American Identity can be a plethora of things maybe the way you are exposed to the culture or how look or talk about. In Okita's poem " In Response to Executive Order 9066" and Cisneros's story "Mericans" they exemplify that cultural diversities and heritage do not determine what it means to be an American. Is being exposed to the American culture not American? When born in America but your nationality is somewhere exotic, are you American or Pilipino. If you have blue eyes does that state that you are not American but Dutch. In this essay, we will be comparing and contrasting two works of literature to understand and define what it means to have an American Identity.
In Okita's poem, the narrator makes it clear that she is American. For example she likes hotdogs, which is considered an American food. Also, she says that she is a fourteen year old girl who has no correlation with her heritage. However, the government sees only her heritage. In this poem, Okita discuses her response to "Executive Order 9066" ,which states that she will cooperate with leaving. Okita's friend is an American girl and her response to the issue was that Japanese Americans are telling everyone their secrets. This poem exemplifies that American identity in a way that shows that she was exposed to the culture and that she acted more American.
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Despite the Mexican Culture she feels a stronger connection to the United States than Mexico. The narrator dislikes her grandmothers traditional ways of her culture. In the end of the story, the boys are greeted by a lady who is English but tries to speak in Spanish to take a picture of them but soon to find out they speak