Have you ever wondered why people from different backgrounds approach life, family, community and aging in such distinct ways? Whether it’s how we celebrate, grieve, share meals, or care for our elders, these customs — known as cultural practices — don’t arise by chance. They’re shaped by deeply rooted values, passed lovingly from one generation to the next.

As we mark World Day for Cultural Diversity on May 21, we’re invited to appreciate the beauty of difference.  We are also persuaded to look a little closer.  To understand where those differences come from, and how they’re shifting in a world that’s now more connected than ever.

What Shapes Cultural Practices?

Cultural practices evolve from a collective of beliefs, geography, history, and lived experience. Some of the core drivers include:

• Values: In Western cultures, personal independence is often emphasized. In collectivist cultures, care for family and community may take precedence (Canadian Public Health Association).
• Religion: Spiritual teachings shape rituals and responsibilities, especially regarding how we age, mourn, and care. Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism each offer unique pathways of respect and tradition (Pew Research Center).
• History and Environment: Communities shaped by migration or colonization often carry traditions that reflect both resilience and the need to adapt to new surroundings.

When Beliefs Become Daily Life

Values become visible when they show up in daily acts. While respect for elders is a thread common across many cultures, how respect is shown, however, can differ widely:

• In Chinese families, the tradition of filial piety involves care, consultation, and deference to elders (Britannica – Filial Piety).
• Among Indigenous Peoples in Canada, elders are honoured as knowledge keepers, spiritual guides, and stewards of community wisdom (NCCIH – Indigenous Wellness).
• In Filipino households, the concept of utang na loob — a deep moral obligation — binds generations together through mutual support (The Conversation).

These aren’t just traditions.  They are expressions of love.  They form identity.  They define responsibility.

What’s Changing — and Why It Matters

Tradition may have deep roots, but culture is never static. It moves. It adapts.

Several modern forces are reshaping how culture is expressed:

• Migration: Families who move to new countries often blend the old with the new, creating hybrid practices that evolve with time.
• Technology and Social Media: Global platforms influence language, relationships, food, and fashion.  Reinforcing culture and sometimes reshaping it (Global News – K-Pop in Canada).
• Generational Shifts: Younger adults may challenge traditional expectations around caregiving, marriage, or career, creating both renewal and tension.

These shifts can create friction, especially when aging family members expect a familiar pattern of respect and care.  When this happens, younger generations can feel pulled in different directions.

Holding Space for Complexity and Thoughtful Questions

While we celebrate diversity, we must also make room for its challenges. Here are a few reflections to help us deepen the conversation:

1. When Traditions Clash with Modern Values

What happens when long-held practices conflict with changing views on gender roles or autonomy?

• Can we honour traditions of caregiving without assuming the responsibility must fall to daughters or daughters-in-law?
• What space exists for younger generations to reshape those roles with love and fairness?

2. Is Cultural Identity Always a Choice?

Some older immigrants — and even their children — may feel pressure to “perform” their culture in expected ways.

• Do cultural expectations sometimes feel more like obligations than celebrations?
• How do we support people who want to honour their heritage, but also redefine it?

3. When Diversity Feels Divisive

Celebrating diversity isn’t always easy.

• What happens when traditions are misunderstood or labelled as “too different”?
• Can we replace discomfort with curiosity, especially in care homes, neighbourhoods, and shared spaces?

4. Technology: Cultural Connector or Cultural Eraser?

Is the digital world helping preserve culture — or making it harder to hold onto?

• Do viral trends trivialize sacred practices or flatten identities into stereotypes?
• How can we share culture online without reducing it to a hashtag?

Reflections

These questions don’t require immediate answers — just a willingness to listen, reflect, and lead with compassion. That openness becomes even more meaningful as we face new chapters in life.

As we age, some of us return to the traditions that once grounded us. Others embrace emerging expressions of culture that reflect who we are becoming. Either way, honouring our roots — and those of others — strengthens the communities we build together.

So this May, as we mark World Day for Cultural Diversity, let’s celebrate the stories that shape us — and the shared humanity that brings us together as we live, grow, age, and care.

Warm regards,
Rhonda Latreille, MBA, CPCA®
Founder, Age-Friendly Business®

p.s. Since 2003, Age-Friendly Business® has trained thousands of professionals and businesses committed to learning how to elevate the quality of the client, customer, and community experience. They are called Certified Professional Consultants on Aging (CPCAs)® and Age-Friendly Businesses®. They have earned the right to ask for your business.

Body: How Culture Influences Health and Connection

Cultural alignment in our daily lives supports emotional resilience, reduces stress, provides focus, and fosters belonging, contributing toward healthier aging. When older adults feel respected and understood in their cultural identity, they’re more likely to engage, participate, contribute, and thrive. On the other hand, when traditions are overlooked or dismissed, disconnection and loneliness can take root (NIH; CPHA).

Spirit: Unity in Diversity

“Our ability to reach unity in diversity will be the beauty and the test of our civilization.”
— Mahatma Gandhi