Summary Of Okitas Poem By Ciseneros

American identity is a certain characteristic that all Americans share, it is what unifies are nation as one whole nation, despite the difference amongst certain ethnicity. All it takes to be American is to assimilate into the what the average American does, like what he speaks, and what he does for his free time. Where one comes from does not define being American, rather its what is done to assimilate into the American life. Okitas poem and Ciseneros story both examine the ideology of what it means to be American; both texts suggest that, in order to meet the expectations of American identity, a certain criteria must be met on the societal and cultural aspect. In Okitas poem “Response to Executive order 9066” a strong social bond is tied between the narrator and a character named Denise. The characterization of the
The narrator is inferring that the two share a close friendship, a relationship between a White girl and a Chinese girl. Despite the narrator having Chinese descent she is still able to fit into a normal American society as evidenced by her and her friend Denise's close relationship. This shows that despite an individual's ancestral heritage it is still possible to assimilate in American society. As inferred by the title of Ciseneros story, “Mericans”, prime examples of Mexican-American people trying to fit into American culture is shown. The narrator is waiting for her grandmother at church. “The awful grandmother had been gone a long time- we must stay near the church entrance. We must not wander over to the Gallon and Punch Ball vendors” (Cisenero 1). The narrator calling her grandmother awful for going to a Mexican church implies that the narrator truly doesn’t agree with her native culture. Despite having a Mexican American decent the narrator would rather do something American like Punch Ball Vendors, as opposed to waiting for her grandmother go to a Mexican