Introduction Blog Post

Welcome to the Blog! Just a brief introduction before we get into things. My name is Benjamin Nordloh, I’m a sophomore studying media production at the University of Houston. I was born in Houston, specifically in Timbergrove, to a tight-knit and open-minded family. While our ethnicity is white, we have a far more intricate familial culture. You see, my father’s side of the family is originally from Germany, whereas my mother has a combination of French and British ancestry. I like to say that my Dad’s side of the family bakes the bread, and my Mom’s side brews the wine to dip it in. It is really empowering to have such elaborate food cultures in this era where more and more people are transitioning to a diet of takeout and online ordered food. I suppose I have an interesting concept of diversity since everyone in my family is white in one way or another but I still believe that I have an extremely broad ancestry. In my opinion, “Diversity” is not simply having a diverse background with family members all over the world, but more so a sense of open-mindedness which allows the individual to experience and implement practices and beliefs from your CHOSEN family instead of just your biological one. Some of my critics may read that process of cultural implementation as cultural appropriation, but they misconstrue my motive. For example, I do not cook masala curry because I think I am Indian or wish to be Indian, I have simply made a tradition of it because I think masala curry is delicious, and it has therefore become a part of my culture.