In today's world, it is easy to lose track of our cultural heritage within the giant melting pot of modern society. In order to understand ourselves, and why we sometimes do the things we do, perhaps we must first try to understand the culture from which we originated. In order to better understand my culture I interviewed my aunt, Rita, who is in her late thirties, and resides in New York. She is West Indian in ethnicity. At first I did not know what I would gain from this interview, but in the end I left with a better understanding of where I came from.

My aunt came to New York about 10 years ago, and she said that it was a choice that she would never regret. Even though she enjoys life here, she still manages to cling to the culture from which she came. The primary reason she came was to ensure her family's safety, because at that time there was a crime wave sweeping through Guyana. She also came because she wanted to provide her family with the best life possible, and in order to do this she needed a job, and that became her primary goal when she got here.

In order to get a better understanding about the Guyanese culture, I decided to as

Life in Guyana can be very difficult at times; transportation, water, and electricity are not as abundant as they are here, in New York. Living in New York is very different from living in Guyana, because these things are a part of everyday life in the city, and are as abundant as the cultures in New York. However, living in New York isn't without its share of problems, she said that in Guyana, many of the services are free, but here there is a charge on every service. She also doesn't like the high taxes that have to be paid.

Individual values also played an important role while she was growing up. She believed in being able to choose the type of life she wanted to live, she said that where she came from, women were only expected to get married and raise the family, but she wanted more, she wanted to make her own way in life and not be restricted in the choices she could make. When she came to New York she was overwhelmed at the opportunities that were laid before her, she was able to work, and feel good about her accomplishments. When I asked her what the most important thing in her life was, she said assertively, "Family, because the family is the greatest force in the world."

This interview has taught me a great deal about the Guyanese culture, it has also taught me not to underestimate the values of other cultures, because we don't want our own culture to be underestimated. Another important lesson I learned is that cultural origins transcend time, and is an important factor in influencing the type of people we can become.

However, even though her life has changed, she is still critical of the fact that women in Guyana are not given the same opportunities as men. She said that even though many women are educated and are qualified for a job, the employer would rather give

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