Two Ways to Belong in America PDF

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Professor Nadine Johnstone UCWR 100 9 September 2018 “Two Ways to Belong in America” Summary “Two Ways to Belong in America” first appeared in the New York Times and was written by Bharati Mukherjee. It is about the story of two sisters from India, Mira and Bharati, who face immigration problems with the United States such as antiimmigration bills and finding their sense of belonging in such a different environment. In the 1960s, the two of them moved to the United States to achieve their goals in education. Bharati and her sister had similarities in appearance and religious beliefs, but their lives ended up going down different paths. They had planned to go back to India after their education to marry the men their father had chosen for them. However, that did not go as planned. Bharati married a Canadian American man and became an American citizen, despite the culture she was born into. On the other hand, Mira married an Indian man and obtained her green card. Over the years, both sisters have adapted to America in different ways and have formed different beliefs based on their experiences. Mira wants to maintain her Indian identity. She believes that the immigration laws should only apply to those that go to America after the rules have been implemented. In outrage, she tells her sister, “If America wants to play the manipulative game, I'll play it too” (Mukherjee 282). By getting a temporary American identity, she proves that she is willing to play the game that America has thrown in her way. This will only be for the time she stays in America; she loves her country and will eventually denounce the American citizenship and go back home. Unlike her sister, Bharati has adapted to the American community and feels like a part of it. She compares the situation in America to the one that she faced in Canada, where the government turned against the immigrants. Therefore, through her

Dias 2 experience in Canada she understands the betrayal her sister feels; that is why she has already acquired American citizenship. Regardless of the immigration struggles both sisters went through, they remained close and they did not let their divergent thoughts get in the way of their relationship. Both sisters know that they have sacrificed their beliefs and values to be where they are and hope others will not have to go through what they have experienced.

Works Cited Mukherjee, Bharati. “Two Ways to Belong in America.“ 50 Essays, 5th Ed. Samuel Cohen. New York: Bedford/St. Martins, 2016....