Jerrica Meno

Professor Trevor Duston

ENG 101
September 26, 2014
Project 1- Rhetorical Analysis of yourself

True Identity
Towards the end of the first semester of my junior year, my
family and I packed up our ten plus years worth of belongings and
relocated to Guam. Saying goodbye was probably as close to that
feeling of getting your heart ripped straight out of your chest as you
can get. I realized I was leaving my childhood stomping grounds and
the familiar faces I already drew so close to. When we finally arrived in
Guam and had to start school, I was not interested whatsoever. I didnt
give the environment a chance because I didnt want to move in the
first place. I wasnt open to creating new friends because I thought,
why should I if I have friends back in Arizona. From the teachers to
the students, right off the bat everyone at Okkodo High School knew
my brothers and I were from the states. I noticed that majority of the
people were so humble and welcoming yet I still didnt give them the
time of day. Several weeks had passed and I decided to join a few

sports and organizations, through these extracurricular activities I

formed an infinite amount of friends. I realized I had finally opened up
and let people in. Guam soon began to grow on me and fill the
emptiness that I had once felt.
Ever since my siblings and I were young, my parents had instilled
in us that respect is keyno matter what the situation may be. We
were taught to respect others around us whether or not they were a
relative or even a complete stranger. One can emotionally feel the
munificent amount of respect my new group of friends had given off.
Carrying this common trait drew us closer and closer over time. In all
honesty, my cluster of friends became more like a family to me than

just my friends. Despite only knowing each other for less than two
years I felt closer to them than ever. My friends in Guam have even
started to call my parents by the names auntie and uncle; with this
distinct verbal acknowledgement by giving my parents those titles,
gave myself a sign of relief that they too considered me as family .
Knowing the people I met gave me the pleasure of warmth and a
place of belonging, which I longed for, for a while now. Meanwhile
living in Guam, I would always compare my Guam friends to my friends
back in Arizona. For example, during our leisure time in Guam, we

would sometimes cook dinner, have bonfires in someones backyard,

host movie nights, or even go on a hike whereas the friends in Arizona
would always want to go out and party every weekend. I guess we just
appreciated each others company that we didnt need to do
extravagant activities in order to have fun or hangout. I felt that I
didnt have to entertain or go out of my way to make my Guam friends
like me compared to the way I needed to act towards my friends in
Arizona. I felt that I didnt have to change my personality to someone I
wasnt when I was with them. I felt that we meshed well together
because we shared the same culture and traditions. I felt that I could
trust them with my whole life. I felt that I somehow had found my true
identity.
I have continuously crossed paths with a quote over the span of
three years, which is, Life isnt about creating yourself, life is about
finding yourself (Unknown). As I reread this quote over and over
again, I acknowledged that I didnt know my true identity until I moved
to Guam. Before, I used to question myself on a daily basiswho am I,
am I good enough, will people accept me for me? I always knew that I
was different from everyone else, from the color of my skin to the
beliefs and morals that my family and I cherish. The only two facts that

I know is one: my name and two: Guam is my home. Does that really
matter to anyone? Growing up in the states for the majority of my life,
I tried so hard to fit in just like how everyone did around me. In
Arizona, you can say I was in that so-called popular girl clique
throughout elementary and middle school that every girl wanted to be
apart of. I didnt comprehend why other girls considered wanting to be
our friends because we were just a group of teacher pleasers yet nave
drama seekers.
I can recall back to the times during elementary and middle
school in which I had felt as if I was on top of the world. I had all of the
friends I needed in my life (or so I thought). One day, in eighth grade,
a girl wanted to become a part of our group. She told us that she could
bring alcohol to school so we could drink and have fun. On the
following day she did exactly what she had promised. We all took
turns, passing the alcohol-filled water bottle around in the girls
bathroom; little did we care about who was even watching. Later that
same day, the principal did a search in both eighth grade classes. She
searched bag after bag, letting non-affiliated people gotrying to get
someone from my group to spill the beans. No one would confess so
she had to bring in the police to interrogate each and every one of us

that was left behind. Nine girls, including myself, were marched down
to the main office; where the principal called the girl who had brought
the alcohol into her office. After less than five minutes the principal
came running out of her office and began looking for the students
bag. As soon as that happened I knew that we were in heaps of
trouble. After this incident, I was traumatized and didnt know what I
was thinking or why I involved myself with these kinds of people.
Reflecting on the past made me aware that my friends in Guam are so
different because they dont need illegal and mind altering substances
such as alcohol and drugs to have fun.
Lying was a huge deal in my household. We were taught from a

young age that once you have lied it is extremely difficult to gain
someones trust back. During my high school years before I moved to
Guam, the majority of my friends in Arizona had boyfriends. They all
had boyfriends so of course I wanted one too. Almost every week I
would sneak out and head over to my (at the time) boyfriends house.
Even knowing the risks and even the consequences, I still told my mom
countless lies. For example I would tell her that I was at volleyball
practice when I really wasnt. The continuous lying lasted for about a
year but I couldnt take it anymore! I hated trying to keep up with all
the lies. Whenever I told the truth it came out so naturally but when

my life was basically one drastic lie, I felt beyond disgusted. I thought
lying was protecting me and my life when in actuality it was hurting
me, and even more so hurting my mom. During this time period in my
life I felt as if I had lost myself entirely. I had morphed into someone
that I didnt know or even like. I lost touch with what I stood for as a
young individual. It was like I was staring into a mirror and seeing a
complete stranger. If I spent my entire life in Guam, I strongly believe
that I wouldnt have done most of the things Ive done in my past. I
feel that being Americanized and influenced by the American culture
made me lose my true Guam identity.
Hopefully me relocating to Arizona for college doesnt stray me
away from my Guam identity like it did the last time I was here. I finally
feel at peace with who I am and I know that everything that has gone
on in my life has shaped me into the person that I truly believe that I
was meant to be. I am thankful for my experiences and even more
thankful for my amazing family who stuck with me through the good
and the bad.