wisdom.

12. Are the roles of men and women specifically defined in your family? If so, what are they?
a. Yes. The man is acts in more of a provider capacity and the woman nurtures the children and takes care of homely duties. However they aren’t restricted to those roles. Circumstances can change or switch at any time.

13. Define and describe the most important (or most celebrated) holiday of your culture.
a. Saviours’ Day is the most important and celebrated holiday in my culture. It is held annually during the last week of February and the location is contingent upon largest venue size. Hundreds of thousands of people gather from many different places to come and have fellowship, participate in various educational workshops, enjoy musical performances, view historical exhibits pertaining to the Nation of Islam and there is also a children’s village where kids enjoy the festivities as well. On that Sunday, there is a keynote address given by the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan. His messages are always powerful, inspirational and captivating. A unique part about Saviours’ Day is that is open to anyone, even non-muslims.

14. How is physical contact viewed in your culture?
a. Men and women aren’t allowed to touch unless they are married just as a form of respect. Men treat the women as well as the body of a woman with the utmost respect. He is encouraged to put her on a pedestal and treat her like a queen. In the mosque men and women aren’t allowed to sit in the same section as each other because the temptation can be considered as a distraction.

15. What is considered most disrespectful in your culture?
a. Having the knowledge and the teachings from the Nation of Islam without passing it on to others is considered extremely disrespectful in my culture. Our purpose in life is to gain knowledge and wisdom and to pass it on to others so that it may uplift them in hopes that they will pass the same knowledge, wisdom and uplift onto others.

16. What is considered most respectful in your culture?
a. Respect for the black woman is considered respectful in our culture. She must be treated as a queen because believe a nation can rise no higher than its woman.

17. What would you say is, from your perspective, the most commonly held misconception about people of your culture?
a. There are A LOT of misconceptions about the Nation of Islam. One misconception is that all Muslims are terrorists. That is literally the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard in my life. A Muslim cannot be a terrorist because murder is not in the will of God. Any individual who participates in an act of terrorism is technically not a Muslim because those actions aren’t supported by God.

18. Have you ever experienced discrimination? In what form?
a. Yes, being a young Black Muslim woman in America, I experience discrimination in forms of age, race, gender and religion. When I was younger and attended grade school, there were some kids who would pull of my head scarf in form of a prank. I didn’t take it personal though, there was just a barrier between us which came from a lack of understanding. I never blamed them however, I blamed the parents.

19. What can be done about discrimination and prejudice, in your opinion?
a. The barriers must be broken down. We as a society must be more understanding toward those who are different. We must be more open minded about conversing with others across cultures. Cross cultural interviews are a good start because it gives you the opportunity to learn about someone else’s values while teaching them about yours in a judge-free zone.

20. Do young people today have a sense of culture?
a. Yes I believe we are involving into a new culture which blends all of the cultures. As the generations progress so does the level of understanding. However it is still important not to lose sight of our own cultures and the lives our ancestors have laid for us. You never want to forget where you come from.

21. What is the best thing about living in the USA?
a. The only good thing about living in the USA is that my friends and family are here. If I had enough money to move everyone to a different country, I would be out of here in no time.

22. What is the worst thing about living in the USA?
a. The bigotry, the sexism and the way the economy is set up. Racism is too prevalent in America, there should be more understanding. Women are too undervalued in this nation. We are always objectified and viewed as sexual beings. The economy is terrible due to the power elite. Why should most of the wealth be in the hands of 1% of the nation’s population? Yet everyone is created equal?

23. Have you ever felt excluded based on your culture?
a. I feel excluded every year during Christmas time. I always have to hear about my friends bragging about what they received, the dinner they had, and the good times they shared with family members in front of a fireplace.

24. Do you remember excluding others based on Culture?
a. No I am very opened to different people from different walks of life. I do my best to make others feel involved and appreciated because I know what it feels like to be excluded. I would hate for anyone else to endure that feeling.

Is there anything you would like others to know that we have not included here about you or your culture…..

Thank you- is there anything else you would like to share? Thank you for allowing me to share my side of the story and providing me with a voice