Sandra Cisneros's short story "Mericans" offers a poignant snapshot of the multifaceted identity of Mexican Americans, particularly through the eyes of its young narrator, a girl navigating the complexities of her heritage. The story centers on the tension between her American upbringing and her Mexican roots, a conflict amplified by the unspoken differences between her grandmother, Abuela, and her mother. This generational divide becomes the primary lens through which Cisneros examines the struggle for belonging, highlighting how cultural assimilation can create fissures within families and individuals. The narrator's yearning to understand her place, caught between two worlds, reveals the internal and external pressures faced by those straddling the borderlands of identity.
The core of the story lies in the subtle yet powerful contrasts between Abuela and the narrator's mother. Abuela embodies the enduring traditions and values of Mexico, her stoicism and quiet observance a stark counterpoint to her daughter’s more Americanized demeanor. When Abuela gives the narrator a medal for her brother, Beto, who is serving in the Vietnam War, it’s not just a religious token; it’s a tangible link to a heritage and a set of beliefs that the narrator’s mother seems to have largely shed. The mother’s practicality, her focus on the immediate and the tangible—like the need for a new stove—contrasts with Abuela’s spiritual grounding. The medal, described as "old," "worn smooth," and with "a saint's face chipped away," signifies a history and faith that transcends the superficial. The narrator's mother dismisses it as "just a medal," indicating a disconnect with the ancestral reverence that Abuela represents and the narrator herself is beginning to feel. This moment crystallizes the central conflict: one generation holds onto the past, while the other adapts to the present, leaving the younger generation to bridge the gap.
The narrator's own struggle for identity is deeply intertwined with her perception of her family. She observes the unspoken resentments and the quiet compromises made by her mother, who, despite her American lifestyle, seems to carry the weight of her Mexican past. The mother's repeated phrases, like "We are Americans now," are less a declaration of belonging and more an attempt to suppress a history that no longer fits neatly into her new reality. The narrator, however, sees the contradictions. She notices the way her mother still calls Abuela "Mama," a sign of enduring respect, even as they diverge in their cultural practices. The narrator's fascination with the medal, her desire to touch it and understand its significance, shows her own pull towards the Mexican heritage. She is not entirely comfortable with her mother’s full assimilation, nor does she fully grasp Abuela’s stoicism. She is, in essence, the "Merican," a hybrid identity that Cisneros portrays not as a deficiency but as a complex reality.
The symbolic weight of the medal extends beyond its religious significance. It represents protection, memory, and a connection to a lineage that the narrator is only beginning to comprehend. Beto, the absent brother, becomes a focal point of this cultural negotiation. His service in Vietnam, a war that deeply divided American society and disproportionately affected minority communities, adds another layer of complexity. The medal is sent to him, a gesture of hope and faith from Abuela, a silent prayer for his safety rooted in Mexican tradition. The mother’s pragmatic concern for his return, coupled with her desire for normalcy (the new stove), underscores the different ways her family grapples with the anxieties of war and the pressures of American life. The narrator, by holding onto the medal, implicitly acknowledges its power, suggesting a nascent embrace of her Mexican heritage, even as she lives an American life.
Ultimately, "Mericans" doesn't offer easy answers about identity or belonging. Instead, Cisneros presents a nuanced portrayal of a young girl standing at a crossroads. The story is a testament to the enduring power of cultural roots, even as they are reshaped by new environments. The narrator's quiet contemplation of the medal, her observation of the generational rift, and her own dawning awareness of her dual heritage all point to a future where she will have to forge her own path. The story suggests that being "Merican" is not about choosing one identity over the other, but about learning to live with and integrate both, a process that is often fraught with internal and external conflict but ultimately defines the unique experience of many Mexican Americans.