Cultural Differences In Amy Tan And Jing-Mei's Two Kinds

Have you ever wondered why we have different opinions from other people ? Everyone has their own culture , which influences their and our perspective .Our culture tremendously informs the way we view others and the world.

Depending on how and where we were raised affects the way we view others. For example, in the story, “Two Kinds”, written by Amy Tan, Jing-Mei stated, “For unlike my mother, I didn’t believe I could be anything I wanted to be, I could only be me”(24). Our parents culture force them to see the world way different from us. Living in America, in which is similar to Jing-Mei, sometimes parents push their children to be who they want them to be. Parents don’t realize that we,as in children, have our own culture and our own beliefs.

Our upbringing also affects the way we adapt to cultural changes in the world. In the memoir, “By Any Other Name”, the author Sanatha Rau was sent to a culturally different school; Sanatha explains how she thought she should wear a cotton dress, because the english girls were wearing one. In america we sometimes have to change schools or homes depending on the circumstances. When we’re forced to move to a new place , we have to be open minded and adapt to the cultural changes. Depending on where we were raised will influence the way we adapt to those changes.

While some people believe our culture does not affect the way we view the world, it honestly does. In the short story, “Everyday Use”, by Alice Walker, the character Wangero, Dee, changed her name and her culture in which affected the way she viewed her mother, sister, and her old culture. Sometimes we or our family move to new places and pick up new trends. We forget who we are and become infatuated with who we want to be. It’s easy to move to a new place and forget where we came from and disrespect our old culture.

We all have different cultural beliefs such as, singing, cooking, and dancing. We also have our own style, beliefs,and views that differ from others. Our culture greatly influences the way we view others and the world. We're asking you to be respectful of others culture, be open minded, and enjoy the world.