Example of Cultural Baggage by Barbara Ehrenreich Summary

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Barbara Ehrenreich's “Cultural Baggage” is comparison of the author’s cultural and religious background with that of other Americans. Ehrenreich is aware of how individuals value ethnic and religious backgrounds. However, the author was raised to be different, which causes her to take an unusual point view. Ehrenreich notes that people are proud to tell others of their origin, when in fact they should be ashamed of it. As a result, the author hides her background and disregards it. Ehrenreich demonstrates that traditional and religious heritage constitute baggage that individuals have to carry for the rest of their lives.
Ehrenreich starts the article by recounting a conversation she had with a friend about ethnicity. The friend proudly indicates that she is aware of what her ancestors were doing 2,000 years ago. The friend further indicates that she can practice the same things her ancestors did. She goes ahead and enquires about Ehrenreich’s background. To her surprise, Ehrenreich states that she does not have one. This seems unusual in America at a time when identifying with one’s ethnic background was critical. Ehrenreich doubts the recent attempts to belittle individuals who do not subscribe to the idea of ethnicity and religious affiliation. The writer indicates that individuals who cannot link to “one or more venerable times and locales” appear to be un-American (Ehrenreich).
Being raised without affiliation to ethnic and religious backgrounds, Ehrenreich is confident that she can do without these. In her childhood, Ehrenreich ate foods from other ethnic groups. Her parents did not prescribe a certain way of doing things. Instead, the parents encouraged her to “try new things” and always question the motive behind her actions (Ehrenreich). Indeed, Ehrenreich appears to lack an ethnic heritage that she can pass to her children. Hence, Ehrenreich seeks to pass the same lessons she got from her parents to her children. She demonstrates that ethnic heritage is something individuals can do without.
Ehrenreich insists that people should “try new things.” In the age where individuals claim to be civilized, Ehrenreich believes that people have the freedom to choose not to follow family traditions. She maintains that the new way of doing things is better. Ehrenreich’s mother did not specify a particular way of doing house chores. The mother did not want her to follow the ways of the grandparents. The view of Ehrenreich’s parents was that new things were better than the old (Ehrenreich). Hence, the fact that something had been done in the past was a reason to abandon it. Ehrenreich learned the essence of questioning before doing a ritual. She believes that people should abandon their heritage and embrace a new way of doing things. People should not practice what was passed on by their ancestors without questioning the motive behind it. Ehrenreich understands cultural and religious heritage to be a burden. There is a need for such people to free themselves from the shackles of traditions that have prevented them from moving forward.
Furthermore, Ehrenreich sugge...