Cesar Chavez once said that “Preservation of one's own culture does not require contempt or disrespect for other cultures”. In today's society, people believe that in order to preserve one's culture, they must despise another. However, through Chavez’s words, he reveals that we all have our own culture, and we do not have to detest another culture in order to protect our own. This idea drives Amy Tan’s story, “Mother Tongue”; by sharing her personal experience with social inequity, she reveals the backlash Chinese immigrants encountered in the past and still continue to encounter while living in North America. Through the use of anecdotes and pathos, Amy Tan's “Mother Tongue” highlights the discrimination Chinese immigrants face in North America because of their accents. Ultimately, Tan asserts that although social inequity is still alive and ongoing, one must remain true to themselves and their heritage in order preserve their identity and gain respect regardless of how they might speak or sound.
To begin, the use of anecdote throughout “Mother Tongue” emphasizes society’s bias in treatment when dealing with those who have an accent. Tan reveals how her family manages to break the cultural barrier that Chinese immigrants experience. The purpose of an anecdote is to
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Eventually, Tan declares that while social imbalance is alive and present, one must preserve and stay consistent with their culture to get through the social hindrance. Throughout “Mother Tongue”, Tan uses anecdote and pathos to reveal the unjustifiable side of society; as immigrants with accents are belittled and pushed away due to their differences and distinction. Without the preservation of cultures, the world would be clear and insensible of the past, and the lack of knowledge of their culture may make one question their