In the story "Mericans" we are at a church in Mexico. The writer uses the detailed description of the church, the praying, and the Spanish language to help you visualize that you are at a church in Mexico. It is the girl's memory of a day when she and her brothers follow their "awful grandmother" to a church service probably on a Sunday morning.
The people in this story, Michele, Keeks, and Junior are American Mexicans. This is represented by the language used, the games played, and their ability to speak English. Auntie light-skin is most likely American. By the statement made by the man and woman in the story, they are probably also American. The children, Michele, Keeks, and Junior are not from just one cultural background, but two. Junior addresses Michelle in English, and talks to the tourists in Spanish, shocking one tourist, who thought the boys were Mexican children.
JUNIOR MOORS
JUNIOR ROQICA
"Battle of Churubusco--Fought near the city of Mex...Junior explains to her that they are "Mericans." The name that he used is the way he identifies himself culturally. The games that Keeks plays with Michele, he is a B52 bomber, she is a German, Flash Gordon, and the Lone Ranger are generally American style games.
They seem to show no delight at their bilingual ability through their response to the lady. "But you speak English. Yeah, we're Mericans." The children do not seem to be interested in their origin and culture. The sentence about the "awful grandmother" praying shows their disbelief and disheartening about their origin.
This story seems to have taken place shortly after the Mexican American War because of the people described as walking to church on their knees, Fat rags around their legs, and the pillows used in the story.
The narrator did a very good job of making the reader visualize...