Sandra Cisneros's short story "Mericans" and Dwight Okita's poem "Response to Executive Order 9066" both explore the challenging terrain of cultural identity for young Americans of non-European descent. While Cisneros uses the voice of a young Mexican-American girl to depict the subtle yet pervasive pressures of assimilation and the desire for belonging within her family and broader society, Okita frames the story through a child’s perspective grappling with the immediate and devastating consequences of racial prejudice. Both pieces highlight the internal conflict and external forces that shape an individual's sense of self when caught between inherited culture and dominant societal expectations, ultimately demonstrating a shared concern for how marginalized youth navigate a world that often questions their Americanness.
In "Mericans," the narrator, whose name is never revealed but is clearly young, articulates a nuanced understanding of her dual heritage. She describes her grandmother’s fervent prayers for the family’s Catholic saints and her uncle’s war medals, symbols of assimilation and patriotic service. Yet, she also observes the subtle ways her family maintains its Mexican identity, like her father’s reluctance to give his children American first names and the lingering scent of papas and chorizos in their home. The story’s central tension arises from the narrator’s innocent yet profound question: "And you? What do you think of yourself?" This internal query, prompted by her uncle’s explanations of war and belonging, reveals her struggle to reconcile the conflicting narratives she receives. Her grandmother’s invocation of the saints is a plea for divine intervention against hardship, but it also reflects a reliance on a spiritual tradition that sets her family apart. Conversely, the uncle’s medals represent a desire to be recognized as fully American, to earn a place through sacrifice. The narrator’s innocent observation that "we are all Americans" is undercut by the implied understanding that this Americanness is not uniformly accepted or experienced. The story’s quiet power lies in its depiction of this internal negotiation, the unspoken anxieties about fitting in, and the quiet assertion of a hybrid identity.
Okita’s poem, "Response to Executive Order 9066," offers a more direct and painful confrontation with the arbitrary nature of prejudice. Written from the perspective of a young Japanese-American boy, it details the immediate aftermath of the executive order that led to the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. The poem begins with a simple, yet loaded, question: "Dear President Roosevelt, / We are writing to you..." The boy’s earnest attempt to communicate, to explain his family’s situation, underscores the innocence and bewilderment of those affected. He describes the forced sale of his father’s fishing boat, a symbol of their livelihood and connection to their community, and the necessity of packing their belongings into suitcases. The line, "We had to be ready when they came for us," carries immense weight, conveying a sense of dread and powerlessness. The poem's most poignant moment comes when the boy is asked if he is American. His simple reply, "Yes," is immediately followed by the devastating follow-up, "Then, would you have been born in Japan?" This exchange strips away his identity, reducing him to his ancestry and marking him as fundamentally "other." The poem’s raw honesty and direct address to the president make the injustice palpable, highlighting the brutal impact of racial profiling on individual lives.
Both "Mericans" and "Response to Executive Order 9066" use the perspective of a child to amplify their thematic concerns. This choice of narrator allows for a presentation of complex social issues through a lens of innocence and confusion, making the injustices and cultural pressures more starkly apparent. Cisneros’s narrator doesn't fully articulate the systemic nature of discrimination, but her internal questioning and observations of her family's strategies for survival and belonging speak volumes about the constant, often subtle, negotiation of identity. Okita's narrator, though young, directly confronts a monumental act of state-sanctioned prejudice. The boy’s attempt to appeal to the president’s reason is a testament to his fundamental belief in fairness, a belief that is brutally shattered by the reality of his internment. Both narratives, therefore, serve as powerful commentaries on the experience of being American while belonging to a marginalized group, demonstrating how identity is not simply given but is actively constructed and defended, often against formidable external opposition.
In conclusion, Cisneros and Okita, through their distinct narratives, illuminate the varied ways young people of color navigate their place in America. "Mericans" portrays the quiet internal wrestling with cultural hybridity and the desire for acceptance, while "Response to Executive Order 9066" depicts the devastating external forces of prejudice that challenge fundamental notions of belonging. Together, these works underscore the enduring human need for identity and the resilience required to assert it when confronted with forces that seek to define or deny it.