“As we journey through life, identity and belonging must be constantly renegotiated. » Each person's identity goes through a process of stages in order to fully develop and constitute an identity in its own right. Some people need more time than others to achieve full identity. Many factors play a role in affirming people's identities, such as the environment they like and the experiences they have had. There is no doubt that immigrants, especially those from two different cultures, need more time to acquire a stable and complete identity, as they find themselves stuck between two cultures, unable to categorize themselves within a particular culture. For example, it is very difficult for Asian Americans, especially first and second generations, to assimilate and adapt in America because they have different culture, traditions, and characteristics. This article will describe how Obaachan in Silver like dust and Pearl in Shanghai Girls defines their identity and belonging during their life journeys. Different factors shape Obaachan in Kimi Grants' novel, Silver like dust, self-definition. Throughout the novel, Obaachan tries to be a good American citizen even though she is not accepted as such. In their article Minority and Self-Esteem, Porter and Washington examine theoretical models of self-esteem within the Asian American subgroup. There are different models of assimilation and acculturation but Obaachan applies the multidimensional or pluralistic model. Porter and Washington state in their article that in this model: Acculturation and assimilation are treated as complex and multifaceted phenomena. Accepting new cultural traits or social associations and maintaining traditional cultural traits and social associations are considered a way of showing one's patriotism. On the other hand, Pearl went from living in the East in a Western lifestyle to living in the West in an Eastern lifestyle. She adapts and assimilates as she begins to feel like she belongs in America. Works Cited Akiyama, Cliff. “Bridging the Gap Between Two Cultures: An Analysis of Asian Americans’ Identity Attitudes and Attachments.” » Brief treatment and crisis intervention 8.3. Premier Academic Research. Internet. November 18, 2013. Grant, Kimi Cunningham. Grant, Kimi Cunningham. Money Like Dust: One Family's Story About Japanese Internment in America. New York: Pegasus Books, 2012. Print. Porter, JR and RE Washington. “Minority and self-esteem.” Annual Review of Sociology 19.1 (1993): 139-161. Premier Academic Research. Internet. November 18, 2013. See Lisa. Girls of Shanghai: a novel. New York: Random House, 2009. Print.