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KomenoBouvierOgbeneme ProfessorAltman ENGL115 December10,2013 Identity:TheRecipe Websterdefinesidentityaswhosomeoneis.InMotherTongue,AmyTantalksabouthow languageaffectsherlifeasaperson,student,andwriter.Shealsodescribeshowshespeaksindifferent Englishvernaculars,dependingonherenvironmentandthepeoplearoundher.Thiscodeswitching enablesTantobeacceptedbythemainstreamworld,butalsokeephercultureandidentitythatshe shareswithherfamily.GeetaKotharisIfYouAreWhatYouEat,ThenWhatAmI?revolvesaround theconnectionbetweenfoodandidentity.Throughoutthepiece,shediscusseshowpeopleoften associatethetypeoffoodyoueatwithwhoandwhatyouare.Foodisatoolusedtoclassifyand identifythosewhoarealikeanddifferentfromonesself.Kotharidetailsherstrugglesinidentifyingwith aculturebecauseofheruniquepalate:herparentsforbidherfromeatingAmericanfoods,however,she couldneithereatmostofherfamilysmealsbecauseshecouldnothandlespicyfoods.HenryLouis Gates,Jr.sAGiantStepisabouthowlabelsandperceptionmotivatedhimtoachievegreatthings andbecomethesuccessheistoday.Inthearticle,Gatesarguesthatpeopleliketojudgeandperceive othersbasedontheircharacteristics,mostnotablyskincolor.Herecallshowwhenhewasgrowingup, theviewonblackswaslimitedandthattheracewasnotassmartasitswhitecounterparts.Gates describeshowhismothersupportedhim,evenwhenhisdoctorsetlimitationsonhimbecauseofhisskin color.Hemarksthiseventastheonethatmotivatedhimtobecomethepersonheistoday.Thereare manyingredientsthatgointoshapingonesidentityhowever,someofthemaincharacteristicsare

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language,food,andlabels. Languageplaysavitalpartinshapingapersonsidentity,aswell.Apersonsfamilyandfriends willcontributetosaidpersonslanguage.Asyoungtoddlers,childrenbegintolearnhowto communicatetheirneedsandfeelings.Theystarttodevelopthelanguageoftheirparents,friends,and cultureinwhichtheyareraised.Fromayoungage,myparentsengravedtheimportanceofEnglishto measateachermydad,especially,wouldstressitsworthevenmoresothanmymom.Myparents believethatthereisnoreasonforanyonewhocallsthemselvesanAmericantostrugglewiththe languageasaresult,itwasunacceptableformetoreceiveabadgradeinthesubject.Englishwasthe solelanguagespokeninmyhousewithbothofmyparentsbeingextremelyfluent,evenmydadwhois originallyfromNigeria.HewouldtalktomeexclusivelyinproperEnglish,usingIsokoonlywithhis friendsandfamilyfrombackhome. Alternately,althoughspeakingonlyEnglish,Tanischallengedtobalancetwodifferentversionsof thelanguage.InMotherTongueshedescribeshowshespeaksinbothproperandimproperforms. Aroundherfamily,Tanspeaksinabrokendialecthowever,whenshesaroundothers,shedevelops amoreproperstructure.Sheexplainshowthisbrokenversionbringsherfamilytogether.Shewrites, Ithasbecomeourlanguageofintimacy,adifferentsortofEnglishthatrelatestofamilytalk,the languageIgrewupwith(Tan634).Although,sheeventuallylearnstovalueherfamilyvernacular, therewerestruggleswithitgrowingup.Tandiscusseshowherselfandothersmakeassumptionsabout hermotherbasedonthetypeofEnglishshespeaks,saying,IbelievedthatherEnglishreflectedthe qualityofwhatshehadtosay(Tan635).AsaresultofhermotherslimitedEnglish,peopleassume thatherintelligenceislimited.Thosewhointeractwithherdonotgiveherthelevelofrespectthey wouldtosomeonewhoisfluentorarticulate.ThisleadstoTansmotherfrequentlyfeelingdisrespected.

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Inthesesituations,asayoungchild,Tanrecallshavingtoportrayhermotherinphoneconversations withotherswhotreatedhermotherpoorly.Duringthesecalls,peoplewerequicktoapologizeand correcttheirmistakes,givingTanandhermotherwhattheydesired. Nexttolanguage,foodisanothermajorpartofidentity.Thetypeoffoodapersoneatscantell otherswhatgroupsaidpersonisassociatedwith.Itisawayforpeopletofeelliketheybelongand connectwithothers.LikeKotharisparents,mydadwouldmakeAfricandisheshowever,unlikeher parents,thesemealswereusuallytheexceptionandnottherule.Ioftenfeeloutoftheloopwhen aroundotherNigeriansandAfricansbecausepracticallytheonlyfoodIeatfrommydadscultureis drawsoupandfufu.Asaresult,IfoundmyselfstrugglingtoidentifyasaNigerianinsteadofeating plantains(friedbananas),Iatefrenchfries.Throughoutmyentirelife,IrecognizedthatIwasmore AmericanthanNigerianwithfoodbeingamajorpartofmyrealization. Similarly,KotharifoundithardtoidentifyasanIndianbecauseshecouldnothandlespicyfood likeothersfromPunjab.However,shewasalsounabletocallherselfAmericanbecauseherparents prohibitedherfromeatingbasicAmericanfoodslikehotdogsandbologna.Duringherchildhood, KothariwantedtofitinwithherAmericanfriendsandeatthesamethingstheywereaccustomedto,I wanttoeatwhatthekidsatschooleat:bologna,hotdogs,salamifoodsmyparentsfindrepugnant (Kothari91).AsKotharimaturedandgrew,shebegantocherishandvalueherIndianheritageshe becameunnervedatthethoughtofnevereatingtheIndianfoodinwhichshewasfamiliarwith.Kothari, eventually,learnswhyherparentsweresoreluctanttoletherandhersistereatAmericanfood:they werescaredthattheirchildrenwouldlosetheirculture.Kotharistates,Itwouldmeanbecoming, decidedly,definitely,Americanunafraid,ofmeatinallitsforms,abletoconsumelargequantitiesof proteinatanygivenmeal(Kothari100).TheKotharifamilybelievesthatfoodistiedtoculturewhich,

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inturn,istiedtowhosomeoneisandtheirwayoflife.Abandoningonesfood,isabandoningones culture.IfKotharieatsAmericanfoodwithallitsmeat,shewouldbegivingupapartofheridentityand heritage. Likefoodandlanguage,labelsarealsoextremelyimportanttoapersonsidentity.Manythings connecttolabelslikeperception,selfesteem,andstereotypes.Foralongtimetheperceptionsof blackswerelimitedthegroupcouldonlyplaysportsorentertain,butanythingacademicorthat requiredthoughtwasoutofthequestion.Myparentswerequicktodismissanynotionofthis, continuallystressingthatIcouldachieveanythingIsetmymindto.Myparentsbecomehesitanttoa degreewhenIbringupmyinvolvementinsportsmydad,especially,isalwayssemiuneasywhenItalk aboutit.Theydonotwantmylifetoberevolvedaroundaballtheywantmetohaveabrainandbe abletoprovideformyfamily,evenifIwastohaveacatastrophicinjurythatmightleavemeparalyzed orunabletowalkorrun.Asaresult,IdidntputallmyeggsinonebasketIdreamofbecomingmy ownbossandaspiretoownmyownbusiness. AsdoI,Gateshashismotheronhisside,whichgivesusaverystrongsupportsystem.She believeshisidentityisnotmerelydefinedbyhisracealone.InthetimesinwhichGatesmemorytakes place,the60s,racismwasstillaliveandprevalent.ThegeneralthoughtwasthatBlackswerenotas smartasWhitesandwereinferiortothem.ThisviewissharedbyGatesdoctor,whotellshimthathe cannotbecomeadoctor.Gateswrites,Thedoctorshookhishead.Pauline,theresnotathingwrong withthatchild.Theproblemspsychosomatic.Yoursonsanoverachiever(Gates1).Hismother, however,didlethersonbelievethatandtransferredhimfromtheoriginalhospitaltoanother,asaresult ofthedoctorsbeliefs.Gateswrites,Whatmadethepainabatewasmymothersreaction...Pauline Gatesstaredathimforamoment.Gethisclothes,packhisbagsweregoingtotheUniversity

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MedicalCenter(Gates1).Gatesusesthisentireexperienceasatoolofmotivationtopowerhim. Although,heisnotadoctor,hehasbecomeasuccessinhischosenfield.Hisstoryisanexampleof howperceptioncancontributetoapersonsviewofthemselvesandtheirworth,abilitiesandlimitations. Youridentityandcharacterisalsodefinedinsituationsliketheseifsomeonetellsyouthatyoucantdo something,youcaneitherobligeandgiveuporusetheirwordsasatooltopushanddriveyourselfto provethemwrong.Gatesshowsthatifyoubelieveinyourself,youcanachieveanything,eventhrough adversity. Identityiswhosomeoneis,itiseverythingaboutsaidpersonandeverythingthattheyrepresent. Language,food,andlabelsaresomeofthemajorfactorsamongthemanythatcontributetotheidentity ofaperson.Languageishowwecommunicatewitheachotherandcantellalotaboutuslikeour cultureandeducation.Foodcandisplayourethnicityandracewhilelabels,stereotypes,perception, andselfesteemcandictateourliveseitherpositivelyornegatively.Identityisimportantbecauseitgives uscharacterandindividuality.Lifewouldbeboringifallhumansweremerelyrobotsprogrammedto onlyeat,speak,andworkinthesameway.Variationiswhatmakeslifeenjoyableandinteresting.On theotherhand,withthissenseofindividuality,identitycangiveusafeelingofbelongingnessandlinkus togroupsofotherslikeus.Still,eveninthosegroups,eachmemberisdifferentlikeasnowflakesome maylookalike,buteachisuniqueinitsownway.

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WorksCited Gates,Jr.,HenryL.AGiantStep.Editorial.NewYorkTimes09Dec.1990,Healthsec.:1.Web. Kothari,Geeta.IfYouAreWhatYouEat,WhatAmI.91100.Print. Tan,Amy.MotherTongue.TheNortonFieldGuidetoWriting,withReadingsandHandbook. RichardBullock,MaureenDalyGoggin,FrancineWeinberg.3rded.NewYork:W.W.Norton andCo.,2013.633639.Print.