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Comparing The Complexities Of Identity And Bias In Make Your Home Among Strangers

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Exploring the Complexities of Identity and Bias in Make Your Home Among Strangers Jennine Crucet's novel, Make Your Home Among Strangers, offers a powerful exploration of the complex identity struggles that can arise for individuals caught between two cultures. The novel's protagonist, Lizet, is a first-generation Cuban American who faces a variety of challenges as she navigates through society with her Cuban heritage and American upbringing. Lizet is torn between the pressure to embrace her heritage and her desire to assimilate into American culture; leaving her feeling like she doesn't fully belong in either community. As Lizet navigates her way through college, she must confront the tension that comes with feeling like an outsider in …show more content…

Crucet writes, "I was the only one who understood what it meant to live in both worlds but not belong to either one" (Crucet 239). Ironically, this self-isolating thought is a mutual experience among multicultural individuals who may feel pressure to conform to certain expectations within each community, typically leading to feelings of self-doubt, and anxiety. In Lizet's case, she struggles to feel comfortable and accepted, which leads to this sense of self-isolation. A theme present in the novel notes that while self-isolation is a common experience for multicultural individuals like Lizet or her friend Kiki, it is not inevitable or permanent. By accepting and educating themselves, multicultural individuals can learn to embrace their uniqueness and create connections within their communities. With this Lizet discovers that her identity is not binary and that she can be both Cuban and American. She reflects, "Maybe we are not just one thing. Maybe we are two or three or more things" (Crucet 292). This realization suggests that navigating two worlds requires a willingness to challenge the simplistic notion that identity is a fixed concept. Crucet successfully highlights these more nuanced perspectives, implying that in regard to multiculturalism, one should not have to choose but integrate all different parts of their identity, forming a more complex

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