Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni highlights the differences between Indian and American culture in her collection of short stories, Arranged Marriage. Each tale utilizes a different narrator, whether it is first or third person narration, to highlight the struggles women face in all arranged marriages. Many of these women live in America, yet India’s strict moral code still burdens them. In “Doors”, Preeti struggles to balance her American beliefs with the Indian beliefs of her husband, similarly to Anju, who wonders if her life and pregnancy would be different if she lived in India throughout “The Ultrasound”. In “The Word Love”, a woman must confront her situation and push her boundaries. Divakaruni shows the highs and lows of arranged marriages, proving that I would not thrive in a commitment made without my input. As an only child, I adore personal space. I grew up never sharing a bedroom or bathroom, never fought with anyone over the remote control nor shotgun in the car. When I received my roommate assignment, I will admit that I cringed. Stuck in a triple, I imagined a dark, cramped room with all three of us living on top of each other. When I arrived at school, the room did not match my nightmares and I thought all was well. The first two nights of school, I slept alone in the room, as one roommate stayed at a hotel with her parents and the other had a horse show out of town. The mini-fridge is right across from my bed and the electronic glow of the clock ruined my
What Indians could have done in order to prevent their removal of their territories east of the Mississippi River was accept the civilization program, fought with the US during the revolutionary war and reduce extreme violence against the white man. When the Indians rejected the civilization program due to the idea of nativism and cultural differences. Because of these factors it gave the impression to the Americans that Indian and white culture cannot exist. Another factor is that when the United States were fighting the British during the revolutionary war, most of the Indians sided with the British with hopes that they could secure their land again. Because of the Indians actions congress saw this as the Indians forfeiting their land because
Latino Americans are facing issues with their identity because of their ethnic and racial backgrounds due to our education institutions in America. These issues result in a separation of their American and Latino culture creating two different identities but not enough of American or Latino identity to fully feel part of either culture.
The Hispanic population has experienced an incredible growth in the past decade in the United States of America. In 2006 it was estimated that the Hispanic cover 11 % of the population in North America. Their Origin is in Mexico and the few Spanish speaking countries in the Caribbean. American culture is derived from people who originated from the European nations like Italy and the Great Britain. Cultural identity is very important for every ethnic group as it shapes the culture of that particular faction and therefore, a certain culture cannot realize its own values until it is exposed to another one.
The diversity of culture is an incredible notion. It is unfathomable how the anatomy of the human race is so similar, yet so different in the behaviors and ideas that take place. The two primary cultures I am focusing on throughout this essay are the differentiation between popular culture, and indigenous culture. I will also make the point of folk culture, and how it has slowly transformed itself from its self sufficiency, to relying more on the ways of popular culture.
One of the largest similarities between Native Hawaiians and American Indians is they both had their world’s overturned for the sake of the white man to take their lands and make money. As the article, Hawaiians on Tour, explained, it was a group of haole business men that worked with the government to overthrow the monarchy of Hawai’i and set up the farms on the islands. However, in contrast to the American Indians who would be pushed out of their homes for the Anglo-Americans to take over for themselves, the “Hawaiian colony, with its racialized workforce of Native Hawaiians and Asians, produced agricultural commodities for the metropole” (Hawaiians on Tour 115) and was part of the sugar plantations and pineapple exports that helped those
Many years before we where born, different civilizations habited America, the most viable civilization was Inca. They had a well-developed social system and factories, cities where connected by good roads and a postal system. They engaged in agriculture, using the water that was provided down from the Andes and Incas did not fight against their neighbors, maintaining peace. Concluding my idea, clearly the Incas where the strongest culture and these are the reasons I choose them.
The American Indians during that time period reflected the struggle of understanding the mean of “all men are created equal” because for the longest time , they were never accepted into the American society. Americans always felt the need to do something to them like attempting to temporarily fix the Indian problem, doing things like ignoring them, banishing them (Trail of Tears), or relocating them to reservations, but never just actually solving the issue by assimilating them into our culture. If Americans did accept them as equal, they would have never gotten the mistreatment and abuse they had for the last centuries, rather Americans would not hurt the Indians but integrate them into their society. I believe the Indians really struggled with the idea of " all men are created equal" because they were never considered equal at the time.
Although Canada and the United States share the same continent, they are divided by their unique ideas and views. After WWI ,Canada broke its ties with Britain and new independent nation was born with a unique culture. This new culture developed through the Canadian citizens. As a Canadian citizen, Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie helped achieve autonomy from Britain and solidify national unity at home. Canadian inventor ,Fredrick Banting ,maintained his culture as Canadian and contributed to the world through his invention of insulin. Many artists, authors, actors , actresses and athletes have played their part in Canadian culture. During the 1920s and 1930s, Canada asserted independence from Britain and the United States to develop
In the three cultures discussed above, while there are different variations of strictness, the partners were able to choose who they desired to court and in turn marry. This is not the case for Grecian courtships where “virtually all marriages are arranged” (Campbell, 1964, p. 124). The idea of marrying for love, while not a foreign concept in the culture, is often rejected and condemned. Often the only question asked during the courtship is “’will you marry this boy or girl?’” (p. 124). This being said, ““It is almost impossible for a girl to refuse the bridegroom of her family's choice if they insist upon it, although it is believed that a good father or brother ought not to force her into a marriage against her will” (p. 124).
One way that Chitra Divakaruni displays her viewpoint on arranged marriages is through writing about the actual marriage and how it works itself out in a character’s daily life. In the story “The Bats” the husband is physically abusive to both his
In the year of 2018, there are many trending issues catching the attention of American citizens. These issues are not only in the United States, but around the world. In effort to display the American culture best, the three ¨items¨ I would put into my time capsule would be heroin, stem cells, and college tuition/loans.
With the continued advancement of technology, the world is becoming more connected globally than ever before. With this in mind, it is important to become mindful of other countries culture and traditions, as not to be disrespectful. The Chinese and French cultures are very different from each other, as well as American culture. It is important to be able to relate and understand these cultures, without offending either one. To accomplish this, you must become aware of each countries traditions, culture, and mannerism.
I entered the gates of MVNU in the fall of 2015 very anxious and happy to see what lies ahead in regards to the food , the culture , the student population and not to mention the professors. Coming from a country in the Caribbean, I had all these concerns in my mind, because I knew that I would be acculturated in a different culture which was the American Culture. I knew to some extent what was ahead of me but I was willing to assimilate in MVNU because there was increased amount of multicultural student and I was no exception so I felt at home. I received the shock of my life on my first visit to the Cafeteria to have breakfast. The food was very different from my culture, which I anticipated, but the problem was the way in which the food is prepared and the increased amount of unhealthy food served on a daily basis in the Cafeteria. Being here for approximately four months I have only been to the Cafeteria twice for breakfast which is ridiculous and I
On the amazing Earth we live in, there is a 8 billion human population. There are many different countries with unique traditions that it’s citizens live by and follow. There are many different ways to classify and define what is and what isn’t a culture. Certain interactions that are considered rude in Western cultures are normal in many Eastern cultures, example making small talk. With many visitors from foreign countries coming to the United States for holiday, their cultural background influenced their perceptions of their trip and what they value in the interactions.
Did you know that in Japan slurping your food is seen as complimentary to the chef but in the U.S slurping your food is seen as rude or annoying? Two cultures can be completely different and diverse. Japanese and American culture are an example, the two cultures both do things quite differently. Most people don’t know much about other cultures out there, which is why I’m interested in going to japan. I would like to go to Japan to learn more about their culture and possibly build up my social skills.