Different Cultures in Alaska

   Different Cultures in Alaska

There are many different cultures coexisting in Alaska. There is a large population of Pacific Islanders, especially in Anchorage, but all over Alaska. The Asian population is also quite prominent. There is a good amount of Latino families as well as African Americans. The Alaskan Native population is the culture I see sharing their values and traditions the most often. There are many ways Alaskan Natives share their heritage in our state.

Native Alaskans   

     

In Anchorage the Alaska Native Heritage Center gives local residents and visitors to Alaska an introduction to Native traditions and customs, both the past and present. According to the web site, the Alaska Native Cultural Center is a renowned cultural center and museum in Anchorage, where all people can come to expand their understanding of Alaska's first people. They share the rich heritage of Alaska's eleven cultural groups, drawing upon the ways of life long ago, the wisdom of the elders and the traditions that endure. Their cultural center and museum is located in Northeast Anchorage, Alaska and is designed to enhance self-esteem among Native people and to encourage cross-cultural exchanges among all people.

 

The centers web site shows a map of the different Native cultures around Alaska and allows visitors to click on each culture, giving them a historical overview of the group. The Native Heritage Center offers school visits for children and lectures and workshops for adults as ways to share their culture with as many as they can. I am proud of the Native heritages in Alaska. It makes our state rich in diverse cultural values that we can learn from.

Polynesians

Historical ties between the Hawaiian Islanders and Alaska go back to the mid 1700's when Captain Cook visited the islands he called the Sandwich Islands, which are now called Hawaii. George Vancouver, an officer on Cook's voyage of the Resolution, made a number of trips between Alaska and the Sandwich Islands that served as a resting place for his crew. The first Hawaiians to locate in Alaska may have been among those crew members (alaskahistorycourse.org, 2004).

The Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander community has been the fastest growing ethnic community in Alaska growing by 75% between 1990 and 2000. This population has been experiencing the largest gains due to the influx of Samoans, a community which grew by 220% during this decade. 

 

Latinos

The immigration explosion of the Hispanic/Latino community in Alaska parallels that in the Western U.S. making the ethnic group the second largest minority group in the state. 

I see these cultures coming together all over the state. In the workplace, gyms, clubs and especially in schools these groups come together to learn more about each other. The best way to do so is through our children, who especially in elementary school are discriminatory and accepting of all cultures and differences. I see children of many different cultures in each school all over the state. While it is important to remember to respect these cultures differences it is also good to understand that everyone just wants to be accepted and respected for who they are. I love that our world is so diverse. It really makes life more interesting and fun!