Identity

Vietnamese Flag with an X through it

Before talking about the identity of many characters in this book, I will first define identity. An identity is a set of characteristics that make up who a person is. Some people’s identities are simple and other people have identity crises. Tuyen was born into a Vietnamese family that is very proud of their past but she prefers the life of a typical Canadian. Tuyen is ultimately left with an identity crisis. She has to chose either Canadian culture or Vietnamese culture. In the end, she rejects Vietnamese culture, which explains my choice of picture.

“Don’t judge a book by its cover”

One of the many things that helps make up ones identity is the way they look. Oku is a young black man who tries to avoid being known as the stereotypical African American. The quote above represents him well. Oku may be black but he has a passion for cooking and poetry. Throughout the book, Oku reveals himself to the reader as a well rounded character; the opposite of what people would think about Oku when seeing him for the first time. Clearly, one's identity is more than meets the eye.

SLAM POEM

The poem above was one that was studied in class and discusses how this group of black teens feel. The authors of this poem feel abused because of the colour of their skin. Jamal is a character that appears rarely in the book but has a large impact on Carla’s life. Like Oku, he is black but Jamal contrasts Oku in many ways. Oku proves all black stereotypes wrong while Jamal supports most black stereotypes. Jamal says multiple times that his destiny is predetermined. He is black, which is a large part of his identity and is the reason that he is constantly accused for crimes he may have not really committed.

White, blonde man

Above is a picture of a blonde white man, someone who’s looks are the exact opposites of Jackie’s. Jackie is an african american woman who grew up with two black parents who neglected her. Like everyone else, Jackie’s identity is built from her background, her looks and her beliefs but Jackie is a complicated character because her background and her looks contradict her beliefs. Jackie tries to run from her identity by only dating white men, even though she is a black woman who grew up with a black family.