Cultural heritage is important to each of the characters' identities. Do you identify with a particular culture, and if so, how and to what extent does it influence your life and the lives of your family?

Cultural heritage is important to each of the characters' identities (Sonja is ethnically Russian while living and working in Chechnya). How important is heritage to identity? Do you identify with a particular culture, and if so, how and to what extent does it influence your life and the lives of your family?

Cultural heritage is important to each of the characters' identities. Do you identify with a particular culture, and if so, how and to what extent does it influence your life and the lives of your family?

I do not have strong ties to any particular culture. Our traditions are all wrapped up in the usual north eastern US traditions. We only had one person in the last 4 generations who came from Ireland and she died so young she did not have much chance to make a unique impression on our culture. The strength others find in a particular culture as they fight the strong current of local culture has always fascinated me. The cultures that keep women from being educated or safe in the world outside the home are very hard to understand and accept.

I am a first generation American and I absolutely identify and relate to my Serbian heritage, culture and traditions. While my family demonstrated great pride in having the privilege to become American (learning to speak fluent English, serving in the US military, paying taxes) our Serbian culture drives some very important aspects of life. We celebrate our patron family Saint's day, we cook ethnic food, and enjoy visiting our homeland. But more significantly, we share fundamental cultural ideals on family and life. We were taught through example that each generation takes care of those who came before us. My mother lived with and cared for her mother, and now my mother lives with me for part of each year. We hold the value of family above all material possessions...not just the idea that you love your family but the execution and implementation of that idea. We are invested in each other's lives...financially, emotionally, physically. This is something I rarely see and is one of the aspects of Serbian/Eastern European culture I am most proud of.

I'm in the same boat, Aleksandra, although I'm second generation, not first. All four of my grandparents were from Hungary. While they did what they could to assimilate as quickly as possible, they still maintained many traditions. It's sad, though, that each generation has lost a little bit. My mom grew up only knowing Hungarian "baby talk" (e.g., learning "hooshy" instead of "hoosh" for meat), while my sister and I have learned next to nothing about the language or the country.

My culture -- I am one quarter Ottawa Indian -- has only personally gained importance in the last few years. For my mother, raised by her “Indian Grandma” who knew the stories, spoke the language and practiced the crafts, it has always been important.

It was not until 1994 that my tribe, “The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians,” was recognized by the federal government. Then it was several more years until my mother’s and my generation were granted membership. The tribe commissioned a book, “Our People, Our Journey: The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians,” which was published in 2009. Reading this book, with its information and pictures of my family, started me wanting to learn more about my heritage.

I’m very proud to share that the Grand Rapids (Michigan) Public Museum has a permanent exhibit that includes family photos.

My husband's heritage is French-Canadian and before his mother's death, we had all kinds of celebrations. And foods she was very adapt at cooking. Unfortunately, that is no longer continued. I take the responsibility for the decline myself, but on the other hand I was very young and our own new baby took my care. While young, a person very often isn't thinking too clearly about heritage and once it is gone the chance to revive it with the original family's traditions is almost nil. A very sad truth for me.

I am of German and Irish roots through both my father and mother but those ancestors came to the US in the 1700s and very early 1800s so there was very little influence from those cultures in my life except for a few dishes my mother prepared that were of German origin. I must admit they were not favorites of mine but they had very odd sounding names which is why I remember them. I do remember my father being very adamant about none of us children ever thinking we were in any way better than anyone else no matter their ethnic background or color or religion or economic situation and that we must treat everyone with respect. I and not sure if that was because he was proudly American or because of his religious and moral beliefs.

Cultural heritage is important to each and every one of us. In my case: I was born in Latvia, came here as an immigrant, a child, a refugee from WWII. The important thing is the ability to aclimitize into this culture. To absorb all the American ways and definately learn the culture of this country together with the language. At the same time to retain the culture of the country I was born in, the language, the traditions and be able to teach all this to my children. In this manner one broadens the horizon and viewpoints of our children. The very sad truth is that being an immigrant is not an easy task as one is neither Latvian, except for having been born there, nor is one pure American. Am a citizen of the world and that is a very lonely place. One does not quite fit into anywhere. That is if one is looking for a fit. The freedoms for the individual citizen of the US are like no where else. One does not need to fit in anywhere in particular, one has the opportunity to be oneself. This is everything.