I AM FROM
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I AM FROM

cultural conversation cards

Everyone has a culture, but do we feel confident to talk about it? Imagine easier and enjoyable conversations that can lead to closer relationships and spiritual transformation. These are the conversations that I Am From: Cultural Conversation Cards can help us to have!

The cards are divided into 5 different categories: Ancestry, Growing Up, Family Expectations, Cultural Experiences, and Cultural Values.

The cards are divided into 5 different categories:
Ancestry, Growing Up, Family Expectations, Cultural Experiences, and Cultural Values.

Ancestry

Ancestry has both genetic and cultural aspects. We are culturally influenced by our ancestors who have passed their cultures down to us.

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Growing Up

We learn culture growing up just like we learn language, by everyday exposure and by being taught.

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Family Expectations

Family expectations are the ways our families and home communities seek to influence us.

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Cultural Values

A cultural value is a belief or behavior a group of people considers to be important.

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Cultural Experiences

Cultural experiences are how we experience ourselves, others, society and institutions.

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meet our team

I Am From was co-created by over a dozen racially, ethnically and culturally diverse women and men. We created these cards to help you better understand your own and others’ cultural journeys and experiences.

meet our team

A good place to start would be at the Instructions page, which you can find on the navigation menu above. Then, you can click “View These Cards” to see the cards in each topic. You can also purchase decks of I Am From Cards from the Cru Store by clicking “Purchase” on the navigation menu above.

Got questions that aren’t covered in the instructions? View and print the PDF manual below for more assistance. You can also email us at iamfrom@cru.org.

Yes! This website is a great way to interact with every topic and all the cards. It’s easy to navigate on a computer, tablet or smartphone. 

These cards can surface painful family history and personal experiences, especially for ethnic minorities/people of color. We must listen to people’s stories with empathy, respect and humility. Read the “Use With Care” section found in the online instructions or downloadable PDF.

Being a good listener is key. The last question on the Cultural Experiences topic is one way to begin to transition to a spiritual or gospel conversation. To learn more read Page 6 on the Downloadable PDF.

There are many used for these cards. Some of them include deepening relationships, building team unity, growing in greater cultural awareness, evangelism and discipleship. 

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Read through these Ancestry cards and note which cards are true for you, those you don't know, and those which are not true for you.

Then answer the questions below.

1. When you think about family’s history, what are you grateful for?
2. If you feel comfortable sharing, what bothers or grieves you when you think about your family’s history?
3a. If known, what significant things have your ancestors passed on to you?
3b. If unknown, what do you wish you knew about your ancestry?

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Read through these Growing Up cards and note which cards are true for you, are partly true for you, and are not true for you.


Then answer the questions below.

  1. Which card brings up a fond memory for you? What happened?
  2. If you feel comfortable sharing, which card brings up a painful memory for you? What happened?
  3. How have your spiritual beliefs stayed the same or changed since you were a child?
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Read through these Family Expectations and note which cards are true for you, are partly true for you, and are not true for you.

Then answer the questions below.

  1. What do you most appreciate about your family’s expectations and influence on you?
  2. If you feel comfortable sharing, what is one family expectation you wish you could change? Why?
  3. In your family, what (if any) are the cultural expectations for different genders?
  4. Which family expectation affects you the most? How?
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Read through these Cultural Values and note which cards are important to you, are somewhat important to you, and are not important to you.

Then answer the questions below.

  1. Which of these cultural values are most important to you? Why is that?
  2. Which of these cultural values are least important to you? Why is that?
  3. Are there cultural values that are important to you but aren’t represented in these cards? What are they?
  4. How do your cultural values influence your day-to-day choices and behaviors?
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Read through these Cultural Experiences and note which cards are true for you, are partly true for you, and are not true for you.

Then answer the questions below.

  1. What do you think are your culture’s greatest strengths?
  2. If you feel comfortable sharing, what challenging cultural experiences do you most frequently encounter?
  3. What helps and what hinders you from feeling connected to your cultural background?
  4. If you believe in God, do you think God created and loves you and your culture? What brought you to that perspective?