Fortunately, her mother assures her that she does not have to choose but embrace both cultures. Maisami essay resonates with many immigrants that family that have moved to America but they are the first to be born in America and lack a bond due to cultural
The fear induced assimilation the mother and her children tolerated by can leave a person with an empty and meaningless sense of self. Today, immigrants continue to experience intense pressure to be loyal to their home nation, but also assimilate into the new culture. According to the renowned author, Jhumpa Lahiri, “I was not American, nor would I ever be no matter how hard I tried. I felt doomed by their pronouncement, mis¬understood and gradually defiant. In spite of the first lessons of arithmetic, one plus one did not equal two but zero, my conflicting selves always canceling each other out” (“Transcultural Identities”).
Culture is the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively “Google”. Everyone has a culture or is taught a culture when they are young. One’s culture always informs the way one views the world because that is how they are raised and taught that there culture is the one that they should grow up in, this idea is supported by Two Kinds, An Indian Father’s Plea, and Two Ways to Belong in America In Two Kinds Jing-mei’s mother wanted for her to be a prodigy because where they come from (China) they want their children to be the smartest that they can be and get rich and famous.
Mira wanted to stay in America because she felt happier in their environment. For example, Mira said “Having my green card meant i could visit any place in the world i wanted to and then come back to a job that is satisfying and that i do very well”. She felt happier because she had more freedom but she still missed India. In the essay “An Indian Father’s Plea”, Mr. Medicine Grizzly Bear talked about his culture and how it impacted his son’s learning ability.
If a person defies his family it can also have a large impact on them. In “Two Ways to Belong in America” by Bharati Mukherjee, she talks about her relationship with her sister after they both move to the United States. The first time the relationship between the sisters can be seen is when she says
In the essay “Two Ways to Belong in America,” from 50 essays, Bharati Mukherjee contrasts the different views of the United States from two Indian sisters. The author distinguishes her American lifestyle to her sister’s traditional Indian lifestyle. Both sisters grew up in Calcutta, India, moved to America in search of education and work. Bharati adjusts to the American society very quickly, where her sister Mira clings to her Indian traditions more strongly. Despite both sisters living in America, only Bharati is an American citizen, while her sister Mira is not.
“No pain no gain”, echoes in my mind, as the hot sweltering humid air engulfs my room, baking me in the unbearable heat early one morning, during the summer after my freshman year of college. The thought instantly brings me back to memories of my childhood, where whenever I complained, my dad would retort “no pain no gain”. Back then, I hated hearing it over and over again. To me it was just something my parents said to stop us from complaining, and I never stopped to think why that one phrase was so important to them.
There are many factors that may cause a person to leave their home country. War, pursuit of happiness, education are just some of those reasons. In “Two Ways to Belong in America” the author talks about her sister and herself and why they decided to travel across the globe to the United States(US). Two sisters leave their home country in India in search for education and work in America. They however, find themselves viewing their new home in a different way.
When I was six years old, living in Ethiopia, my dad won an American green card visa lottery among 53,000 people. Although it was exciting news, family members were discouraged because my dad could not afford the visa processing and traveling expense. However, he found a sponsor in Seattle, which allowed him to settle in America. As soon as he found a good house and a stable job, he started the process for me and my family. Multiple errors and obstacles delayed our processing for five years.
Hello Friends and Family, I was just writing this letter to tell you how I’ve been and what it’s like to move to America. I moved to America from Asia. Although it was hard leaving my family and friends behind. I was really looking forward to the opportunity I had to start a new life in a new country. The opportunity that was waiting for me in America was the California Gold Rush.
I 'm Joanna but most people call me Jo; the "anna" got dropped when I realized I wouldn 't stay in the comfort zone any longer! I was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and moved to the USA at five years old, where I adopted the "Coming to America" story. My single independent mother worked her butt off to give all three of her kids the opportunity to do and be whatever they wanted. That meant several weekends cleaning houses, painting with her, and overall just working to build character. Two decades later and I can absolutely confirm that I 'm doing exactly what I 've always dreamed of, so I thank her for the sacrifices every day.
Being an American means believing in freedom and fighting for it. An American does not have to agree with all of the government’s decisions, but they do have to believe in the principle of freedom. Being an American also comes with a certain pride, which originates at the country’s very origin. Being an American is about Freedom – The quality or state of being free. It’s about having the freedom to pursue your dreams and desires within the law.
Now she will return to India with an American passport. She will return to a world where she will not single handedly throw parties for dozens of people...” (p276) When living in America, she doesn’t feel her belonging. When she’s back in India, she doesn’t feel her belonging neither. She completely lost her sense of belonging for she is culturally displaced, and this is what Immigrants face.
Every time I look in the mirror I am reminded of why I am on this path of becoming a lawyer. It is like the saying, “for a successful relationship to work, you must fall in love with that person every day”. Well it is not so much that I am falling in love with myself, yet it is I am falling in love with the path I am taking. I am an Iranian, but look nothing like it. If anything I look American or European.
The last chapter places of interest the journey of like of all characters. The sufferings experienced by the individual bring host land to shift their life situations once again in their home country the respect to humanity distress are more in their country in spite of the right to life they were offered in a new land. The title of the dissertation finally suggests that it is better to live in India because the person who wants to live a comfortable life in an alien land will be ill-treated. Everyone loses their identity in the immigrant countries.
