Heritage And Culture in A Pair of Tickets

Who am I? Have you ever sat and thought of the contributing elements that make you the person you are? In "A Pair of Tickets," in hopes of discovering her real self, June May has a hard time to identify who she is. Amy Tan is an author who utilizes the aspect of character development to draw out the style of self-awareness and identity in this story, generally focusing on the primary character having the dual identity of being Chinese American.

While June May discovers her ancestral house, she likewise finds a part of herself.

June Might's mom was an immigrant from China. At the beginning of the story, June informs of how her mom attempts to communicate their household's history and legacy to her. June, who is completely americanized and almost totally oblivious of their heritage, tells of how at the age of fifteen she believes she disappears Chinese than her Caucasian pals even though her mom was consistent in encouraging her that being Chinese might not be assisted.

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Her pass port exposes her American name which is June Might however she chooses to introduce herself as Jing-Mei, which is her Chinese name. This incident is the start of her accepting her Chinese heritage. She has lots of misunderstandings throughout the story; the majority of about what is to be Chinese and the culture of China and individuals that reside there. One example being she did not think that "communist China" would have such elegant hotels, which is an example of American stereotyping.

She compares her height to those of individuals she is surrounded by when she gets off the train to head to customizeds, saying that she was much taller. She was expecting a traditional Chinese meal however her household went with the hamburgers, fries, and apple pie rather. She was surprised when her younger cousin Lili impersonated if she was a supermodel while taking a picture. June began to take in how American culture had formed her method of thinking which she was wrong in thinking her family would be more various from her.

Often looking on the experiences of your families past is sometimes needed to discover who we are as a person. Going to China helps June understand how she is Chinese. As she learns more about her family and her mother’s life and the sacrifices she had to make, June’s mindset changes more. She compares being Chinese to transforming into a werewolf as though it was something she would have to become. By the end of the story, she realizes that the part of her that is Chinese is her family, and it is in her blood. Becoming Chinese was not realistic and her mother was right. She was already Chinese, and it could not be helped. June May’s journey was never about becoming Chinese, or understanding the culture, it was about understanding who she is and knowing that there are parts of herself that she had no control of their existence. Finding her ethnic and cultural roots while in China allowed June May Woo to discover Jing-Mei Woo.