Just Be Yourself

 California is one of the most diverse states in our nation. People from all over the world have migrated here and made it their home. And different cultures have different styles of doing so. Some come, and once they are here they integrate almost completely. Second generation children do not know the language or the culture. Others cling so dearly to their culture it’s like they created miniature homeland for themselves, in the middle of an American metropolis. And of course there are those who manage to find the happy medium. To be integrated but to never lose their culture. I have personally been of the belief that to be ashamed of what you are, to integrate completely and not embrace your heritage is a cowardly thing. I have met a lot of people from other countries who avoid speaking the language at all costs, dress, talk, and act as “ American” as they can and avoid talking about their families and culture. This has always struck me as insecure, and somewhat pathetic. Similarly, no matter what I believe politically, I’m continually irritated by Americans who seem to detest and be ashamed of being an American. We were always told growing up to “just be yourself,” and that confidence is the most attractive thing. Being ashamed of what you are, American or not, is not an attractive thing. But while reading the novel, Jasmine by Bharati Mukherjee, I realized that maybe, for some people leaving their heritage behind is not a sign of cowardliness. I realized for the first time that maybe, leaving your culture behind can be a positive thing, as for the character of Jasmine.

“I know what I don’t want to become (5).” These words are the first implication to the reader that the character Jasmine, wants to reinvent herself. In the novel Jasmine goes through many transformations, as she is widowed by  17 and eventually moves to America where her life, identity and name continually changes.  She is continually reinventing herself but, as she does her Hindi heritage is falling more and more to the wayside, becoming more and more left behind. While narrow mindedly flipping through the pages of this novel, my bias point of view dead set in place, Bharati’s story of Jasmine begins to at first affirm my belief and then crack it open like an egg, birthing something else completely.

Bharati first hit me upside the head with the quote of Jasmine “ I know what I don’t want to become(5).” Despite my bias point of view I cannot help but relate to that statement. There are many characteristics I see in my parents, or society, that I designate to the “I will never be like that,” list. Then as Jasmine begins to define herself she begins to define herself in ways I feel I cannot respect. When describing herself and Bud she says, “I’m less than half is age and very foreign. We’re the kind who marry (7).” She is painfully aware of the fact that she is foreign, and begins to define herself as others see her because of it. They are the kind that marry because she is young, naïve, and foreign; the type that would fall for Bud because her foreignness does not allow her to know any better.  Then later in the novel she discusses the name Bud gives her, the name Jane. Bud names her this with good intentions, but Jasmine accepts it as something else “But Plain Jane is all I want to be…My genuine foreignness frightens him. I don’t hold it against him It frightens me too (26).”  Once again Jasmine is seeing her foreignness, her culture as a negative thing. But then Bharati hits me with a line, which paired with the “I know what I don’t want to become” line, cracks me like an egg. “There are no harmless, compassionate ways to remake oneself. We murder who we were so we can rebirth ourselves in the images of dreams (29).”

             I am still of the belief that to be ashamed of what you are is cowardly and shows a lack of character and appreciation. But I now know not to associate those who are ashamed, with those who have reinvented themselves.  To deny what you are and where you came from, is cowardly when you do it simply because you want to blend in. Because you are afraid of standing out. Because you are afraid of being the “foreigner,” the “minority.” That is cowardly. But ultimately you only have one life to live, and being happy is what’s most important.  We have always been told to “be ourselves” but part of being ourselves is being what we want to be and not what others want us to be. Being what we believe and what makes us happy. I realize now that some of those who reinvent themselves lose parts of their culture because they have lost their belief in that part of their culture. They do not believe that that is what is going to guide them into becoming the person they want to be.  Jasmine was born into a culture where “daughters were curses(39).” This culture though it may be suitable for her sisters, was not suitable for Jasmine. And that’s ok. There is nothing cowardly about that.  Although Jasmine struggles with her identity, struggles with being a foreigner, Jasmine is in the process of reinventing herself positively. She is rebirthing herself into her dreams. She is finding out who she wants to be, and how to, “just be herself.”