Our heritage and the culture in which we are raised define our identities and shape how we experience the world. Considering the extent to which they affect our lives, it is important that they do not go unexamined. The goal of this section is to encourage enlightened discourse on the subjects of culture and heritage: to think about how history and events have shaped them and how they in turn have shaped history; how they determine what we think of ourselves and how we regard those outside of our culture; to question common assumptions about Pacific Islander and other cultures; and to learn about what efforts and what directions have been and could be taken to invoke change.