purpose of this short story is to explain to everyone that it's okay to be different. That each and every one of us is unique and one distinct difference between each and everyone of us is we each have our own "mother tongue". She explains the difference between her mother's generation and her own through speaking different Englishes. This is just one way to see the difference of generations. She uses many rhetorical devices to emphasis the theme of being proud of where you come from. Through her anecdotes within the story, you observe the growing acceptance of different cultures as a new generation is formed.