Every person was born into the culture of their parents and the people around them. As they grow up, they make choices and identify with certain cultural norms. These selections alter culture of an individual. As a result, each and every person views the world in a unique way. One's view on the world is almost entirely based on one's cultural identity. This means that different people may see the same challenges or experiences in various ways, positive or negative.
This cultural diversity is clear in stories such as “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan. This excerpt explains the conflicts between the main character, Jing-Mei and her mother. The constant clash between these personalities is brought about because Jing-Mei’s mother, who was born in China, expects …show more content…
In Rau’s piece, the main characters, Premila and Santha, experience conflict within their new school. Initially, the headmistress of their school changed their traditional names to “pretty English names” (35). This is just the beginning of many conflicts within the school; all of them are caused by the girl’s unique Indian culture. The people in the school suppress this culture many times. The girls are young but they still recognize that many norms of the American kids do not align with their Indian cultural inheritance. They see these kids as weird and different at first; however, the girls are pressured to fit in and adopt new norms. This works until the teacher insults the older sister, Premila, by saying “Indians cheat” (39). This enraged Premila and made her realize that they didn’t belong with the people at the school. This reaction is very similar to Jing-Mei’s; they both don't allow their cultural identity to be changed. After this experience, she sees her school differently; she doesn't want to return because she now realizes that their beliefs contradict her
This cultural diversity is clear in stories such as “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan. This excerpt explains the conflicts between the main character, Jing-Mei and her mother. The constant clash between these personalities is brought about because Jing-Mei’s mother, who was born in China, expects …show more content…
In Rau’s piece, the main characters, Premila and Santha, experience conflict within their new school. Initially, the headmistress of their school changed their traditional names to “pretty English names” (35). This is just the beginning of many conflicts within the school; all of them are caused by the girl’s unique Indian culture. The people in the school suppress this culture many times. The girls are young but they still recognize that many norms of the American kids do not align with their Indian cultural inheritance. They see these kids as weird and different at first; however, the girls are pressured to fit in and adopt new norms. This works until the teacher insults the older sister, Premila, by saying “Indians cheat” (39). This enraged Premila and made her realize that they didn’t belong with the people at the school. This reaction is very similar to Jing-Mei’s; they both don't allow their cultural identity to be changed. After this experience, she sees her school differently; she doesn't want to return because she now realizes that their beliefs contradict her