“Two Ways To Belong In America” by Bharati Mukherjee

In the short story, “Two Ways to Belong in America”, Bharati tells that there are two ways to belong in America. The first one is belonging legally. To belong legally you either have a green card, or you are a citizen. The other way is to fit in with society, and to feel as if you belong. Bharati is an American citizen, and married outside of her culture. She was prepared for this and was ready for the emotional strain. Mira had only a green card, and married an Indian student in 1962. Mira has become nationally recognized for her contributions in the fields of pre-school education and parent teacher relationships. After 36 years as a legal immigrant in this country, she clings passionately to her Indian citizenship and hopes to go home to India when she retires. This shows how both of the sisters have different views on their lifestyles.

To belong in America is not only to be a legal inhabitant of the U.S., but also to fit in and be able to live a normal and independent life. If a person is living illegally in America, then they don’t belong in here. If no one likes the person and they are repeatedly rejected and turned down, they probably don’t belong here. To belong in America you must be able to keep up with today’s technology, and be able to function under certain situations. Most parts of America are very advanced, and require effort and dignity to survive. A person must be legal, and willing to truly belong here.