'Mericans' By Sandra Cisneros

American poets, novelists, and other writers often write about the topic of American identity. In this lesson, you have read excerpts from two texts, “Response to Executive Order 9066” by Dwight Okita, and “Mericans” by Sandra Cisneros. Determine a common theme that both authors establish about the topic. In response to the first sign of American identity I noticed by the sort of stories in the classifications of relatives in style tradition Americans names such as empty and uncle. The next thing I noticed relates to young American identity, regarding childhood. As a result of American culture a couple things that could be experienced and childhood during this period, the narrator tries to avoid falling victim of. For example, the grandmother

In the novel, The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, the theme of growing up is prevalent throughout the book. Throughout the novel, a young mexican girl named Esperanza goes through experiences as she matures that involve her friends, society, dangers that expose her to the outside world and help her to realize what the real world is like.

In both Dwight Okita's poem "In Response to Executive Order 9066" and Sandra Cisneros' short story "Mericans," the topic of American identity is heavily alluded to through both characterization and direct dialogue. These texts share a common theme that American identity is defined, not by your descent, but by your internal connection to this nation. In his poem,  Dwight Okita conveys the message that heritage is less important in swaying one's loyalties than personal experiences.  "I'm a fourteen-year-old girl with bad spelling and a messy room," the narrator tells us, immediately after informing us that she is going to be shipped off to a relocation center. "I have always felt funny using chopsticks and my favorite food is hot dogs," she continues, giving further evidence of her American-ness.

In Danielle Allen’s essay, Our Declaration, she argues that all people should understand and recognize that the Declaration gives all people in the United States the undeniable freedom to self-govern. One person has the power to change the government; although this is not specifically stated, the freedom to self-govern implies every voice matters. She guides the reader to this idea by using simple and easy to follow examples to show the reader that they have the power to invoke a change the government. Allen also uses credible sources in order to give her reasoning credibility as well as using arguments that elicit an emotional connection.

The most important lesson for Rachel that comes out of this situation is that after wearing the disgusted sweater she has become even older, and it was tied to the experience instead of the birthday itself. She understands that it is the challenge she needs to grow up faster as she will receive additional benefits of behaving the way she wants and resisting to the outside irritators. As for the literature techniques, the author applies language, diction and symbolism to reveal the issues of experience, aging, knowledge, power, authority and freedom. The discovering is gaining age are conveyed with the help of the memories of eleven-year-old girl on her birthday. Rachel resists her humiliation from Mrs. Pierce, and that is the exact moment when her “smart eleven” comes as well[2].

What does it mean to be American? The American identity has always been a complicated discussion. It is by nature identified by diversity. Many think it has to do with the birthplace of the person and others think it has to do with their inheritance. In 2011, Amy Chua published Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother as a memoir. Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother presents the evolution of this American woman. The elements of Chuas evolution seemed to involve; native identity; inherited identity; resisted identity and resolved identity.

Throughout both stories you see that being American doesn't mean your culture has to be from America. Any person, ethnicity, and race can be American because appearances and heritage don't define what it means to be

Mother Tongue is a story that describes how Amy Tan’s mother was treated unfairly because of her “broken English”. As the second generation of Chinese immigrants, Tan faces more problems than her peers do. Her mom, who speaks “limited” English, needs Tan to be her “translator” in order to communicate with the native English speakers. Tan has felt ashamed of her mother “broken” language at first. She then contemplates her background affected her life and her study. However, she changes her thought at the end since she realizes things behind language might be more valuable than language itself sometimes. Through the various different literary devices and rhetorical strategies such as the ethos, pathos, and logos appeals, as well as a

Her and her two brothers wait outside of church for their grandmother one day, while she is praying, and at the end of she story the grandmother asks two "typical" Americans to take their picture, and asks them in English, and the litter girl is astonished that her grandmother even speaks English, because she always spoke to the kids in Spanish. The grandmother calls Americans barbaric, implying her distaste for America. The little girl, despite being brought up by her "Merican" hating grandmother feels as though she IS an American.

Eleven by Sandra Cisneros Style Analysis Have you ever felt, unlike your age? Maybe you were 21 but felt 15? What if you were 15 but felt 6? How about if it went the other way around and you were 18 but felt 34? This feeling often happens when you make a decision you normally wouldn’t make or when you act in a way that doesn’t fit the appropriate age behavior stereotype.

The short story "Eleven" by Sandra Cisneros revolves around the school day of a young girl with the name Rachel. It is her birthday; she is turning eleven years old. Birthdays are to be exciting as every boy or girl imagines, but her day does not unfold as expected. An old sweater is found by the teacher that had been in the classroom for a while, and the teacher searches to find to whom it belongs. Rachel is mistakenly called out as the owner, and the teacher proceeds to give it to her forcing her to wear it.

English is an invisible gate. Immigrants are the outsiders. And native speakers are the gatekeepers. Whether the gate is wide open to welcome the broken English speakers depends on their perceptions. Sadly, most of the times, the gate is shut tight, like the case of Tan’s mother as she discusses in her essay, "the mother tongue." People treat her mother with attitudes because of her improper English before they get to know her. Tan sympathizes for her mother as well as other immigrants. Tan, once embarrassed by her mother, now begins her writing journal through a brand-new kaleidoscope. She sees the beauty behind the "broken" English, even though it is different. Tan combines repetition, cause and effect, and exemplification to emphasize

For example she likes hot dogs which are typically considered american food. In addition, She says that she is a 14 year old girl with bad spelling which characterizes her in a way that has nothing to do with heritage, However the government only see's her heritage. In the poem Okita uses characterization to show what the speaker has been given an order to relocate her best friend Denises's dialogue hurts the speaker when she says "your trying to start a war", " giving secrets to the enemy" " why cant you just keep your big mouth shut?" In Cisnero story the most important conflict between characters is over their opinion of the united states. In Cisnero's story the grand mother is characterized as a older women who prays for family members.

In the personal essay “My Mothers Tongue” (1990), Amy Tan, widely known author explains her insights on language and culture identity using details and memories from her own life experiences. Tan conceals that the language in which her mother used with her “was the language that helped shape the way [she] saw things, expressed things, made sense of the world” (1208) and in the process it made her who she is today as an author. Tan illuminates the euro centricity of the Master Narrative by retelling stories of her mother being treated poorly because of her “broken” or “limited” English. She recalls many past experiences where her mother suffered from bad service and treatment from restaurants, stockbrokers, and even hospitals. Using examples from her personal life Tan gets her point across about language and culture characteristics in order to show how Chinese culture is affected by the master narrative and also encourages others to include a variety of cultures in order to overcome bias opinions. Tan’s apparent audience can be ranged from the child of an immigrant to a doctor and offers an authentic and rich portrayal of Chinese history through her conflicting experience of her Chinese and American cultures.

It also discusses where her parents were from which is Asia. When Noda was a child she had trouble growing up because people would judge her background and so she had felt the stereotypes of her race maintained by non-Japanese people. As a child she was addressed racially Japanese and Japanese-American or an Asian women. The author had fought for cultural background because growing as an adult she had trouble identifying herself which was one of the struggles she had went through life. Noda feels comfortable within herself.