English homework

Bader

Amjad Bader

Professor Brook Helling

ESL 109

8 May 2023

Two Ways to Belong in America

Immigration is one of the most challenging things that happen to a person. Immigration can affect people in two ways. The first way is to make people more attached to their country and miss their homeland. The other way is to make them change intellectually and accept the country in which he lives. The article "Two Ways to Belong to America" by Bharati Mukherjee has an MBA and a Ph.D. in Literature. The author described the problems and divisions of opinions among immigrants in a strange country far from their original homeland. In this narration, she talked about two sisters who immigrated to America and lived there for a long time. They were similar in everything except their beliefs and had many differences. In her article, the writer focused on disagreements; some adhered to the homeland and traditions, some accepted and coexisted with other cultures, and finally, the rights of immigrants in the United States.

In the article, the person who adhered to her customs and traditions is Mira. Mira was diligent and achieved outstanding achievements. She stayed stuck to her customs and traditions and married an Indian man. Her beliefs were always that Mira had to preserve her habits in America and not change and forget them. On the other hand, Mira was constantly at odds with her sister over how she accepted American customs and abandoned her own. Mira believed she should live in America as an Indian expatriate, adhering to its customs and traditions. Mira was a conservative woman who wanted to go wherever she wanted and then return to a job that satisfied her, which was easy because she had a green card.

The old generation of fathers and mothers agrees with Mira and her opinion. The old age parents love someone like Mira, who adhered to the customs and traditions she did not forget, even after emigration and living for many years away from home. The conservative family, including my family, kept sticks to their habits and didn't abandon them. On the other hand, They respect different customs and cultures. It was difficult, and until now, it is difficult, but according to the conservative family, although they left their homeland, their homeland remains within them. The "Department of English" article I read talks about respecting other cultures while remaining on the customs and traditions ("Department of English"). Respecting different cultures is best, as you should appreciate other people's cultures and traditions. As for me, I can't entirely agree with Mira, as I am with people who love to learn about new cultures and coexist with them.

The second point of "Two Ways to Belong in America" discusses accepting and coexisting with other cultures. It is represented in the personality of Bharati, who supports accepting and living with the culture of the country he migrates to, respecting and learning their customs and traditions. She always tried to convince her sister Mira, but her sister always refused. Bharati believed staying the same customs and traditions throughout life was a mistake, as one must develop, advance, and learn about other things. She hated commitment to one thing and saw it as improper. Although Bharati loves and always talks to her sister, she hates Mira's personality because she is against everything new and is too attached to tradition. Bharati married a Canadian man and lived a life of hardships, but she learned and accepted her husband's culture.

As for me, I strongly agree that people should learn about new cultures and coexist with them, not only me but all this new generation that loves to get to know new cultures and learn about them. It was difficult for me because I lived most of my life in Palestine, an Arab country that is entirely different from America. Learning a new culture completely different from mine was challenging, but I loved it, and internally I wanted to see new cultures and coexist with them. One of the most important things is that immigrants must learn how to coexist in America, so you must have the background about the country you are going to, you must look at change as a good thing, force yourself to integrate into the society you are going to, and finally, you must have an open mind that accepts external changes ("My Latinat Able").

The last point is the rights of immigrants, which the writer focused on. That was what the sisters Mira and Barati agreed upon, as they saw that the American government officials robbed them of legal immigrants' rights. Although Mira and Barati pay taxes and all bills, and they came to America and learned and became influential in society, they remained unchanged as non-U.S. citizens. As Mira felt manipulated by the U.S. government, how could the government change its rules about old immigrants? The law should only apply to new immigrants and is the limit for immigrant benefits. The law that stipulated limiting the entitlements of immigrants in the USA affected immigrants who came before this law, primarily legal immigrants.

These days, they give the immigrant his rights compared to other countries. In their time, the matter was different, and There has been a lot of misunderstanding and injustice against legal immigrants due to the entry of many illegal immigrants into America. It greatly affected legal immigrants regarding job opportunities and safety. Racism has increased towards legal immigrants because of the crimes committed by illegal immigrants. After the Immigration Scrutiny Act, the number of immigrants to the United States decreased, so only those with family or job qualifications could take permanent residence ("What Rights Do Immigrants Have In The U.S.?"). Among the rights enjoyed by legal immigrants are the right to vote, the right to run for office, and the right to work.

In conclusion, there is no right way to belong in America. Every person lives according to what he deems appropriate for him and his way of living. Some adhere to the traditions, some accept and coexist with the new culture, and finally, there are the rights of immigrants who must obtain them. In the end, Mira and Bharati remained strong, despite the differences of opinion, as they were the only ones for each other in America. Despite the different ideas, the family is essential to live a stable life.

Works Cited

Barker, Charbel. "How to Adjust to American Culture for Immigrants." My Latinat Able, 10 Sep. 2018, www.mylatinatable.com/adjusting-to-American-culture-immigrants/.

Budiman, Appy. "Key Findings about U.S. Immigrants." Pew Research, 20 Aug. 2020, www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2020/08/20/key-findings-about-u-s-immigrants/.

Mukherjee, Bharati. "Two Ways to Belong in America." The New York Times, 1996.

Patel, Jay. "To Assimilate or to Acculturate?" Department of English, 18 Mar. 2012, https://english.umd.edu/research-innovation/journals/interpolations/spring-2012/assimilate-or-acculturate#:~:text=By%20continuing%20to%20practice%20their,diversity%20to%20the%20new%20nation.

"What Rights Do Immigrants Have In The U.S.?" Cook Attorneys, 28 Aug. 2019,

https://cookattorneys.com/what-rights-do-immigrants-have-in-the-us/.