Compare And Contrast Okita And Cisneros

America is more than just a country or solid idea of culture; it is a melting pot of cultures, ethnicities, and traditions from all over the world. Okita and Cisneros' stories share the sentiment that culture is something precious to each individual and should not be defined solely by heritage, but by what you make of yourself. Both authors emphatically contribute to the idea that we should all be free to express the culture we have created for ourselves. This demonstrates that America cannot be defined by a single culture, but rather is incredibly diverse, much like the people who may identify as American. Aside from heritage, many people express culture through traditions, clothing, language(s) spoken, religious beliefs, and a variety of

Okita's poem is written in the first person, and it depicts a fourteen-year-old Japanese girl who says spelling is difficult for her, that hot dogs are her favorite food, and that she has "always felt funny using chopsticks." Okita's goal in writing these details into the personality of a young girl is to emphasize her preference for things that are widely considered American, thus contributing to the central idea that culture is something you adapt into yourself rather than something you inherit. But without heed of the young girl's optimistic approach in her pursuit for acceptance in American society, her white American friend Denise doubts her and blames her for the war. This hostility only widens the gap between immigrants and

Cisneros uses "Mericans" to illustrate her childhood experiences, and she employs imagery as a literary device to paint this picture for readers. When describing her grandmother, a traditional Mexican woman, she uses the word "awful" each time. In contrast to the grandmother's deep connection to Mexican culture, Micaela, Keeks, and Junior are playing heroes and villains outside, showing their connection to popular American references. This stark contrast between Micaela and her non-American family only worsens friction between the two, as both strangers and family expect Mexican children to identify solely through their heritage, regardless of whether or not they were born in America. This experience is shared between the Japanese girl in Okita's poem and