Understanding who we are and developing a healthy identity isn’t always simple, and can be a never-ending struggle. Natasha Trethewey in “White Lies”, and Amy Uyematsu in “Deliberate”, share their struggles with identity during their younger years, and although their experiences and notions differ, they both have the desire to fit in and be accepted. Uyematsu, describes herself at sixteen as a typical teenager, trying to fit in and gain recognition. She identifies herself with the Asian culture, but struggle to detach from the American culture, which she is also part of, she writes “remember how we paint our eyes like gangsters” (Uyematsu 397), aspects of the American culture. Uyematsu identity struggle deals with culture, while Trethewey
