When immigrants arrive in the United States, we often question if they are American. Plus, when can they begin to call themselves American. "In Response to Executive Order 9066" by Dwight Okita, and "Mericans" by Sandra Cisneros both explore this question; each texts states what they believe as the American identity. They have similar themes, yet they still have some differentiating ideas and opinions. Both texts show that being an American isn't about where you originally came from, but rather identifying with the culture. "In Response to Executive Order 9066" is narrated by a Japanese-American girl who is responding to the President requiring all Japanese citizens be sent to internment camps. In it she speaks of how while she is Japanese, …show more content…
She is describing a day at church with her family, many of which no longer go. She states "There are so many prayers and promises and thanks-be-to-God to be given in the name of the husband and the sons and the only daughter who never attend mass. It doesn't matter. Like La Virgin de Guadalupe, the awful grandmother intercedes on their behalf" (Cisneros). The author uses church as a symbol for the family's Hispanic heritage. The younger generations no longer wish to go, which shows the disconnect they are beginning to feel for where they came from. The narrator also has a disliking towards her grandmother, who is another symbol of their roots. The children are more interested in American shows and pastimes over Hispanic ones. Instead of attending mass, the children sit out front and play games. The narrator's little brother says "I'm Flash Gordon. You're Ming the Merciless and the Mud People" (Cisneros). This is a reference to an American television show, and shows how the later generations of immigrants identify more as American. However, outsiders didn't see the children. Off just the color of their skin, they assumed they couldn't even speak English. Cisneros shows that being American is about identifying with it, as well as showing interest in elements of American …show more content…
Each text shows this in showing that they enjoy American culture aspects more than those of their homeland. Both narrators also run into someone who doesn't see them as American purely off their ethnicity. However, they also have their differences. In "In Response to Executive Order 9066", the narrator doesn't have a hatred for her native culture, she just prefers American culture and has always seen herself as American. But in "Mericans", the narrator repeatedly shows her dislike for both her Grandmother and attending church. She also still partly identifies with her native Hispanic culture as she calls her family Mericans, which is a mix of the words American and Mexican. While both texts have the same general theme, some of the elements are