In some cases outsiders may join the
group, but such a newcomer must
indicate that he or she has absorbed
all of the characteristics necessary to
qualify as possessing the cultural
identity of the larger collective.
In reality, cultural identity operates
at multiple levels, and rarely does an
individual identify exclusively with
only one group. A certain resident of
Miami, Florida, may be on one level
Cuban, on another Floridian, on
another Hispanic, on another Ameri-
can, and on yet another level, Roman
Catholic. All of these are cultural
groups, some admittedly overlapping,
that such an individual feels loyalty to
and identifies with. That is, she
believes that she “belongs” to each of
these collectives, and that each group
in turn represents a component of her
individual cultural identity. But this is
not to suggest that cultural identity
may be clearly marked off by definite
boundaries, or that such identity is static. Cultural identity is a fluid concept, the build-
ing blocks of identity evolve over time, and new identities emerge. Furthermore, there
is often a strong geographical basis to cultural identity, typically expressed through
territoriality. A specific piece of land can itself come to play a central role in cultural
identity. This may be due to an historical event that occurred in that place, or may
appear because of a special significance assigned by the cultural group to a location.
Under these conditions, the geography so recognized may become asacred
space, and members of the group may feel compelled to defend, control, or occupy
the land. The economic value of the land may be minimal, but the cultural value is
immense, at least in the view of the people who confer such value. An excellent
example of this is the region of Kosovo, now an independent country on the Balkan
Peninsula. Although the territory of Kosovo has been occupied by a majority pop-
ulation of Albanians for several centuries, the land has played an extremely impor-
tant emotional role in the cultural identity of the Serbs. In 1389, a Serbian army was
defeated by the Turks in Kosovo, and although the battle was lost, Serbs view this86 Cultural Identity
“The Golden Man,” a set of golden armor
discovered in southern Kazakhstan, has become a
symbol of the Kazakh people. Here the “man” is
perched atop a column in downtown Almaty, the
former capital city. (Photo courtesy of Reuel R.
Hanks)