Two Ways to Belong in America

Interview

"As an immigrant that came to the United States when I was 5 years old, the transition was not as hard for me since I was still a child. It was more like an adventure in my eyes -- seeing the new landscapes, the different people, hearing a foreign language, and a whole mix of different foods I've never tried before. I was easily able to adapt to the new country, but as I got older, I did face some discrimination."

"I immigrated to the United States at the age of 15. At this point, I had already grown accumstomed to the culture back in Columbia. Due to this, I refused for a while to learn English, eat food other than Columbian food, or explore what America had to offer. I missed my country and did not care to fit in within this new country that I was forced to live in. Now, I still hold my Columbian culture within me, but I've also learned to explore America, and use its freedom and opportunities to my advantage."

Personal Experience

My family and I moved to the United States when I was ten years old from Honduras. I struggled with learning the new language very fast and connecting with other students in school for a while. However, I was introduced to many different foods, cultures, and video games. I was able to adapt to the customs here in America and luckily never faced much discrimination. My family still makes sure to celebrate our Honduran culture and never lose it, but we also take pleasure in exploring the places and other cultures around us that we see in America.

Rhetorical Devices

Indian vs. American Traditions

Page 2, "Like well-raised sisters, we never said what was really on our minds, but we probably pitied one another. She, for the lack of structure in my life, the erasure of Indianness, the absence of an unvarying daily core. I, for the narrowness of her perspective, her uninvolvement with the mythic depths or the superficial pop culture of this society."

Page 4, "I will never forget the pain of that sudden tuning, and the casual racist outbursts the Green Paper elicited. That sense of betrayal had its desired effect and drove me, and thousands like me, from the country.

Interview

• In India, arranged marriages are normalized, in which the parents, typically the father, will choose a man they see fit to be their daughter's husband. In America, the individual typically chooses their own significant other.
• Young people in India typically stay in their household until they marry as they have tight family ties. In America, young people start to move out and become more independent once they start college/reach age 18.
• India has more of a hierarchy system in which individuals who find themselves lower on the hierarchy do not have a say in decisions. Americans tend to work their way up based on family inheritance, new inventions, efficient labor.

"I was born and raised in the United States, so I can't fully understand the perspective of an immigrant and their battle with preserving their culture. However, my mother was an immigrant who came from Costa Rica, and I'm able to observe the multiple ways she tries to teach me about her culture. She does so in teaching me how to speak in Spanish, how to cook certain foods, the type of music they listen to, and some phrases such as 'Pura Vida'!"

Bharati & Her Husband, Clark Blaise

Two Ways to Belong in America

Concluding Thoughts

Bharati Mukherjee

This essay showcases the story of Mira and Bharati, two Indian women that immigrated to the United States to obtain better education and career opportunities. The main idea and topic within the essay was to include two different perspectives of immigrants- one willing to become an American, and one wanting to maintain her Indian identity.

Bharati talks of her journey in moving to America, meeting and marrying a Canadian man, and learning what it means to be American. Mira, on the other hand, is described by Bharati as wanting to keep herself in a shell, following only by her Indian culture.

There are two perspectives when immigrating to America. There are those who hold onto their culture and traditions and never really let themselves experience anything outside of that -- and there are those who expand their horizons and broaden their knowledge on new cultures, languages, systems, traditions, etc.

It is important to celebrate your own culture and not lose sight of it, but it is also important to learn more about the cultures around you and learn to experience and love new things.

Meet the Author

Bharati Mukherjee is an Indian-American novelist and short-story writer. She immigrated to the United States in 1961 and obtained her PhD in literature. Mukherjee has published many novels, including Jasmine (1989) and The Tiger's Daughter (1971), which both revolve around an Indian woman.

Two Ways to Belong in America

Joel Leiva