Maxine Hong Kingston's The Woman Warrior sheds light on the difficulties a hyphenated American has to face in the United States. Starting from a very young age, the protagonist has to go through discrimination and several types of silencing. She is silenced by cultural and language barriers, and by the lack of self-confidence, but she also experiences forced silencing. She comes to realize that being silenced in so many ways, one cannot achieve their full potential. She has to become hybridized, finding a balance between the two sets of values and the two cultural influences.