Introduction
An individual first begins forming her self-identity based on the characteristics of her immediate family. She has nothing else to refer to except what she knows; that is her immediate family’s ethnic identity, religious/spiritual identity, and socioeconomic identity. As she begins to interact with the world outside her immediate family, the individual begins to notice discrepancies between the identities of her immediate family and those outside of it. An individual can choose to explore and assimilate outside identities, but she remains tied to her first impressions of identity. Margaret Walker’s “Lineage,” Robin D.G. Kelley’s “The People ...
