What is CULTURE?

In the last class, we learned about the meaning of culture and how it is different for everyone. In my opinion, culture is what defines a group of people in a specific region; it defines their values, how they view the world around them and it accompanied by a specific language, dress, and sometimes common religion. Of course, as more details are added, the definition of culture becomes more complex...which gets a little confusing. Still, in my mind, culture is a set of values for a group of people. I think about how people can have more than one kind of culture. I think of me for example, I am hispanic. Consequently, I share the culture of most Latins, namely the food, we all love dancing, and we speak Spanish. However, I am also a Latter-day Saint, so I also share Mormon culture. I think that it will be like that when I go to India.
In class, when we talked about the symbols that mean one thing in one culture but not the same to others, I thought about my experiences when I first came to the United States. I moved here when I was 8, from Colombia. My mom has always taught me that when I meet someone, especially an adult, I should be polite and give him/her a kiss on the cheek. Well, that didn't go so well when we moved to the states. People started flinching as I moved in towards their cheek with my lips puckered. I learned the hard way, that the kiss on the cheek was not the same here. It didn't take long before I never did that to another American again, and it has been just fine. I learned that just as much as I loved my culture and wanted to be respected, I should also respect American culture, and not impose mine on anyone.