Comparing Cisnero's Short Story And Okita

Writers such as Dwight Okita and Sandra Cisneros were greatly influenced by the American culture. "Response to Executive Order 9066" by Dwight Okita, and "Mericans" by Sandra Cisneros both authors establish the topic of American identity. In Okita's poem, American identity has more to do with how you experience culture than with where your family came from. Both Okita's poem and Cisneros's short story show that cultural heritage and physical appearances do not determine what it means to be American.

Living in Mexico throughout her teen years was very rough. Unlike other teenagers where their parents constantly provide for their children, Marisela’s life was a lot different than the usual parent- child relationship. She lived with her Abuela ( Grandma) Lupe, along with her 3 brothers and sister. She constantly had to take care of her brothers and sister at such a young age, that she became the mother-like figure of the

Names and nationalities play a large role throughout your life. Esperanza and Maria are examples of this, through the excerpt and poem it is possible to tell that they feel discriminated because of their nationalities. The idea comes from how they react and our treated compared to other students.

Another important issue that Cisneros addresses in her story is gender roles in the Latino community. In Mexico, being born a male is of higher prestige and value

Finally, Jesse’s mother treats Rachel like a circus act because of her ability to speak Danish, showing how Rachel is only celebrated for the “white” aspects of her ethnic background. As Jesse’s family and Rachel sit around the dinner table she is given arbitrary things to say in Danish: “‘Doesn’t she speak Danish so well?’ Jesse’s mom says even though I’ve been quiet most of the meal… “‘Do you remember how to say that?’ ‘Boghylde’ ‘And this?’… ‘And that?’… She doesn’t want me to speak in complete sentences. ‘Amazing,’ she says” (205). It is clear that Jesse’s mom is impressed with Rachel’s ability to speak Danish despite her skin color. However, in the process of being impressed she treats Rachel like a circus animal that is here for her entertainment. Even though Jesse’s mom is

to her collar and one to her duffel bag. So, for now on all families had

In All American Girl, Alvarez expresses her definition of a native in America, “I wanted stockings make up, store bought clothes; I wanted to look like an american girl,” (Line 1-2). This is saying that she wants to fit in and be normal because she is unhappy with her life. This important because these show Alvarez is very straight-forward when she writs, not beating around the bush. On this subject, in Exile, the author provides her feelings of when they just found out about their escape, “My sisters crying when we turned before the family beach house,” (Line 30-31) . This is showing the emotion of the car ride to the terminal. This is vital to expose the author’s writing style because she is very serious about her writing especially on the theme of immigration. Even though imagery is conveyed in her writing, it isn’t enough to deduce her writing

Cristina Henriquez’, The Book of Unknown Americans, folows the story of a family of immigants adjusting to their new life in the United States of America. The Rivera family finds themselves living within a comunity of other immigrants from all over South America also hoping to find a better life in a new country. This book explores the hardships and injustices each character faces while in their home country as well as withina foreign one, the United States. Themes of community, identity, globalization, and migration are prevalent throughout the book, but one that stood out most was belonging. In each chacters viewpoint, Henriquez explores their feelings of the yearning they have to belong in a community so different than the one that they are used to.

In my analysis of this novel, The Adventure of Don Chipote or, When Parrots Breast-Feed by Daniel Venegas, I kept in mind that Nicolás Kanellos put great effort into getting this novel circulated in Spanish and in English. Kanellos argues that Spanish-language immigrant novels more accurately present the “evils” of American society such as oppression of the immigrant workers and deconstructs the myth of the American Dream, which permeates in English-language ethnic autobiographies. I believe Kanellos felt so passionately about circulating this particular novel was due to the fact that in Venegas’ novel we see clear representations of the three U.S. Hispanic cultures that Kanellos presents which are the native, the immigrant, and the exile cultures.

In a poem written about the calling of Japanese-Americans to internment camps during WWII, author Dwight Okita writes from the perspective of a young girl who sees herself as an American but is surrounded by those who cast her out. She does everything to prove that she belongs and justifies that by convincing the audience of her American qualities. “If it helps any, I will tell you I have always felt funny using chopsticks and my favorite food is hot dogs. My best friend is a white girl named Denise.” Okita’s use of this 14 year old girl adds power behind his words because the perspective of a child can humble a reader and bring them to a point of deeper understanding. In the poem, the girl is so young and understands nothing about what lies ahead, but she knows well enough to present herself as an American, as one who truly belongs. The pressure on immigrants to belong in the United states is imminent in this piece, and the fact that the young girl has picked up on this expectation is almost disturbing. The stigma around those who are different is also included in Okita’s

She discusses how Mexicans identify themselves; since there are many different ways to identify culture, they make up several different cultures (Indian, Black, and Mexican). By the end she talks about the fight that Mexicans put up to stand up for their culture and their identity.

Once the family has been evacuated and are on a train to an internment camp, the daughter takes over as narrator and represents a different impression of the Japanese Americans. The

First of all, the setting of this novel contributes to the Rivera family’s overall perception of what it means to be an American. To start this off, the author chooses a small American city where groups of Latino immigrants with their own language and traditions, lived together in the same apartment building. All these immigrants experienced similar problems since they moved from their countries. For example, in the novel after every other chapter the author

Cristina Garcia’s Dreaming in Cuban tells the story about three generations of a Cuban family and their different views provoked by the Cuban revolution. Though part of the same family, an outsider might classify them as adversaries judging by relationships between one another, the exiled family members, and the differentiations between political views. Although all of these central themes reoccur over and over throughout the narrative, family relationships lie at the heart of the tale. The relationships between these Cuban family members are for the most part ruptured by any or a combination of the above themes.

This summed up their sense of belonging, ensured by having their own territory and being with their own race. The need for belonging stemmed from their perception and actual experiences not only in school but the community as a whole. There was always the fight for one’s own turf. This was emphasized during this scene that showed the two Latinos who had to run from the group of Cambodians who were chasing them and the attack on these Latinos that necessitated them to split up. Unfortunately the woman made a wrong turn and bumped into another group which caused her to be physically harmed. This scene highlighted that though they belonged to one community, they did not quite see themselves as part of that community and sub-groups or tribes abounded because it was in these smaller groups that they found security. They needed to form groups based on their race and color. They stuck together and supported each other because they found comfort from one another just like members of a family caring for each other. They became so distrusting of other groups because of the past painful events that happened in their lives. Every race needed to establish that they were not inferior over the others. But all of these initial behavior and attitude changed because their English teacher paved the way for them to trust and support each other. As Eva said “It’s a sign of respect... for you”,