Two Ways To Belong In America By Bharati Mukherjee Analysis

Culture has a huge influence in the way we view the world and others. Every culture has different perceptions on subjects such as religion, government, family, war, etc. If you were raised in a certain culture your point of views of the world are going to be different than those of another person. However, one’s culture can change throughout the years and one can change their point of views. But culture still had that influence in the person in how they view the world. In the personal essay “Two ways to belong in America” by Bharati Mukherjee, she talks about the life of her and her sister Mira. They moved from India to America to study in college. In the essay it’s pretty clear that Mira sticks with her Indian identity while Bharati identifies more to American and develops an American identity. These identities influence their feelings toward America. Mira never got an American citizenship; instead she got a green card and a residence with her Indian husband. She mentioned, “I feel some kind of irrational attachment to India that I don’t to America.” Bharati, on the other hand, got an American citizenship and married an American
Robert Lake has a kid named Wind-Wolf who’s in elementary school in America. Wind-Wolf is experiencing culture shock in America since he was raised in a Native-American tribe. From birth he has been taught Indian tradition and believes. Many know that Indian beliefs are different from American beliefs. An example of this is the months of the year. In the tribe, they have 13 months. In America, we have 12. So when Wind-Wolf was asked how many months there were in a year, he said 13 “not because he doesn’t know how to count properly, but because he has been taught by” their “traditional people that there are 13 full moons in a year according to the native tribal calendar”. It’s a perfect example on how culture influences the way we view the world and