Liya Abil- Week 5- Land of the Free
I often complain about the country we live in because of the lack of its own culture, the expenses of health care and education, and the fact that most Americans think they are superior to other countries. However, being born in India, I often wonder about how my life would have been if my family never moved to America, which I think would have been worse. This reminds me of all the good aspects of America that I take for granted.
In India, the only career options that are socially acceptable are becoming a doctor, engineer, or lawyer, none of which sparks any interest in me. My parents were pressured by these societal expectations and they both ended up being engineers, something my mom regrets to this day. If I lived in India, I would have suffered the same fate and lived a life doing a job that I dread.
When we came to America, my parents decided that they would let me do anything I wanted, as long as I put in my best effort. Right now, I have no idea what I want to do later in life but the fact that there are so many different things I could major in in college and so many different career options to choose from puts me at ease.
Puppet art is an actual major that is available at the University of Connecticut if one wants to pursue that as a career. Knowing that I have the ability to pick a major as unique as this, although I have no interest in puppet arts, reminds me of the fact that there are barely any restrictions or pressures to follow a predetermined path for my life.
I am personally so blessed to be able to experience the freedom offered in America. I am to make my own decisions and pursue all of my interests or hobbies, most of which would not have been possible if I didn’t move here. I am extremely grateful to live in this country as I can live life on my own terms.
https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/explore-careers/majors shows the different careers and majors that are available in America (these are only the main ones).
I often notice many people hating America; either hating it for gun violence, expensive healthcare, economic policies, or politics. America is relatively better-off in most things; in some countries, healthcare sometimes does not even exist, the education may be worse, if there is even any at all. Of course, every country has problems of its own, and there is no country that is perfect. I feel like most people might be hating on America just to hate on it. While America has its own challenges and problems, it still offers many opportunities and freedoms unavailable in many other parts of the world. While it may "lack its own culture," the combination of other cultures and languages is what makes America special and filled with diversity. When you said that in India the only socially acceptable career options are becoming a doctor, engineer, or doctor, it made me think about how it is also similar to the expectations of being Asian. This kind of shows how those job expectations are not really because of which country, but the culture. Even in America, to some Asian parents, the only acceptable jobs are still becoming an engineer, doctor, and working at some high-tech company. One of the good things about America is that if you put in hard work, you will be rewarded, which you figured out - and there are so many job opportunities to choose from.
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, you should also probably put your name and week number in the title.
ReplyDeleteHi Liya! I really like a lot of the points that you make about the pros of living in America. America has one of the world's strongest economies, and on average, people in America have more privileged lives. However, I don't think that criticism towards America isn't necessarily unwarranted, or unwarranted. While it is important to recognize that living conditions in America are great, I think that people should continue to criticize America for its faults in infrastructure. Without public criticism, America fails to get better, when it should constantly be striving to be better and become even more of a beacon for liberty and high economic status, acting as a role model for other, less privileged countries. Also, personally, I don't see a lot of people thinking that Americans are superior to other countries. On the contrary, I think that many people tend to see America in a more negative light than it actually is. While constructive criticism is valuable, I do think that many people don't realize how good America is compared to other countries. I really liked your example of Puppet Art being a major in college. I never knew that one could learn about Puppets in college. However, I do think that there are some restrictions on future career paths for students in America. For example, someone who may major in Puppet Arts may struggle with finding a related job in the future. Overall, I think that your blog was well-written, straight to the point, and contained a lot of thought-provoking commentary.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know you were born in India! When did you move here? I agree that despite America's flaws and imperfect reality, we're lucky to live in a nation that provides so much freedom and opportunity. I, too, often find myself thinking about how different my life would be if I hadn't moved here. Your example of your parents succumbing to societal pressures in India and the comparison between the limited career options there and the vast array of options in the US effectively emphasizes the freedom that America provides. In a way, this relates to the American dream, as it symbolizes the opportunity to pursue one's passions and interests. Moreover, your candid admission of uncertainty regarding what you want to pursue later in life is relatable. Your proceeding mention of puppet arts as an existing major was also a clever way to underscore the open doors that America provides and contrast your open choices with India's select acceptable career paths. Overall, I see this as a reminder of the diversity and individuality celebrated in this nation, allowing each person to contribute to society in their own unique way.
ReplyDeleteHey Liya! I also think about what my life would be like if I stayed in China. The first few years after I was born was spent in China although I was born in the US. This was because my brother was mute so my parents decided to send my mom, brother and I to China in a desperate attempt to get my brother to talk. Knowing my parents if my brother hadn't started talking and fitted in with the other kids, we would've probably lived there. I don't think living in China would be any worse than America but it would be very different. When visiting china my aunt has teacher friends who let me and my brother come into their classes just to experience it. The culture and learning pace there is very different but none the less everyone was very sweet. There are probably bad things about the education or enviroment there that my parents didn't like and led them to move to America but I don't know them.
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