What makes a person unique? Is it their history? Or their language? Or how they were raised? The answer is all this and more. Everything about a person contributes to their cultural identity which is evident in books and pieces of writing. Stories like the “Joy Luck Club” by Amy Tan, “In the American Society” by Gish Jen, and “What is an American?” By Jean de Crevecoeur provide different perspectives on the concept of cultural identity. These works of literature show that a person’s cultural identity is constructed based on several independent factors that create a unique persona for each individual.
One example of this is in the short story “What is an American?” By Jean de Crevecoeur. The theme idea of cultural identity is shown in a quote on page 68 of this story. Here he states that “The American is a new man, who acts upon new principles; he must therefore entertain new ideas, and form new opinions (Crevecoeur, 68). This quote, said by the author himself, towards the end of the short story, is meant to show the unparalleled individualism of Americans. This quote connects to the idea of …show more content…
A quote that relates to the concept of cultural identity is “Once you are born Chinese, you cannot help but feel Chinese (Tan, 267). This line was said by Suyuan Woo to her daughter Jing-mei when Jing-mei states that she feels more American than Chinese. This connects to the overall theme because Suyuan is explaining to Jing-mei that because of her history, she will always fit into Chinese culture. Jing-mei argues that her life and experiences will determine her personal identity. These conflicting opinions pertain to the notion of a composite cultural identity because Suyuan says that history is the deciding factor while Jing-mei argues that it is expertise. Both agree that characteristics define identity but disagree on the
One example of this is in the short story “What is an American?” By Jean de Crevecoeur. The theme idea of cultural identity is shown in a quote on page 68 of this story. Here he states that “The American is a new man, who acts upon new principles; he must therefore entertain new ideas, and form new opinions (Crevecoeur, 68). This quote, said by the author himself, towards the end of the short story, is meant to show the unparalleled individualism of Americans. This quote connects to the idea of …show more content…
A quote that relates to the concept of cultural identity is “Once you are born Chinese, you cannot help but feel Chinese (Tan, 267). This line was said by Suyuan Woo to her daughter Jing-mei when Jing-mei states that she feels more American than Chinese. This connects to the overall theme because Suyuan is explaining to Jing-mei that because of her history, she will always fit into Chinese culture. Jing-mei argues that her life and experiences will determine her personal identity. These conflicting opinions pertain to the notion of a composite cultural identity because Suyuan says that history is the deciding factor while Jing-mei argues that it is expertise. Both agree that characteristics define identity but disagree on the