America: “The land of the free and the home of the brave.” When I first moved to America from India

A true American attitude consists of acceptance and assistance to other nations. Though America has dwindled from the once leader of the world and an example of what a strong country ought to be. Drowning in debt and loosing national security, America holds its breath, fearing on more false move and the beloved country will collapse, a tale of the past. However, in this corrupt world, possessing an attitude worthy of living in the land of the free and the home of the brave, remains more important than ever before. For centuries, since the Pilgrims arrived in 1620 to this day, the world has stamped the title of America as “the melting pot.” People of all nationalities, races, and religions are welcomed in America to begin a free life of opportunity.

During the Great Depression there was racism going around the United States. Well in a small city called Maycomb, Alabama where I used to live I was a lawyer. I was assigned to defend an African American ( Tom Robinson) who was accused of raping a white young lady ( Mayella Ewell). I took the case and I tried my hardest to not get Tom in prison. Tom knew Mayella because for years he walked by her house to get to work. I didn't think Tom would be capable of hurting her at all for any reason. Well this case was difficult, but it taught me to fight for what is right because that's what I did.

On December 1, 1955 was the day I felt that I didn’t matter. The day started off normally I woke up, got ready, and went to work. I was having an okay day but nothing good was happening but also nothing bad. Until I rode the bus home from work. I got on the bus walked past the white section and placed myself in the first open seat in the black section. The bus ride went on like usual but I started to notice that the white section was filling up. The bus driver came back to the blacks and spoke to us, the blacks, and told us we needed to stand so the white man could have a seat to sit in. I knew I couldn’t rebel because if I did what would my two sweet daughters, Anne and Maylee, do without their mom. They had already lost their dad, I was their

These are the ideas that this great country was founded on so many years ago and over the years Americans have fought to uphold these ideas.

In Bharati Mukherjee’s essay “Two Ways to Belong in America”, she details the contrast between her and her sister, Mira’s, immigrant experiences in North America. While Bharati seemingly let go of her Indian heritage in favor of embracing a Western one, Mira insisted on being an expatriate Indian, unwilling to legally become a citizen but lived comfortably in America. Even though their experiences differed greatly, both sisters grew frustrated by the exclusion they felt by the countries they grew to love. This essay brings up issues that come along with being an immigrant, such as being torn between two cultures, and shows two ways to deal with that. Though titled “Two Ways to Belong in America”, Mukherjee’s essay highlights that

“The land of the free” is the motto of the country and the American people. This motto has made America what it is today, and has been an example of what America is known for, their freedom. The reason the American people are free is that they are protected by the Constitution of the United States. This Constitution protects everyone who resides in the United States, and provides for equality amongst all people. Over the past several decades racial equality has played a significant role in the making of history. America is a country in

The most salient moment I recall was an experience I had with a neighborhood child. At about age eleven I started babysitting for the family down the street. Most of the neighborhood really liked this family. One of the families however, admitted they did not like this family because they were black. One day at a neighborhood party the kids were all playing including 8-year-old Danny. While the kids were playing one of the little girls lost her sucker. She was about three years old, and the daughter of the neighbor who did not like having black neighbors. When the little girl told her mom that her sucker was gone, she immediately ran over and screamed at Danny, accusing him of taking her sucker. Danny was among many older boys who were playing tag, and not paying attention to the little girl. The mother however, perceived this moment as an opportunity to oppress this family. Danny was the only child at the party who was black and his parents had not arrived yet. As she yelled at the child he came running over terrified and sad. We walked back to his house and told his mom what had happened. The mother was sad as well, but not surprised, and at that moment I knew a bit of both our innocence had been lost as we saw and experienced the cruelty of racism

In the personal essay “Two Ways to Belong in America” by Bharati Mukherjee, two Indian women living in America have opposing views on culture. Bharati, the writer, wants to immerse herself in American culture, while Mira, her close friend, keeps herself tied to India. Mira has not yet become a US citizen, and does not wish to do so. She wants to work in America and go back to her home. “She clings passionately to her Indian citizenship and hopes to go home to India when she retires.”

I remember when I first learned about racism in fifth grade, it fascinated me because I thought I believed it was stupid and unnecessary for people to treat each other like that, That’s why we have great leaders such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, Gandhi, and Rosa Parks stood up to it. I know today in our time that we are not giving people back equality and that’s why we need people like me to stand up against it and lecture people around the world and influence people for what’s good and what’s the better decision to in

I’ve lived in Mumbai, India for fourteen years, after which I moved to Northampton, Massachusetts to finish my last two years of high school. I’m currently studying at a college New York, and visit my family in India during breaks at college. My relationship with India has been strained for a while now, as I used to see it as a place that inflicted me with so much pain; but what I’ve realized now is that it was also where I learned the most valuable life lessons.

As a result of the racist ways I was taught, and my inability to show the elders in my family the error of their ways, I have formed the opinion that parents often do not teach their children to respect and be kind to all living people, but as time goes on, people become more and more tolerant of diversity. Due to this, every generation’s parents are much more unrightfully prejudice than their children are when they become parents. That is why I have hope in this country’s future; I have faith that at some point in the future diversity will be looked at as a positive thing, and one will not be judged based on where their ancestors hailed from.

As a young child, Lahiri struggled to find a place where she belonged in America. At home, she followed the customs of her parents, speaking Bengali and eating their food. Even though, outside of home Lahiri felt the need to hide these things from her friends. Despite the fact of her living in America, she never really felt “American.” As Lahiri got older, she began to accept her Indian heritage and brought some of it into her American life. The traditions did not always act in harmony but they helped her find peace. Her parents also helped her find acceptance in her culture. She said “Everything will change once they die. They will take certain things with them--conversations in another tongue, and perceptions about the difficulties of being

My first encounter with racism in elementary school wasn’t the only racist situation that I had to go through. Back in high school when I was in the eleventh grade, I had this teacher that was white who tended to be very cruel. One day in class, I was sitting next to one of my friends and she asked me for help on a math problem that she had trouble solving. The teacher walks up to me and told me to go outside I need to talk to you. I went outside and kept thinking to myself why is she sending me out here when I haven’t done anything. The reason why she brought outside of the classroom was because she didn’t want me helping my friend with the problem and that she needed to figure it out on her own. I also remember her having me to repeat something

“Go back to where you came from, nobody wants you here.” “You’re adopted aren’t you? Figures, nobody would want you.” Others often endure hurtful statements everyday because they seem different of something they inherited, something they can’t control, with the justification of “It’s only a joke.” Racism is a hurtful form of discrimination that has been with us for hundreds of years and will never cease to exist; however we can reduce the amount of racism through exposure to different cultures and customs.

As an individual living in a world of different races, cultures, beliefs, etc., I have recognized that there will always be that group that tries to assert their dominance over other groups. This is called racism. Racism has existed throughout the world for centuries, perhaps since the dawn of human civilization. Rational people understand that racism has never been a good thing. Racism impedes our social development, and many groups of people have suffered because of this ignorant and evil practice. Many courageous men and women throughout history have fought for equal rights for all the different races and cultures of the world. But there are still individuals who choose to remain silent and simply do nothing to change what has always been. In this research paper, I want to explore how racism affects the lives of the people who suffer from it and what they did to overcome the persecution that racist behavior brings. These are some of the things that will be explored in this topic.