What defines us? What constitutes our identity? Be it religion, nationalism, ethnicity, mode of livelihood or gender/family; we all have traits that identify us. For some, identity can be good, for others bad. Amy Tan uses Ethnicity, Gender/Family, and Religion to describe how she feels about identity. Mary Matsuda Gruenewald also uses ethnicity, gender/family, and religion to express her feelings about identity. Lila Abu-Lughod believed that identities are not natural, permanent, or fixed. Although people feel you are one, also think that you have many identities. Identity is always defined through difference from something else. The livelihood mode identifies the use because for poor people, their goal is simply to get daily nourishment, but as for a wealthy individual, he or she might be concerned about getting access to an exclusive club. As for religion, if you are Jewish you will celebrate Hanukkah, while if you are Christian you will celebrate Christmas. During a global sporting event like the Olympics, your national identity would identify you as American, Russian, Chinese, etc. In Algerian and Muslim countries, women would need to hide their identity because women did not have the same freedom as men. Your ethnicity depends on your cultural background such as Chinese, Caucasian, or African American. We are all made up of certain traits or characteristics that create our identity. Amy Tan showcases her take on identity by showing the differences between cultures in a short, sweet and heartwarming story. This story is interesting because it is a clear comparison between American and Chinese cultural traditions/beliefs. Imagine sitting at a table on Christmas Eve, enraptured with the...... middle of paper...... in this sense it can be useful to describe an emotional scene like that. Parents must destroy their precious belongings now. “One by one they examined each record and took turns breaking them, silently stoking their beloved music into the stove until each record was destroyed. The flames illuminated my parents' sad but determined faces. The family must destroy their precious possessions. Through details it helps create the reader's mood. It almost makes you feel like you're there. The term identity has many meanings, most identities have problems, for some it is simply how they celebrate holidays but for others it means being put in a relocation camp. Identity is what you are, not what someone else is. Today in society people always want to have a different identity. People must accept their identity for what it is, not what it could be.