Being an other

In her essay “Being an Other” Melissa Algranati talks about how she didn’t know what race category she belonged to because of her ethnic background. Algranati’s father was born in Alexandria, Egypt and her mother was born in Maniti, Puerto Rico. She is a product of marriage, and her race is a Puerto Rican Egyptian Jew. She explains how her upbringing was different because of her parents’ different racial barriers. Algranati’s supports her issue and also gives emotional appeal about her childhood. By being different because she is a blend of multiple cultures Algranati and her parents had to face reality of growing up with a different ethnic background in America society.

Algranati has a strong tone because she explains how she was faced with challenging her ethnicity. She really didn’t know what category she fell under from her being a mixture of races. “It was not until I took the standardized PSAT exam that I was confronted with the question: Who am I? (667). She was intertwined up and distraught because of herself identity. She felt lost because this was a moment of realization and there are a lot of issues circulating behind her race and ethnicity. Essentially, the only way she could classify herself was choosing “other”. When being intertwined in not knowing where you belong in society can be a great burden on someone. Furthermore, she’s really left with trying to figure out her true identity.
Algranati connects with the reader by helping them understand her viewpoint of growing up in America with a different cultural background. With so many duel citizenships, because of parents from different traditions , life becomes complicated for Algranati and her family. “The only problem was that the difference in language and social status led “real” Americans not to consider them citizens” (668). With American society becoming more developed, the next generation is becoming programmed into thinking that certain cultures are below others, therefore confusing