Introduction to Heritage and Multicultural American Identities: Contemporary Voices (1970–2000)
Question 3 • 25-26 6th Six Weeks TX-College Prep English
Read the excerpt from Sandra Cisneros’s story "Mericans."“Por favor,” says the lady. “¿Un foto?” pointing to her camera.“Si.” She’s so busy taking Junior’s picture, she doesn’t notice me and Keeks. “Hey, Michele, Keeks. You guys want gum?” “But you speak English!”“Yeah,” my brother says, “we’re Mericans.”Which best explains the irony in this excerpt?
Answer
A
The woman assumes that the narrator’s brother is from the region, but he is actually from the US.
B
The narrator’s brother does not know how to say the word “Americans” even though he is a US citizen.
C
Neither the narrator nor her brother actually cares for the gum the woman is passing out to them.
D
The children assume that the woman is a foreigner, but she actually lives in a nearby Mexican town.
Explanation
The woman speaks to the children in Spanish and seems to assume they are from the area. She is surprised when they speak English, and Junior answers that they are “Mericans”—Americans from the United States. The irony comes from the mismatch between her assumption and who the children say they are, so A is correct.
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