Compare and Contrast between Notes of a native speaker and Two Ways to Belong to America
Introduction
In the book, The Accidental Asian: Notes of a native speaker, Liu has provided an in-depth analysis of the life of Asian-Americans in relation to the aspect of assimilation and the consequent losses. Mukherjee, in the book, Two Ways to Belong to America has provided insights on the lives of two Indian immigrants sisters in the United States who arrived with deep identities about themselves and their culture, most of which was lost along the way. Mukherjee and her sister Mira lead a life of regret and suffer the feeling of betrayal after the change of migrant laws. In both books, the authors – Liu (1999) and Mukherjee (2010) – have presented nuanced and thought-provoking essays whose main point is to showcase the aspect of assimilation as a series of significant losses to individual and cultural identity and to recognize that what is lost in the process of change is not always sacred although it may come with benefits.
Comparison between Two Ways to Belong to America and Notes of a native speaker
Both books have explained the role and nature of ethnic and racial identity as well as the struggles of individuals who have lost their cultural background in American society. In their representation, Liu and Mukherjee managed to pass the main purpose of the essay which was to inform people how it feels to be bicultural and to suffer the pain of lacking belongingness. Both authors address the meaning and misconception around the word “assimilation” and its actual meaning for immigrants. In both instances, Liu and Mukherjee have adopted a rather calm and informal tone in a bid to reflect about their past, their present, and the future. Liu begins his essay by saying that he is not “literally white” and that he does not have any white ancestors or white skin (Liu 1). However, the need to identify with the American culture by downplaying his difference in order to learn the ways and culture of the upper class has caused him to distance himself from his cultural and individual identity as an Asian-American. Liu uses a mix of sentence types including compound, simple, and complex compound along with the incorporation of dashes showing the informality in the text. For instance, “that aspiration – and the imputation of the aspiration – now seems…” (Liu 2). Similarly, Mukherjee explains how two sisters who originate from Calcutta have lived and loved the United States but have experienced denial and lack of attachments with the American culture. However, although both essays have adopted an informal and casual tone in the text, Liu shows his satisfaction with his status as a diluted Asian-American who has lost his culture but gained confidence, class, and power. On the contrary, Mukherjee ends the piece with a rather dissatisfied tone and expresses her sense of betrayal, which is similar to Mira’s as she reflects on the casual outbursts from racists and the pain of sudden turning that has driven many out of the country (Mukherjee 275). In the end, she changes the tone to an assuring one explaining that, although the effects of assimilation have had different effects on her and her sister Mira, there should endeavor to interact positively with the country of their choice. Both Liu and Mukherjee explain that people should abandon the pain of racism, loss of identity and assimilation, and instead focus on making a difference where they can.
In his explanation, Liu (2) reflects on life since childhood as a second-generation Chinese and refers to himself by the name, “ABC” for American-born Chinese to show the effect of assimilation. He reveals the struggles of shifting his ethnic identity to the point he could not read his father’s memorial book that was written in Chinese. With a deep sense of irony and humor, Liu explores the effect of the loss of identity and the race after failing to understand his culture and the language of his ancestral land. He has opened the essay by explaining a list of some of the ways in which he could he is white – including his ability to speak unaccented flawless English and the fact that he does not mind about white television casts (Liu). Despite the fact that he has learned American mannerisms such as saying “thank you and please,” dressing, and culture, Liu insists that he is not white. Through a reflection of his adolescent years, he has realized that his assimilation of the American culture has led to the assimilation of the white culture. He reflects back to his childhood as a teenager and how times have changed in relation to the meaning of being American. Although America has undergone a revolution during the period of his life – a revolution of class, color, and culture – he feels that his knowledge of the term, “assimilation” has not changed. This is owed to the fact that he has lost his culture and identity and is now fixed in shame and whiteness, in a bid to possess the power that comes with embracing the American identity.
Mukherjee recounts the effects of assimilating life in the United States and the effects it has caused on the loss of identity. The author discusses the unfair rules that she (Mukherjee) and her sister (Mira) were submitted to through personal experiences. Although Mira obeyed the stipulated rules and paid all taxes, she recounts the pain that came with the change of rules with regard to legal immigrants. When they left their motherland, India, Mukherjee narrates how they were identical on both attitude and appearance and often expressed similar views on social issues and politics among others as they came from the same culture and background (Mukherjee 272). In a bid to belong, Mira and Bharati lost their identities to a point that they could not express themselves freely. Just like Liu, the two started having polite arguments and suffered the erasure of Indianness coupled with the loss of structure and narrowness of perspective in the life of Mira. With the increase of illegal immigrants in the country, the two are likely to face scrutiny and loss of benefits associated with legal migrants, an aspect that has caused them to feel manipulated, used, and discarded.
The difference in both essays in relation to loss of identity, racism, and assimilation is in the fact that, while Bharati and Mira feel used and regret abandoning their culture, Liu feels a sense of appreciation for what the American culture has transformed him into. After seeing his pictures, Liu recounts the transformation from a freshman with the wrong socks, wrong slacks, and wrong shoes to the one who has advanced on a senior-class dinner (Liu 4). He appreciates the second picture that he is well-dressed in a “gray tweed jacket with a green plaid bow tie and a sensible button-down shirt,” (Liu 5) a transformation that he owes to the assimilation and American culture. Gradual appreciation has presented opportunities that have enabled him to enjoy the pleasures of alumni internships and magic escalators, among others.
Language, structure, and tone are similar in both essays. Mukherjee has adopted repetition to emphasize their thoughts and feelings in relation to the loss of culture. She recounts how Mira has paid taxes and loved her country through the repetitive word “I’ve” to show her disappointment and betrayal (Mukherjee 272). Liu also repeats the word “I” in a bid to establish a personal connection with the readers and connect with his feelings, thoughts, and emotions. In both instances, repetition has facilitated the creation of an informal atmosphere and enabled the reader to gain more understanding. Liu has also repeated the word assimilation to help the reader understand how it feels to be identified as an omnicultural.
Conclusion
In both books, the authors – Liu (1999) and Mukherjee (2010) – have presented nuanced and thought-provoking essays whose main point is to showcase the aspect of assimilation as a series of significant losses to individual and cultural identity and to recognize that what is lost in the process of change is not always sacred although it may come with benefits. The books are similar in that both have adopted an informal structure and expressive tone to showcase the effects of the loss of cultural and individual culture. They are different in that Liu recounts an experience that has created experiences that have resulted in both good and bad – however, he chooses to celebrate the good more. Mukherjee feels betrayed and sad for the loss of her cultural identity and betrayal of a country she served and loved – she is however ready to make a change.
Works Cited
Liu, Eric. The accidental Asian: Notes of a native speaker. Vintage, 1999.
Mukherjee, Bharati. “Two ways to Belong in America.” Paragraphs and Essays: With Integrated Readings (2010): 292.