3 Mozaffar

Daniya MozaffarMrs. MartinEnglish 11011th September 11, 2014You are Lucky to Live in AmericaWhile I was charging my iPod, waiting for the boarding to start for my flight back to America, a young woman came and sat next to me. She wore a nice clothes, shiny black heels and had a Louis Vuitton hand carry bag next to where she sat. I was 10, and the dont talk to strangers rule still applied to me so I didnt try to start a conversation. Yet, I couldnt help my curiosity. She was obviously rich, or near to, yet here she sat right next to me. My curiosity took over me and I asked her where she was headed. She smiled and said that she was visiting family in Chicago. Our conversation continued, she told me about her life and I told her about mine. I told her about where I lived, my school and my friends. For someone as shy as I was at that age, I talked more than I had ever to anyone else. The announcement for boarding for my flight was called and I started to get up to go back to my parents on the other side of the gate. When I turned around to wave goodbye, she told me something Ive never forgotten.You are lucky to live in America.I still do not understand what she meant when she said that. How am I, living in America, any different than someone else living in another country? I realize that I have more resources and opportunities, but that hasnt stopped scientist from other countries making countless discoveries before us. I know that we have more access to technology, but if it wasnt for countries like India, who house more than 750 research facilities for international IT companies (The Screen Revolution), we wouldnt have the vast amount of technology we own in the first place. Even our store shelves are full of imported goods from other countries such as China, which make up almost 46% percent of all imports (Navarro). And yet, Im the one whos lucky, when a large volume of what I live in is directly affected by the world. I realized that the only way to understand the ideology of American dominance, I would need to go to the sources. For me, this was to go back to India, where I was born.I landed in Indira Gandhi International airport on December 12th, a week before Christmas, and it felt like I never left America. It destroyed the stereotype that had been imbedded to the country for ages. Clean, bright, and I was wished a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year every few steps. A country that was stereotyped as one that was conservative to different cultures and religions, was now wishing me a merry Christmas. Just as there is a stereotype of India, there is one on America. Ideologies such as the American Dream, and sayings such as anyone can make it in America, show America as a land of opportunity. The reality is quite different. Currently, according to the Census Bureau, 46.2 million people live below the poverty line. The majority of people in poverty are immigrants, as shown by the diagram above, where the highest rated of poverty are isolated in states that are high in rates of immigrants. Just as we assume India to be full of poverty once we reach, other countries assume that everyone lives a life of luxury in America. Even if they have the luxuries of the world, they will still want to come to America. The international arrivals gate looked nothing as it did 5 years ago. There actually wasnt an international gate. Interestingly a group of American tourists (yellow hats) were as surprised as I was. When I asked what they thought, one remarked I never expected this.

On my way to Agra by road, we stopped at restaurant to eat breakfast. On one side of the restaurant, a man was singing and a little girl was dancing. Once they were done, I went to the girl to say how good of a job she did. When I went to her and told her how well she did, she didnt reply, which I personally found odd. At that moment, the man excused himself to go to the bathroom. Once he left, the girl sighed loudly, and said in clear English Im so sorry, my father doesnt like me talking in English. There were two things I realized after I had a conversation with this girl: Indians are obsessed with America to look feel more prestigious, but actually perusing that dream is strictly taboo. The little girl was very fond of classic literature. It was surprising enough that she knew such good English, but she amazed me when she said her favorite book was Pride and Prejudice, and she is 12.

The obsession with American culture, and its dominance is engraved in cultures around the world. Ever since you can understand, you are taught that one day you need to reach America. When you learn how to talk, you are taught English as though it is your first language. Rather than reading in their native language, the first words they read are in English. In India specifically, going to America, having family in America, or getting accepted into an American University automatically puts you in a higher social class than you actually belong. But there is a flip side to this obsession, As Kenji Yoshino discusses extensively in his piece Covering, people will do anything to fit in by hiding what is not acceptable (Yoshino). While India is growing, and learning to be more accepting of different cultures and ethnicities, it still has long ways to go. Just as heirlooms are passed down generations, so are ideologies. In this girls case, she cannot speak English because it will make her look literate in a culture that emphasizes the importance of motherhood and family. That culture is afraid that she will never have a family if she keeps learning, so they push down her, and countless other females in that culture. Education is important, but not the most. When cultures like this look at America, they see a freedom of education that goes against what they find important, so they restrict the obsession with America. Throughout my trip in India, I asked countless people what America meant to them. While I asked a wide spectrum of people, only one woman gave me an answer that still makes me think. She told me, America is a country of believers. She told me to count how many people believed in me. I thought of my parents, who believed in me to never let them down, to never disappoint them. I thought of my teachers who believed in me to not cheat, to get my work done, and to try my hardest. I thought of my friends and how they believed in me to never break their trust. I looked at her and realized that she didnt have this luxury. Sure people believed in her, but most only just expected. She and countless others were expected to be who they were, but no one believed they could ever reach that place. Every obsession has a reason, and with the obsession of America, it is all fueled by the human need to be believed in. To have people tell you that you can do it. Its hard to believe that there are people out there that have never had anyone tell them that they can do it, and here I am having countless people believing me all the time. Am I lucky to live in America? I believe I am lucky to live in a society, no matter what its faults, has people that believe in me.

Works CitedAri, Simeon. "Criminalize Conservatism: In The U.S. 49.7 Million Are Now Poor, And 80% of The Total Population Is Near Poverty." Criminalize Conservatism: In The U.S. 49.7 Million Are Now Poor, And 80% of The Total Population Is Near Poverty. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Jan. 2015.Navarro, Peter. "The Truth About "The U.S. Content of 'Made in China'"" The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, n.d. Web. 08 Jan. 2015."The Screen Revolution." The Economist. The Economist Newspaper, 16 Mar. 2013. Web. 08 Jan. 2015.Yoshino, Kenji. "Covering." Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing. By Gary Colombo, Robert Cullen, and Bonnie Lisle. Boston: Bedford of St. Martin's, 1995. N. pag. Print.