.
Alexie uses the desire to leave the reservation as a symbol of leaving their tradition and culture. The band is popular on the reservation, as long they do not leave the reservation. Once they get a gig off the reservation the tribe begins to disapprove of the band and call for their dismissal from the reservation. The message is that they cannot have both the traditions of the reservation and the American dream. This idea of Alexie's held steady to the end of the novel. The band's failure in the big city is a powerful statement by Alexie that their ethnic culture has no part in becoming American. He implies that the only way to successfully integrate into mainstream America is to deny one's ethnic and racial identity. .
Americo Paredes employs a similar tactic in his book George Washington Gomez. Paredes however takes his character's loathing of his race a little further. As a young boy Gualinto had more than a healthy respect and genuine love for his Mexican heritage, even though his knowledge of Mexican history was limited. Paredes uses the games that Gualinto played that put him in the role of a Mexican revolutionary to show a connection to his racial history. Paredes could have written Gualinto pretending to be a rinche or other gringo, but he chose to tell us that the past gave Gualinto a sense of pride in being a Mexican. Another way that Paredes shows that Gualinto had a love for his culture is having him be angry when people call him white because of his light hair color. In fact, he wants to grow up and be like Mexican heroes he has heard about. As a boy he tells his uncle "Just wait till I"m a man! I"ll get our land back. I"ll be like Gregorio Cortez and Cheno Cortinas and all of them."# Paredes lays the groundwork of a young man, who not only accepts who he is, but is proud of his heritage. As a high school senior Gualinto sided with his Mexican friends when they were denied entrance into a restaurant because they were Mexican, although Gualinto could have passed as white and gotten in.
