The short story “What You Pawn I Will Redeem” by Sherman Alexie details a day in the life of a homeless Native American named Jackson Jackson Jackson is on a quest that, to most readers, seems to be about obtaining his grandmother's powwow regalia, however, upon further examination, one may come to the conclusion that Jackson is indeed searching for his identity personal. Donald, one of the central characters of "Rich Brother", would undoubtedly sympathize with Jackson's plight, as he too searches for an identity throughout the story Considering that Jackson is far from his homeland, one of his main challenges in life is to resist acculturation and assimilation. To combat this, he took it upon himself to Although both characters eagerly seek their own identity, it is unclear whether or not Donald discovers his; while with Jackson it is quite obvious that his mission to rediscover his cultural identity is a success. It quickly becomes clear that Jackson has lost touch with his roots. He begins the story with: "One day you have a house and the next day you don't" (Alexie 1433). This phrase explicitly exposes the state of homelessness that Jackson lives in, but it also implicitly exposes the cultural aspect of homelessness that Native Americans live in as they are tied to an unfortunate past of cultural denial and stolen land. He explains that he has not lived in the homeland of his ancestors for twenty-three years, which can certainly lead to distance from one's upbringing. Jackson feels empty, even mentally deprived, when she rejects his offer, stating that “it's tribal. It's an Indian thing. When you win, you should share it with your family” (Alexie 1440). Another example that demonstrates Jackson's search for his own identity and his strong connection to his own culture is that he is constantly “only for the Indians” (Alexie 1441). It is this loneliness that drives him to spend his remaining eighty dollars on his Native American “cousins” who are not even related by blood (Alexie 1441). Jackson feels connected to these Native Americans because they share his race and perhaps even his suffering. Native American culture unites them all in mutual respect for their past. Donald also knows what it means to be generous in an attempt to gain a sense of belonging; however, his effort is much less successful than Jackson's. Donald “[gives away] groceries” that belong to his farming community to a family of field workers, which ultimately leads to him being kicked off the farm (Wolff 328). Instead of regaining some of his identity in a similar way to how Jackson does, he is forced to once again continue his search for a home. Jackson also carries on his culture's fiscal traditions by buying breakfast for a group of Aleut Indians, but he doesn't