Literary Analysis (comparing two works through a central topic)

Literary Analysis (comparing two works through a central topic). This essay compares “In response to executive order 9066” (poem) by Dwight Okita to “Mericans” (short story) by Sandra Cisneros. Specifically, the essay explores the central theme of American identity in the two literary works. The “Mericans” is about a little girl who has a story about the new world and the old world. In this case, the new world is America. The young girl is prevented from entering the church where her grandmother has prayers. As a person from the old world, the young girl is not allowed to play with boys from the new world. On the other hand, “in response to executive order” by Dwight Okita is about Americans of Japanese origins that were supposed to report to relocation centers.
Comparing the works through the theme of American Identity
American identity is a central theme in “Mericans” as the little girl is caught between the new world of the United States and the old world of Mexico. The girl has an excellent story regarding her grandmother who prays in the house of worship. All her siblings are caught between the ancient world and the new world. The little children seem to be discriminated because they are from Mexico and do not have an American identity. People assume they do not understand English which is the language of instruction in America (Cisneros 1). Whenever people talk to them, they talk Spanish because they believe that the children cannot speak English. However, they seem to understand both English and Spanish.

The young children are caught between the two worlds of the old and new world. Also, people want to take pictures of them because they believe they belong to the old world and do not have an American identity. Such people only take the children as artifacts who should just be in pictures.
The short story narrates how an awful grandmother who cannot allow her grandchildren to set foot in the church. The grandmother seems to collaborate the Americans who think the children are not fit to enter the house of worship as they do not have the American identity (Rhea 17). The young girl does not believe in the prayers and the traditions that are practiced in the church. She is opposed to all the practices that are happening in the church which are American (Cisneros 1). The young girl and her siblings wait outside the church all along until the grandmother is done with all the rituals in the temple that signify American identity. The young children of Mexican origin are not allowed to enjoy the pleasures of the world related to the American character. These comforts include walking into the plaza, playing with balloons, reading comic books, and enjoying other fun things.
“In response to executive order” poem also has a central theme of American identity. The poem has life experiences of a fourteen-year-old girl who is caught between the Japanese and American culture. The young girl claims that she does not know how to use Japanese chopsticks that are symbolic of the Japanese culture. In fact, the girl claims that she understands more the hot dogs as opposed to using chopsticks (Rhea 7). This means that the girl seems to understand the American culture as opposed to her Japanese culture. The girl identifies more with the American culture and thus the issue of American identity. The young girl claims that her favorite food is hot dogs and she does not know how to use Japanese chopsticks. This demonstrates of a child who disregards her Japanese culture and glorifies an American identity. Both hot dogs and chopsticks are symbols that surround the girl who is torn between two distinct cultures.
The best friend of the Japanese girl happens to be an American. This complicates even further the girl’s way of life as she tries to relate to the American identity. The friendship between the two girls originated in school. The Japanese girl does not seem to stop her ways of relating to Americans. She considers Americans more friends than her Japanese contemporaries. However, Denise who is her American friend accuses her of not being loyal to their friendship (Okita 1). She claims that she is always leaking secret information to her enemies regarding their friendship. Denise, the American girl, seems not to recognize her friend as having an American identity. Denise accuses the Japanese girl of always starting a war that is not deserved. The American girl reprimands her Japanese friend for her actions of having a big mouth. The big mouth of the Japanese girl symbolizes how the Americans take the Japanese. Most Americans believed that the Japanese leaked secrets of America to destroy their country.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the two literary works have the American identity as a central theme. People from different cultures seem to be split between their culture and America. The Mexican siblings are caught between their culture and that of America. Also, the Japanese girl is split between her culture and that of the US. The people from the two foreign cultures seem to identify with the American culture.
Works Cited
Cisneros, Sandra. Mericans: Woman Hollering Creek and Other Stories, New York: Randon House, 1991. Retrieved from http://www.tamucc.edu/wiki/SeanBritt/Mericans on 07 Jan 2018.
Okita, Dwight. “In Response to Executive Order 9066”. Retrieved from https://www.nps.gov/manz/learn/education/dwight-okita.htm on 07 Jan 2018.
Rhea, Joseph. Race pride and the American Identity, Boston: Harvard University Press, 2001.