cultural changes

                The diversity of American has grown tremendously since its found days.  Some would make their way here to seek opportunity for riches while others are here for the opportunity to re-invent oneself into an American. None the less, those that came here seek opportunities; the American Dreams. Some will bring their cultures while other brings oneself. Even now, you will find some Muslim with their tradition outfit and some without it. At the age of seven, my family came to America. We had no idea what the American Dream was but I fully understand America means opportunities. At such a young age, being expose to the massive cultures, I grow to understand them little by little and grow to become Americanized while still clinging onto what I originated from.

                Jasmine, the main character from Jasmine written by Bharati Mukherjee, is very similitude to the American transformation. She carried two names before the Jasmine name. Her original name from India is Jyoti Uinh. In Iowa, she is called Jane Ripplemeyer. In New York, Jasmine is the name she uses. The change of name suggests that Jasmine is committed to re-inventing herself. To differ herself from her own culture.  Jasmine made it clear at the beginning of the novel. She declared, “I know what I don’t want to become” (Mukherjee pg. 3). She develops an image of what she does not want to be. She displays a very active control of herself, of what she wants to be.

                Before Jasmine, there was Jyoti. Before coming to America, she has already disagreed with her culture. After hearing that her future would end with widowhood and exile she shouted “No!...You’re crazy old man. You don’t know what my future holds!” (Mukherjee pg. 30). Jyoti abandon part of her culture at the age of seven. To reform ourselves, “we murder who we were so we can rebirth ourselves into our dreams” (Mukherjee pg. 29). By changing her name, she is distinctively running toward her dreams.

                Jasmine have a passive attitude toward her dream. She “let go” of her culture and passively run toward her dream in America. Once you start moving, it is hard to stop, especially something as huge as culture. “once we start letting go—let go just one thing, like not wearing our normal clothes, or a turban or not wearing a tika on the forehead—the rest goes on its down down a sinkhole” (Mukherjee pg. 29). With a little push, the momentum of the transformation from her Indian culture to her identity in America could not be stop.

                Most of us go through a lot of transformations to be where we are. Both, Jasmine and I, follow a similar route. We abandon some of our culture and adapt to newer one. I remember in high school, I would have most of my caucasion friends would call me by my last name: Lee. Though I never gave it a second thought why I did that, only that it sound so much more Americanized then Veng. Jasmine also sound so much more Americanized then Jyoti. Both of us have made the move and is transforming into something else. We are running toward our dreams; the American Dreams.