Heritage is an essential aspect of individuals’ lives because it informs them of their past and how society has evolved. It helps examine our history and tradition, which are an integral part of our life, facilitating people to develop awareness regarding themselves. It helps in understanding why we are thaw we are. The short story, ‘A pair of a ticket begins” by Amy Tan, significantly clarifies that the protagonist June May is completely westernized and has lost her heritage. In other words, the author demonstrates that when people fail to embrace their roots, they end up missing one of the essential parts of their lives, their heritage.
June May was born in Oakland, California, and attended her high schools at Francisco, where Caucasians surrounded him. It is cleared that this main character in the short story was westernized. The authors, unlike their mothers, are Americans by birth. Therefore, neither American nor Chinese culture can define them. Consequently, they neither identify themselves as American nor Chinese. Jing-Mei explores the internal conflicts of people living abroad through her experiences. Generally, the story demonstrates the challenges faced by second-generation American immigrant children who face various dilemmas, including bi-culture and self- identification, and forgetting their roots. In the information “A pair of Tickets,” Jing-Mei is has denied her Chinese heritage and has been Americanized. At the age of 30 years, Jing-Mei was struggling to identify and reconnect to her roots.
More issues with identity and identity are portrayed when Jing-Mei visited in China. This was a clear indication of her American upbringing and the denial of being a Chinese. It makes her be not being updated on Chinese modernization and culture. ‘The taxi stops, and I assume we have arrived, but then I peer out at what looks like a grander version of the Hyatt regency.” This is communist China?” She exclaims. (Tan, pg 127). Her moment at the hotel begins to alter her self-image in a manner she cannot comprehend. She is amused when she discovers that her Chinese family desires French fries and Hamburgers.
Jing-Mei exhibited conflicts that needed to be solved. Her mother died when she was at the age of 36 years. Surprisingly, she was not aware that she had children in China, and her parents had not explained to her regarding her real identity. Additionally, no member could explain to her regarding her actual identity because all her family members have lost their lives in the war. However, she becomes aware of her identity when, after seeing a phonograph, her father had given her step twin sister. Jing-Mei could not tolerate the service offered in Chine hotel. This implies that Jing-Mei was not aware of her real identity and origin. Her conflict was a result of not being able to establish whether she was Chinese or American.
Jing-Mei reached the middle and did not what it meant to be Chinese because of being raised in the United States. She was never in good terms with her mother whenever she tried to instill in her the significance of her Chinese heritage. She exhibited antagonistic arguments concerning her heritage. She shed tears when she got an opportunity to know her sisters she had never known and even met. However, as the story unfolds, Jing-Mie undergoes transformation associated with her roots and begins to adopt the trait she had once hated.
In conclusion, the story “A pair Tickets” provides an insightful view of the importance of embracing one’s identity through the protagonist. The report presents an impressive view of Jing-Mei, who is going back to her native country, China. This woman embarks the journey of self-discovery to identify her real roots.