Logan Syncretism Survey

Survey general results

In order for me to find out what Logan students think about syncretism, I created a survey. Here are the responses of fifty Logan students. This survey was taken by forty-three people on March 29, 2000, in Ms. Winding's 3rd and 4th period Honors American Lit. classes. Additional results come from my friends Mrs. Kuhlmann's 2nd period French 2 class. For quoted responses, I tried to pick the most eloquent and well thought-out answers. All statistics are listed from most to least. My analysis can be found at the bottom of the page.

syncretism (n.)

Reconciliation or fusion of differing systems of belief, as in philosophy or religion, especially when success is partial or the result is heterogeneous.

In other words, syncretism is when several cultures combine to form one new culture. Do you think this has happened at Logan? Have you adopted foreign cultures or traditions and made them your own? In this brief survey, you will be asked several questions on this topic. The results of this survey can later be found on the Internet, but complete anonymity is assured. If you do not feel comfortable answering any of these questions, feel free to leave it blank. Thanks for your time!

1. What ethnicities/cultures/nationalities/religions do you identify with? Please list.

Ethnicities (one response per person):

Asian: 18 people
Filipino/Pacific Islander: 8 people
Mixed/"Mutt": 7 people
European: 6 people
African-American/Black: 3 people
American: 3 people
Mexican: 2 people
Asian Indian: 2 people
None: 1 person

Most of these responses are the exact words of the students. However, "European" means they listed one or more European country, "Asian" means they listed one or more Asian country, and "Mixed" means they either listed themselves as such or that they listed countries from two or more different continents. I know that it sort of defeats the purpose of this project to group answers together like this. This project is trying to show whether or not people integrate other cultures into their own, and for me to group responses in this way is almost me forcing integration. Most people listed specific countries. But rather than listing all fifty answers for each question, I had to make some generalizations in the interest of saving space.

Religions (one response per person):

No response: 29 people
Catholic: 10 people
Christian: 4 people
Atheist: 3 people
Hindu: 1 person
Jehovah's Witness: 1 person
Mormon: 1 person
Sikh: 1 person

2. What is your native language? (One response per person.)

English: 22 people
Tagalog: 6 people
Chinese: 4 people
Korean: 4 people
Mandarin: 4 people
Cantonese: 3 people
Spanish: 2 people
Vietnamese: 2 people
German: 1 person
Cambodian: 1 person
Gujarati (Indian): 1 person
Punjabi: 1 person

3. Other than your native language and English, what language(s) do you speak? (More than one response per person.)

Spanish: 16 people
French: 14 people
None: 11 people
American Sign Language: 6 people
Mandarin: 3 people
Tagalog: 2 people
Vietnamese: 2 people
Afrikaans: 1 person
Cantonese: 1 person
Chinese: 1 person
German: 1 person
Hindi: 1 person
Katchi: 1 person
Latin: 1 person
Taiwanese: 1 person

4. Do you celebrate any holidays that are not based in your culture? Please list. (More than one response per person.)

I wish I had made this question more specific. Many people didn't really understand it. What I meant was, "If you are Buddhist and still celebrate Christmas, which is not a Buddhist holiday, list Christmas." Some people simply listed "American" holidays. To me, American holidays are holidays that originated in America, like Thanksgiving, Memorial Day, and the Fourth of July. "American" holidays that some people listed, like Easter, Christmas, Halloween, etc., are not actually "American", but European. Also, there are so many holidays it would be impossible to list them all, so there are people who celebrate these holidays but did not list them. Please keep that in mind when looking at the results.

None: 18 people
Christmas: 13 people
Thanksgiving: 10 people
"American": 8 people
Easter: 6 people
Fourth of July: 6 people
Halloween: 5 people
Mother and Father's Days: 2 people
Valentine's Day: 2 people
Birthdays: 1 person
Boxing Day: 1 person
"Chinese": 1 person
Chinese New Year: 1 person
Memorial Day: 1 person
New Year's: 1 person
Other: 1 person

5. Take a look at what you are wearing now. Please try to list at least three articles of clothing or jewelry that are from cultures other than your own. Be sure to identify what culture they came from. (More than one response per person.)

Again, people didn't understand what I meant, which was "For example, if you are not Hawaiian but are wearing a Hawaiian shell necklace, please list that." I also did not mean, "Where were your clothes made?" I meant, "What culture do they reflect through their style and design?" Please keep that in mind when looking at the results.

None: 20 people
American: 12 people
Not sure: 8 people
Chinese: 3 people
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 3 people
European: 2 people
Mexican: 2 people
Asian: 1 person
Celtic: 1 person
Egyptian: 1 person
Filipino: 1 person
Hindu: 1 person
Italian: 1 person
Jewish: 1 person

6. Do you listen to music that is not based in your culture? Please list which cultures they are from. (More than one response per person.)

"American": 12 people
None: 11 people
Latin/Hispanic: 9 people
African (R&B, hip hop, rap, jazz, and the blues have African roots): 8 people
Not sure: 8 people
European: 4 people
French: 3 people
Filipino: 2 people
Indian: 2 people
Japanese: 2 people
Korean: 2 people
Jamaican: 1 person

7. Do you watch movies or TV shows that are not based in your culture? Please list which cultures they are from. (More than one response per person.)

"American": 17 people
Not sure: 10 people
None: 6 people
Japanese: 5 people
Latin/Hispanic: 5 people
French: 4 people
British: 3 people
Indian: 3 people
Chinese: 2 people
Korean: 2 people
Christian: 1 person
European: 1 person
Filipino: 1 person
Italian: 1 person

8. At Logan, do you feel that people are accepting of other cultures, or do they group together with people of their own culture? Why?

The general opinion of those polled said people at Logan do both. The most common answer was that people find groups where they feel comfortable, and that comfort comes from having a common bond. In having that common bond, people feel that they aren't being judged and that they are safe and are understood by others. This bond could either be culture or common interests. Also, students said that although studentsaccept each other, they don't hang out with people with different backgrounds because of the comfort issue. The students surveyed also said that some cultural groups are more accepting than others, with those who are less accepting being the people who are new to America and who seek out others like themselves to help make the transition.

"Most educated people are accepting of other cultures, however, the less educated people have a tendency to stay with their own culture, due to a lack of understanding."
"It's hard to generalize and say yes or no because I so see some very diverse groups here, and at the same time see those that are not. My own group of friends is rather diverse. Most of us are different cultures yet we still all get along. I think this shows our personalities; our willingness to accept people for who they are, not what they are."
"I believe most people do accept others but don't hang out with different cultures. Accept-- yes. Hang with/identify/feel comfortable with-- not really."
"Most folks are cliquish... They seek out the most accepting people first."
"[People] group with [their] own culture due to comfort, security, and culture connection."
"I think they accept other cultures but naturally go with people similar to them. I think it is natural to go with people similar to you, and it happens everywhere."
"I think there is a superficial claim that we're all accepting and liberal. While some of us are, underneath most there is a festering fear for others who are different."

9. Do you think this is a good or bad thing? Why?

Again, answers varied. People who responded in the previous question that Logan students accepted each other largely felt it was a good thing. Those who said that people grouped with their own cultures said that they felt it was both good and bad in that we find acceptance for ourselves but exclude other people. Still others said that it was neither, it's just how things are. Most cited the previous question as to why they felt it was a good or bad thing.

"I honestly don't find anything wrong with it, but it wouldn't hurt anyone if they got to know anyone else from another culture."
"I think it is good to feel comfortable, and I think that everyone is entitled to hang out with whoever they want; and if that means with those who share the same culture/language/background as you, then you have the right to be acquainted with them. However, it is unfair and wrong to shut off others because they may not be exactly like you."
"It is not bad or good. It's good that people are around people they identify with, but people are missing out on new and different cultures."
"I believe [grouping with cultures] causes tension between groups and because of it, there is hardly any way of having the whole melting pot/unifying thing with its presence. It's not bad or good, it's just how things are."
"I don't think it's good or bad. It's not like people stay with their own culture because they hate other cultures. I think if someone from one culture hung out with people of another, they would probably be accepted. As long as people don't hate or discriminate, then I think it's okay to tend to stay with your own culture."
"I don't know. It's good we accept each other, but bad because we don't interact. We will never learn about others until we talk with them."
"Good, [integration] encourages the deconstruction of the hierarchal oppression created by the power relations of multiculturalism. The fusion of different cultures forces us to reexamine and change our individual and societal discourse toward differences."

10. Some people believe that although cultural differences should be celebrated and respected, individual cultures should be kept "pure." Others say that this would lead to the factioning of society and that we should integrate ourselves into a global community. What do you think?

Although results varied, its seems that those surveyed were leaning towards integration. Those in favor of integration said that it would increase acceptance and comfort with other people, while non-integration could lead to isolation and balkanization. Those opposed stated that such an integration would be impossible because some people would simply refuse to do it and that there were too many differences. They also said that it is the differences that make America what it is, and that we can celebrate these differences and still keep our own heritage. Many said that there should be a partial integration so as to increase understanding between others, but not so much that we lose all sense of ourselves as individuals.

"We have to blend to keep from disintegrating. Keeping a culture 'pure' is impossible and it would lead to people being balkanized. Understanding, perhaps, is the key."
"I think we all should remember who we are, but should take a step towards unification at the same time."
"We should celebrate differences. People should not lose entirely their native cultures. There should be an adaption;somemerger of the cultures into a new identity."
"I think although combining is good, keeping races separate can preserve the cultures' different ethnic ancestors. This is vital in keeping histories or it will all be forgotten."
"People are people. Humans are humans. We are all one people and there shouldn'tbe lines drawn but there are. I believe people should be with who they want to be with, despite all the bullsh--." (Note: The student censored themself.)
"I think we have to remember what America is all about. The first people came here to have the freedom to express their own ideas and practice their own beliefs. I think our individual cultures should be kept pure because America is the symbol of diversity and if we all just combined into one culture, diversity would no longer exist."
"I think we should integrate because we can be more accepting and understanding of others and at the same time we don't have to give up our own culture."
"'I think everyone should have sex until there is only one color.'" (Note: The student seemed to be quoting someone else.)
"None of the above; there's no 'one solution'. The unpredictable consequences of enclaves, fragmentation, and separation are too overwhelming for 'one solution'. We can't decide the perception of society toward cultures, but we can only do it on an individual basis."

11. Would you ever date/marry someone from another culture?

This response was almost unanimously yes, although some students said that naturally it would depend on the person. Two people said they would not. Some students said that their parents might have problems with it, and some also said that although they wouldn't completely discount it, they would feel more comfortable with someone of their own race.

12. Do you think your culture is respected and fairly treated at Logan? Why or why not?

Nearly all (thirty-two) students said that they felt their cultural group was respected. A major reason was that they belonged to a cultural group with a large campus presence. Still, many felt that while there was not overt racism, there are still derogatory stereotypes about their race.

"I don't think it is treated and acknowledged to the extent it should be. School, to me, seems so caught up in separating each culture that we forget what all those living in American are-- Americans. That is the culture I identify with, and I don't think it's given the respect it deserves."
"Yes, basically because Asians make up a huge chunk of Logan's population."
"I do not think so because we learn next to nothing about African-American culture and what little information we so receive is usually not complete or inaccurate."
"Every culture has another culture hating on them so it's fairly treated here."
"I think most cultures are respected at Logan to an extent. But on the other hand, people that just come from other countries who have not yet adapted with American culture are called FOBs. Also, I feel that the Indian culture is less respected." (Note: I found it interesting that the student quoted did not say that they were Indian.)
"I don't believe any groups are singled out, I think it's just individuals that are."
"Yes and no. Yes because it's not like we get physically abused. But it's just that there seems to be a stereotype where Chinese people are classified as 'math nerds'."

13. Do you have any other opinions/comments on this topic? You may be quoted in the results, but remember that you will remain anonymous.

"'Mongrelism' is the only cure to racism. If everyone is everything, it is impossible to be racist because you would be hating yourself."
"I believe that it is very important to respect and accept other cultures because that is the only way people will begin to respect your own."
"Culture is on its last leg... It's on its final lap... Eventually, not soon, but eventually we will see a culmination of culture as people around the world dissolve unimportant barriers and finally decide to celebrate one great human culture."
"In ways syncretism is a good thing because good beliefs should be held together, but without the separation and distinguishment of ideas and cultures, the vibrant and interesting things about those cultures is forever lost. There is still a need for separation."
"Culture exists as a socially constructed abstraction. Surveys like this encourage further understanding and social change of the perception of the people. This kind of self-examination proves the possibility for the deconstruction of the oppression and dehumanization brought on by the discrimination and misunderstanding of different cultures. Such a change in dialectical discourse is key, and I think studies like this help facilitate such a change."
"I just think that assimilation and one 'global community' is not the way to go. What makes America different from the rest of the world is that we have so many different cultures living together in one place and we can get along, somewhat. If we tried to create one culture for everyone, then America would no longer be the great country it used to be."
"Cultures affect others. It is inevitable. Mostly, cultures modify because of the affects/influence of the American culture."
"Be proud!"-- Gio DeTorres (Name used with permission.)

Thanks for completing this survey.

Okay, now it's time for my commentary. Everywhere at Logan we hear the refrain, "Diversity is our strength, unity is our goal." This begs the question, is this a realistic goal? This unity would be syncretism, in a way. Although the school motto does not say that we should unite as one mass culture, it certainly implies it. This survey focused mainly on this idea. It was not really that surprising that there was a kind of split over whether we as a nation and as a species should merge into one culture or remain separate but still respectful of others. There were convincing arguments on both sides. But I will say this-- those who were opposed to cultural fusion seemed to take more time to give reasons why, and really thought their arguments out. This might be because they didn't want to sound prejudiced, and had to word their answers more carefully. However, a lot of the people who said that there should be cultural fusion appeared to be under the influence of the idea, "Well, I'll just put this because it sounds politically correct."

Something I learned from this survey is that Logan students have strong views on cultural differences. I think that it is because we have to deal with these issues every day. If the school was made up of only one race, there would be few conflicting views, and therefore no cause for discussion on the topic. Yet at Logan, there are so many different opinions that we must constantly rethink our values with each new thing we learn. And, for the most part, our thoughts towards race are much more organized, clear, and reasonable because of this.

What I was trying to prove with some questions, especially the ones about language, holidays, music, and movies/television, was that students enjoyed other cultures in different forms. Unfortunately, those questions didn't turn out as I had hoped. As for these "vague" questions, I really regret not having more time to give a sample survey to only a few people before I gave it to everyone, so that I could have gone back and made those questions more clear.

Click here to see a blank copy of this survey.

Click here to see my answers.

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