Beliefs and teachings especially those of an ethnic group are very influencial and has the power in shaping someone s perspective or outlook on life. Ethnicity refers to the quality of belonging to a population group or subgroup made up of people who share a common cultural background or descent. I am from the Basotho cultural background and I will be discussing the two beliefs / teaching within the Basotho culture. 

My ethnic group teaches the importance of identity and freedom of expression. Honoring totems , praise songs and even story telling is an important element in the Basotho culture as it teaches one to know who they are by practicing "Liboko " which refers to reciting family name clans or totems and this goes hand in hand with "Lithoko " which refers to praise songs or poems that speaks of our roots and origins as Basotho people. One other thing that interconnects with the two mentioned practices is "Litome" which is story telling. All three of the above mentioned are very important and are taught to be honored and  be regarded as highly because they teach us who we are and helps us differentiate between ourselves and other ethnic groups . In addition it helps us with expression, in a world built on colonization and oppressive social ideologies one is able to express herself by talking about their Identity as well as understanding how their Identity came about, this also taught me to never feel outlined or like an outcast because I belong somewhere , this also gives a  platform  of  knowing and understanding the history of those who came before me which gives me a sense of a broader understanding of who I am and what my identity is or how it even came about. 

My ethnic group prioritizes respect more than anything else and this proven by the honorifics assigned to elderly people or even women ,the most common and used ones being "Mme and ntate". 

Basotho people use respectful language when addressing women, this can even apply to younger women. An elderly person can address a younger woman by saying" Mme " which is translated as mother in English all in the name of respecting females.The honorifics assigned to females or even elderly people in general in the Basotho culture taught me about the importance of respect irregardless of gender or even age . Furthermore it taught me of how important the use of language is especially where respect is involved. My ethnic group shaped me into a respectful , principled young woman I am. I can correct men who don't address women the right way and I can correct those who use language inappropriately or disrespectfully when communicating or addressing others because I was groomed by such teachings and beliefs as a Sotho young woman. 

In conclusion, ethnicity plays a big role in how we interact with others,how we see the world and also how we communicate or respond with others. I learnt about my identity in a world full of confusion and false identity and I also learnt about the importance of language and respect especially were  elders or females are involved ,all thanks to my ethnicity beliefs /teachings.