Many people feel so comfortable with themselves that they are not ready to make such a big change, but others feel they need to branch out and try new things. In the story “Two Ways to Belong in America”, two sisters, Bharati and Mira, move from Calcutta, India to Detroit, Michigan in America. Mira does not want to change and assimilate to the American culture and become a citizen. Bharati on the other hand, wants to see what it’s like being an American and becomes a U.S. citizen. The story “Everyday Use” is about two sisters, Maggie and Dee, who both begin to change the way they see their culture. Maggie has always been quiet and also found her family heritage very important to her, remembering the little things about the family. Dee has begun
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When Mira moved to America, she did not want to give up her Indian citizenship so she only registered for a Green Card; she did not take the Oath of Citizenship (Mukherjee 9). Additionally, Mira married an Indian man who shared the same beliefs as her and lived the same way she did, even though he wasn’t the choice of her father's, she knew he would be proud. When a father chooses the husband, he believes the man is the best one out there for his daughter (Mukherjee 3-4). She brought to America the same lifestyle she had in India. She still continued to wear her Sari and she wore it proudly (Mukherjee 3-4). She didn’t want to give up her culture because she loved India and it would always be her home when she retired. Meanwhile, Maggie was a very shy and quiet girl but she was very well educated on who crafted every piece of furniture in her home as well as nicknames of each family member (Walker 52). Maggie was very involved with her family heritage, finding it very important to her. These two girls continued to appreciate their culture/heritage and wouldn’t trade it for anything because they were already so comfortable with …show more content…
Bharati quickly became an American citizen and took the oath of citizenship. She felt she was ready for change. By marrying an American, Canadian, she knew it would bring shock to her family because he was not Indian, nor chosen by her father (Mukherjee 6). Instead of wearing her sari, she wanted to now dress like an average American. For example, she states that “I was looking for fluidity, self-invention, blue jeans and T-shirts.” (Mukherjee 6). She wanted to fit in more with the country she now embraces. Bharati felt more proud to be in America and expatriate Indian rather than an immigrant Indian. She wants to feel apart of the community she has grown used to and has lived for some time (Mukherjee 15). Meanwhile, Dee had arrived back home with a new guy and a new name, Wangero. She briefly explained to Mama that she didn’t want to live under the name of the people who oppress her because she probably believes that somewhere in past generations there was someone enslaved named Dee and was owned by a white slave owner. While Mama said that Dee was a name descended down from previous generations, Dee simply didn’t want the name (Walker 25-27). These women have grown to embrace a new culture and learn new things, changing who they are because they want to be
When Mira moved to America, she did not want to give up her Indian citizenship so she only registered for a Green Card; she did not take the Oath of Citizenship (Mukherjee 9). Additionally, Mira married an Indian man who shared the same beliefs as her and lived the same way she did, even though he wasn’t the choice of her father's, she knew he would be proud. When a father chooses the husband, he believes the man is the best one out there for his daughter (Mukherjee 3-4). She brought to America the same lifestyle she had in India. She still continued to wear her Sari and she wore it proudly (Mukherjee 3-4). She didn’t want to give up her culture because she loved India and it would always be her home when she retired. Meanwhile, Maggie was a very shy and quiet girl but she was very well educated on who crafted every piece of furniture in her home as well as nicknames of each family member (Walker 52). Maggie was very involved with her family heritage, finding it very important to her. These two girls continued to appreciate their culture/heritage and wouldn’t trade it for anything because they were already so comfortable with …show more content…
Bharati quickly became an American citizen and took the oath of citizenship. She felt she was ready for change. By marrying an American, Canadian, she knew it would bring shock to her family because he was not Indian, nor chosen by her father (Mukherjee 6). Instead of wearing her sari, she wanted to now dress like an average American. For example, she states that “I was looking for fluidity, self-invention, blue jeans and T-shirts.” (Mukherjee 6). She wanted to fit in more with the country she now embraces. Bharati felt more proud to be in America and expatriate Indian rather than an immigrant Indian. She wants to feel apart of the community she has grown used to and has lived for some time (Mukherjee 15). Meanwhile, Dee had arrived back home with a new guy and a new name, Wangero. She briefly explained to Mama that she didn’t want to live under the name of the people who oppress her because she probably believes that somewhere in past generations there was someone enslaved named Dee and was owned by a white slave owner. While Mama said that Dee was a name descended down from previous generations, Dee simply didn’t want the name (Walker 25-27). These women have grown to embrace a new culture and learn new things, changing who they are because they want to be