Final answer:
Characters in literature and media navigate the duality of cultural identification, internalizing and externalizing their experiences as they go through the process of Americanization, exemplified by the writings of Cathy Park Hong and W. E. B. Du Bois. Their interactions reveal the complexities of identity within societal norms, highlighting the need for a decolonized self that embraces authentic cultural experiences.
Step-by-step explanation:
Characters within literature and media often grapple with a duality of cultural identification, experiencing both inclusion and exclusion as part of their Americanization. This internal and external process is exemplified by activists and authors such as Cathy Park Hong and W. E. B. Du Bois, who through their writings, interrogate identity formation and cultural authenticity.
Individuals often confront the challenge of reconciling a colonized self—shaped by dominant sociocultural norms—and a decolonized self that seeks to uphold and prioritize genuine personal cultural experiences. Their interactions with one another accentuate their multifaceted identities and highlight the complexities of navigating a society which often demands conformity to a mainstream culture.
Du Bois's concept of double consciousness captures the tension of competing identities within American society. It represents the internal struggle of integrating the values and traditions of one's own culture with those of the prevailing American culture. Meanwhile, Cathy Park Hong's work discusses the rhetoric and power of language in the formation and understanding of one's cultural identity. Therefore, the process of decolonizing involves understanding and embracing one's multifaceted identity, often against the backdrop of prevailing societal norms, a journey that characters within these narratives vividly portray.