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For the grandfather who hasn’t believed in anything since the first PRI elections. For my father, El Periquín, so skinny he needs his sleep. For Auntie Light-skin, who only a few hours before was breakfasting on brain and goat tacos after dancing all night in the pink zone. For Uncle Fat-face, the blackest of the black sheep — Always remember your Uncle Fat-face in your prayers. And Uncle Baby — You go for me, Mamá — God listens to you.

The awful grandmother has been gone a long time. She disappeared behind the heavy leather outer curtain and the dusty velvet inner. We must stay near the church entrance. We must not wander over to the balloon and punch-ball vendors. We cannot spend our allowance on fried cookies or Familia Burrón comic books or those clear cone-shaped suckers that make everything look like a rainbow when you look through them. We cannot run off and have our picture taken on the wooden ponies. We must not climb the steps up the hill behind the church and chase each other through the cemetery. We have promised to stay right where the awful grandmother left us until she returns.

There are those walking to church on their knees. Some with fat rags tied around their legs and others with pillows, one to kneel on, and one to flop ahead. There are women with black shawls crossing and uncrossing themselves. There are armies of penitents carrying banners and flowered arches while musicians play tinny trumpets and tinny drums.

La Virgen de Guadalupe is waiting inside behind a plate of thick glass. There’s also a gold crucifix bent crooked as a mesquite tree when someone once threw a bomb. La Virgen de Guadalupe on the main altar because she’s a big miracle, the crooked crucifix on a side altar because that’s a little miracle

As you read the short story, record any details that relate to the topic of American identity.

11 answers

In the provided excerpt, several details relate to the topic of American identity, especially in the context of how it intersects with themes of culture, tradition, and familial connections. Here are some key aspects:

  1. Cultural Heritage: The mention of "Auntie Light-skin," "Uncle Fat-face," and "El Periquín" reflects the diverse Mexican American identities within the family. These nicknames suggest cultural ties and a shared family history that is integral to understanding one’s place in America.

  2. Religious Practices: The scene vividly describes a religious gathering with elements like the Virgen de Guadalupe and pilgrimage behaviors (walking to church on their knees, crossing themselves) that speak to the deep-rooted Catholic traditions in Mexican culture. This reflects the broader experience of many Latino communities in America who maintain their cultural and religious practices, indicating how identity can be shaped by both religion and ethnicity.

  3. Community and Familial Bonds: The emphasis on community is evident in the way characters are remembered and prayed for. Phrases like "Always remember your Uncle Fat-face in your prayers" illustrate the significance of family ties and mutual support, highlighting how these connections frame one’s identity in a broader American context that values family cohesion.

  4. Social Environment: The setting outside the church, filled with vendors and colorful treats, reflects the lively cultural traditions of Mexican-American communities, showcasing everyday life and its interactions with broader American consumer culture. This coexistence of traditional and modern elements illustrates the hybrid nature of American identity in multicultural environments.

  5. Struggles with Faith and Doubt: The reference to "the grandfather who hasn’t believed in anything since the first PRI elections" suggests a disillusionment that might resonate with many Americans who grapple with faith in political systems or religious institutions. This notion can speak to a broader narrative of questioning authority and seeking personal truths within the American experience.

  6. Cemetery References: The admonition to remain at the church entrance and not wander into the cemetery signifies a cultural reverence for the dead, emphasizing themes of memory and respect for ancestors. This practice is significant in many Latinx communities and offers a lens to view how immigration and cultural backgrounds contribute to American identity.

In summary, these details reveal how American identity can be multifaceted, woven from personal, familial, cultural, and religious threads that reflect both traditional practices and contemporary life within a diverse society.

But we’re outside in the sun. My big brother Junior hunkered against the wall with his eyes shut. My little brother Keeks running around in circles.

Maybe and most probably my little brother is imagining he’s a flying feather dancer, like the ones we saw swinging high up from a pole on the Virgin’s birthday. I want to be a flying feather dancer too, but when he circles past me he shouts, “I’m a B-Fifty-two bomber, you’re a German,” and shoots me with an invisible machine gun. I’d rather play flying feather dancers, but if I tell my brother this, he might not play with me at all.

“Girl. We can’t play with a girl.” Girl. It’s my brother’s favorite insult now instead of “sissy.” “You girl,” they yell at each other. “You throw that ball like a girl.”

I’ve already made up my mind to be a German when Keeks swoops past again, this time yelling, “I’m Flash Gordon. You’re Ming the Merciless and the Mud People.” I don’t mind being Ming the Merciless, but I don’t like being the Mud People. Something wants to come out of the corners of my eyes, but I don’t let it. Crying is what girls do.

I leave Keeks running around in circles — “I’m the Lone Ranger, you’re Tonto.” I leave Junior squatting on his ankles and go look for the awful grandmother.

Why do churches smell like the inside of an ear? Like incense and the dark and candles in blue glass? And why does holy water smell of tears? The awful grandmother makes me kneel and fold my hands. The ceiling high and everyone’s prayers bumping up there like balloons.

If I stare at the eyes of the saints long enough, they move and wink at me, which makes me a sort of saint too. When I get tired of winking saints, I count the awful grandmother’s mustache hairs while she prays for Uncle Old, sick from the worm, and Auntie Cuca, suffering from a life of troubles that left half her face crooked and the other half sad.

Record any details that relate to the topic of American identity.

The excerpt provided offers various details that reflect themes of American identity, particularly through the lenses of childhood, cultural connections, gender dynamics, and familial relationships. Here are some key elements that relate to American identity:

  1. Cultural Representation: The reference to "flying feather dancers" ties into Indigenous traditions, representing a connection to the broader tapestry of cultural identities in America. This also highlights how cultural practices influence and enrich the narrative of American identity, showcasing a blend of influences.

  2. Childhood Imagination: The playful exchanges between the siblings—where they role-play as characters from popular culture (like "Flash Gordon" and the "Lone Ranger")—reflect the innocence of childhood while also illustrating the influence of American media and folklore on identity formation. It shows how children absorb and replicate cultural narratives in their play.

  3. Gender Dynamics: The repeated use of the term "girl" as an insult and the notion that “we can’t play with a girl” reflects societal attitudes toward gender that persist in many American communities. This detail underscores the ongoing challenges related to gender identity, expectations, and equity in the context of American cultural norms.

  4. Religious Symbolism: The descriptions of the church, including its smells and the presence of saints, connect to the religious aspect of identity, particularly within Latino/a communities where Catholicism plays a significant role. The way the narrator perceives the church—its sights, sounds, and smells—highlights how religious experiences can shape personal and collective identities in America.

  5. Familial Connections: The interactions with family members (the "awful grandmother" and the prayers for Uncle Old and Auntie Cuca) illustrate the significance of family ties in shaping individual identity. The mention of family struggles, such as Uncle Old's illness and Auntie Cuca's life challenges, reflects the shared burdens and communal support within families of immigrant backgrounds.

  6. Emotional Resilience: The narrator’s inner thoughts about crying and the desire to not align with gendered notions of weakness ("Crying is what girls do") speak to the societal pressures that shape identity formation and emotional expression in children. This aspect resonates with broader themes of resilience and identity within the American context where normative behaviors often clash with personal feelings.

  7. Cultural Hybridization: The blending of traditional values (e.g., reverence for ancestors and saints) with contemporary influences from popular culture in the children’s play exemplifies the hybrid nature of identity in America, where multiple cultural narratives coexist and shape experiences.

Overall, the excerpt reflects the complexity of American identity as experienced through various lenses of culture, family, gender, religion, and childhood imagination, conveying how these elements intersect to create a multifaceted sense of belonging and cultural understanding.

There must be a long, long list of relatives who haven’t gone to church. The awful grandmother knits the names of the dead and the living into one long prayer fringed with the grandchildren born in that barbaric country with its barbaric ways.

I put my weight on one knee, then the other, and when they both grow fat as a mattress of pins, I slap them each awake. Micaela, you may wait outside with Alfredito and Enrique. The awful grandmother says it all in Spanish, which I understand when I’m paying attention. “What?” I say, though it’s neither proper nor polite. “What?” which the awful grandmother hears as “¿Güat?” But she only gives me a look and shoves me toward the door.

After all the dust and dark, the light from the plaza makes me squinch my eyes like if I just came out of the movies. My brother Keeks is drawing squiggly lines on the concrete with a wedge of glass and the heel of his shoe. My brother Junior squatting against the entrance, talking to a lady and man.

They’re not from here. Ladies don’t come to church dressed in pants. And everybody knows men aren’t supposed to wear shorts.

“¿Quieres chicle?” the lady asks in a Spanish too big for her mouth.

“Gracias.” The lady gives him a whole handful of gum for free, little cellophane cubes of Chiclets, cinnamon and aqua and the white ones that don’t taste like anything but are good for pretend buck teeth.

“Porfavor,” says the lady. “¿Un foto?” pointing to her camera.

“Si.”

She’s so busy taking Junior’s picture, she doesn’t notice me and Keeks.

“Hey, Michele, Keeks. You guys want gum?”

“But you speak English!”

“Yeah,” my bother says, “we’re Mericans.”

We’re Mericans, we’re Mericans, and inside the awful grandmother prays.

As you finish the story, record any details that relate to the topic of American identity.

In the closing excerpt, several details continue to highlight themes related to American identity, particularly in the context of cultural intersection, familial dynamics, and personal identity. Here are some key aspects:

  1. Cultural Heritage and Tradition: The "awful grandmother" knitting together the names of the living and the dead into a prayer symbolizes the importance of cultural heritage and the continuity of familial connections, even in a new country. This act of remembering and honoring relatives reflects how cultural identities persist and adapt within American society. The reference to "that barbaric country with its barbaric ways" also hints at the complex feelings immigrants may hold about their homelands compared to their new life in America.

  2. Language and Communication: The interplay of Spanish and English in the narrative showcases the bilingual nature of many Hispanic American communities. The narrator’s understanding of Spanish, coupled with the grandmother’s use of the language, emphasizes the significance of language as an integral part of cultural identity. The humorous misspelling of “What?” as “¿Güat?” further illustrates the blending of languages and cultures.

  3. Childhood and American Identity: The children’s interactions, particularly with the "not from here" lady, portray the innocence and curiosity of childhood in a multicultural context. The observed differences in clothing and behavior raise questions about cultural norms and the ways children perceive and adapt to their environments.

  4. Cultural Differences in Social Behavior: The mention that "ladies don’t come to church dressed in pants" and "men aren’t supposed to wear shorts" highlights the varying cultural norms regarding dress and behavior in different communities, reflecting how cultural expectations shape identity in America.

  5. Emergence of "Mericans": The playful declaration "We’re Mericans" by Junior signifies a complex blend of identity that encompasses being both American and part of a cultural heritage. This term encapsulates the duality many immigrant families experience as they navigate their identities within the broader American landscape, merging their cultural backgrounds with their present environment.

  6. Generational Perspectives: The contrast between the awful grandmother's traditions and the modern American behavior of the children illustrates the generational shift often seen in immigrant families. The tension between cultural retention and assimilation is a significant aspect of the immigrant experience in America, highlighting how identity evolves over time.

  7. Innocence and Playfulness: The interactions among the siblings— drawing with glass, chewing gum, and engaging in playful banter—represent the everyday experiences that shape American childhood. These innocent moments are a testament to how cultural identity can be expressed through simple joys and shared experiences that transcend traditional boundaries.

Overall, the details in this excerpt reinforce the complexity of American identity as experienced by immigrant families, encompassing cultural heritage, bilingualism, generational shifts, and the playful dynamics of childhood against the backdrop of a multicultural society. They illustrate how individuals weave their identities within the American fabric while honoring their roots.

Paraphrase what Okita’s poem says about the topic of American identity.

In her poem, Okita explores the complexities of American identity, particularly through the lens of multiculturalism and personal experience. She illustrates the struggle of balancing one's cultural heritage with the expectations and norms of broader American society. The poem addresses themes of belonging, alienation, and the search for acceptance amidst societal pressure to conform. It reflects on how identity is shaped by both cultural roots and the experiences of growing up in a diverse setting, emphasizing the notion that being American can encompass various identities and histories. Ultimately, Okita's work speaks to the complexities of navigating multiple identities in a multicultural America, highlighting both the challenges and the richness that come from this diversity.

Paraphrase what Cisneros’s story says about the topic of American identity.

In her story, Cisneros delves into the nuances of American identity, particularly through the experiences of a Hispanic family. The narrative highlights the interplay between cultural heritage and the desire to assimilate into mainstream American society. It reflects on themes of family, community, and the significance of language, emphasizing how these elements shape one's sense of self. Cisneros portrays the tension between traditional values and contemporary American culture, illustrating how individuals navigate their identities amid cultural expectations and societal pressures. Ultimately, the story emphasizes that American identity is multifaceted, influenced by personal and communal histories, and that it encompasses a rich tapestry of diverse experiences and backgrounds.

Determine a common theme.

A common theme present in both Okita’s poem and Cisneros's story is the complexity of cultural identity within the context of American society. Both works explore how individuals navigate their dual identities, often reflecting a blend of cultural heritage and the influences of mainstream American culture. They address the tensions that arise from the desire to assimilate while staying connected to one's roots, highlighting the struggles of belonging and acceptance. Additionally, both works emphasize the importance of family, community, and language in shaping one's identity, ultimately illustrating that American identity is multifaceted and enriched by diverse experiences.