“A Pair of Tickets” by Amy Tan and “Volar” by Judith Ortiz Cofer both use symbolism and distinct settings to portray lives and the feelings of two young girls who come from different cultural backgrounds. Although these girls are different in how they lead their lives and how their nationality affects them on a daily basis, they both struggle with culture-related issues that many people who live in a place other than where they come from face. Both tales use similar styles of setting and symbolism to describe two very different problems these girls face because of who they are and where they come from. The setting of each story gives the audience insight into why the characters feel, act, and react a certain way. The subtle yet powerful symbolism used throughout the stories helps create greater depth and meaning that impacts the main characters. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay "A Pair of Tickets" is about narrator Jing-Mei who goes to China for the first time and discovers what makes her Chinese. Growing up in California, she assimilated into the American lifestyle and cultures of the country. She insisted that she doesn't feel Chinese on the inside at all, even though her parents were both Chinese immigrants and she looked it on the outside. At the beginning of the story she wants nothing to do with being Chinese and tries her best to avoid it, but once she gets to China, she learns what it really means to be Chinese and, strangely enough, feels like she's come home . The Chinese setting correlates with Jing-Mei's story of self-discovery. The setting explores heritage, location, and ethnic identity to give the reader a better understanding of Jing Mei and how it all impacts her. The setting and her Chinese relatives help her learn about the nature of being Chinese and change her perspective on her heritage. “I look at their faces again and I see no trace of my mother in them. Yet they still seem familiar. I also see what part of me is Chinese. It's so obvious. It's my family. It's in our blood” (202). Being in China and being with her family members changes her sense of culture and leads her to realize that although she does not live in China, she is Chinese through her roots and family. On the other hand, the story "Volar" is about an immigrant family also residing in America. The little girl, who is also the narrator of the story, has her own version of the American dream that is far out of her reach due to her circumstances. Unlike "A Pair of Tickets", the girl in this story has trouble adjusting. Being from Puerto Rico, she struggles to appear different from everyone else and relate to people who live in America, so trying to escape the harsh reality that is her life, she would imagine herself as Supergirl observing buildings and spying on her neighbors. This dream gave her a feeling of empowerment and control of her surroundings. He actually lives in a “Barrio” which is a Spanish speaking neighborhood. The girl said, “I would wake up in my little bedroom with the incongruous, at least in our little apartment…” (204). She remembers waking up from her superhero dreams in her disappointing little area of ​​life. He is very aware of how his way of life was below the standards of others. He goes on to describe how everything in the neighborhood is small and dirty as he looks through the kitchen window. He also describes his mother as desperately wanting to leave this place and go on vacation to Puerto Rico for.