Identity formation - Essay Example

Download file to see previous pages The essayist Casares starts its journey by presenting his father’s views of identity, though; he said, ‘To him, ancestry is what determines your identity’. This shows that since he was a child, his parents started to encode him about his identity, which was related back to his ancestry. Although, author was born in United States yet his father was a Mexican. Additionally, by describing the population of his home town, Brownsville, he sates, ‘almost everyone I know is Mexicano: neighbors, teachers, principals, dropouts, doctors, lawyers, drug dealers, priests’. Therefore, this cultural environment made him to feel himself a Mexican. The thing that made him closer to his Mexican identity was the annual four day celebration of Mexican heritage, under the name of Charro Days (Casares).
The experiences described above are the author’s childhood experiences; however, when he grows up and leaves his town his exposure towards his identity formation expands with significant extent. As he starts exploring the world, he seemed to believe that in United States immigrants and minorities have always been exploited by the media, as they know well how to stereotype an ethnic group. While experiencing through the events of his life, author acquired realization that the stereotypic image created in the minds of Americans describes the Mexicans as criminals, involved in dirty and lustful activities. As Casares was called as Mexican-American by natives; nevertheless, after realizing that being a Mexican is dealt as an abuse in America, no matter how honest and innocent one is. Thus, author later appeared believing like his father that he was a proud Mexican (Casares).
Moreover, the other essay ‘American Dreamer’ written by Bharati Mukherjee shows the other side of identity formation. The essayist, from the start of the essay appears claiming to be a naturalized American. The actual birth place of the writer is Calcutta, India, where she experienced ...Download file to see next pagesRead More