Comparing Okita's Poem And Cisneros
Both Okita's poem and Cisneros's short story show the cultural heritage and physical heritage and physical appearances do not determine what it means to be an American. They are American according to where they live, but the way they look they are either Mexican or Japanese. We cannot assume we know where someone is from based on their looks because most times, we’re wrong.
In the poem “Mericans,” it is about a Mexican girl who moves to America with her grandmother. Micaela’s grandmother does not like how she is becoming more American. Micaela only can understand what her grandmother is saying in Spanish if she is really concentrated. Micaela is stuck between and “Old World” and “New World.” The “Old World” being Mexico and the “New World”
being America. To Micaela, she’s an American girl but whenever she sees her grandmother, she’s Mexican. Micaela’s traditions are still there from her Mexican background but the American life when she’s at home.
In the short story "In Response to Executive Order 9066: All Americans of Japanese Descent Must Report to Relocation Centers" by Dwight Okita it is about a Japanese girl who moves to America to live in an internment camp. She feels more American than she does Japanese. She isn’t the typical Japanese girl who uses chopsticks. Her actual favorite food is hot dogs. Her friend, Denise, in one of her classes assumed she was part of the Pearl Harbor bombing and did not want to be her friend anymore. This is why we cannot assume we know everyone’s background.
In both the poem and the short story, Micaela and O’Conner and judged on how they look. They both are assumed where they’re from. In Micaela’s story, she’s presumed only to be a Mexican and cannot speak a word of English when Spanish is the language she is now struggling with. O’Conner is presumed to be a typical Japanese girl who uses chopsticks and only eats sushi. O’Conner’s actual favorite food is hot dogs. See in both of these stories the girls are judged so quickly on how they live their lives and where they’re from. When actually, no one can be certain.
In the poem “Mericans,” it is about a Mexican girl who moves to America with her grandmother. Micaela’s grandmother does not like how she is becoming more American. Micaela only can understand what her grandmother is saying in Spanish if she is really concentrated. Micaela is stuck between and “Old World” and “New World.” The “Old World” being Mexico and the “New World”
being America. To Micaela, she’s an American girl but whenever she sees her grandmother, she’s Mexican. Micaela’s traditions are still there from her Mexican background but the American life when she’s at home.
In the short story "In Response to Executive Order 9066: All Americans of Japanese Descent Must Report to Relocation Centers" by Dwight Okita it is about a Japanese girl who moves to America to live in an internment camp. She feels more American than she does Japanese. She isn’t the typical Japanese girl who uses chopsticks. Her actual favorite food is hot dogs. Her friend, Denise, in one of her classes assumed she was part of the Pearl Harbor bombing and did not want to be her friend anymore. This is why we cannot assume we know everyone’s background.
In both the poem and the short story, Micaela and O’Conner and judged on how they look. They both are assumed where they’re from. In Micaela’s story, she’s presumed only to be a Mexican and cannot speak a word of English when Spanish is the language she is now struggling with. O’Conner is presumed to be a typical Japanese girl who uses chopsticks and only eats sushi. O’Conner’s actual favorite food is hot dogs. See in both of these stories the girls are judged so quickly on how they live their lives and where they’re from. When actually, no one can be certain.