Comparing & Contrasting

        Bharati Mukherjee's essay "Two Ways to Belong in America," describes the differences and similarities of her and her sister's views on immigrants. Most of the essay consists of the differences, however. The main subjects of the differences are how she defines herself as being an "immigrant nobody," yet she defines her sister as a "expatriate." Both sisters moved from their homeland of India, to the United States in order to work and attend universities. They both stayed in America, continued working and studying, and eventually got married in the states. Bharati's sister, Mira, stayed within their culture and married an Indian man. Bharati, on the other hand, married a Canadian-American. Mira still has her heart and mind in India, as shown by how she has not conformed herself to the ways of America. "My sister is an expatriate, professionally generous and creative, socially courteous and gracious, and that's as far as her Americanization can go. She is here to maintain an identity, not to transform it" (Mukherjee 274) Mira is staying in America to simply keep up her immigrant status. To be able to keep her job. She does not want to become an "American" in the sense that she transforms herself to the cultural norms. Bharati, did the complete of Mira, "In one family, from two sisters alike as peas in a pod, there could not be a wider divergence of immigrant experience. America spoke to me - I married it..." (Mukgerjee 274) Bharati adopted every single one of America's cultural norms, from it's fashions, to it's language, so it's lifestyle. 

In this essay, the purpose of comparing and contrasting the two sisters is to show what Bharati thinks are the only two ways to define being an immigrant.  I disagree with the idea of their being only two ways. These two ways, are the complete extreme opposites of each other. Yes, some immigrants adopt these ways, especially those who are new to the country. However, most immigrants take the middle ground, they adopt and accept American norms, yet inject their own home culture into it. That's what makes American so diverse, the fact that so many immigrants infuse their outside cultures into America.