Two Ways To Belong To America

Two Ways To Belong To America

Hundreds of immigrants each year come to this country for many different reasons. Some risk their lives and travel thousands of miles on foot and car just to find a job in this country, because in their country there is no work or money! Or possibly for the somewhat more fortunate ones that do have a job, they are only getting paid about two dollars if that! Others come in order to follow up with their education and try to create a better lifestyle than the ones they were leading in their country. The conditions in third world countries have become so terrible that it's come to the point where it's not surprising anymore why so many people immigrate to this country every year! Although so many different nationalities immigrate into this country each year, they all have to make the same decision. And that decision is whether to convert into a U.S. citizen or resident or to keep true to their birth of origin and love their national territory till the end of their time!

This is the case in a story between these two sisters that came from Calcutta, India. Bharati is the sister that takes the oath of citizenship. She learns to love this country over the years as if it were her birthplace but always has India in the back of her mind. Mira is the other sister that refuses to give up her Indian citizenship and says that one day she will go back to her native homeland. The bizarre fact is that when they left India, " they were almost identical in appearance and attitude. We dressed alike, in saris; we expressed identical views on politics, social issues, love, and marriage in the same Calcutta convent-school accent"! They both came here for the reason I mentioned before which was education. Their plan was to come to this country for two years to secure their college degree and then go home to marry the men their father selected for them! Instead some 35 years have passed, their both married and Mira still refuses to give up her Indian citizenship "and hopes to go home to India when she retires"! Bharati has willingly become a U.S citizen and is happy with

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