Read the following excerpt from Sandra Cisneros’s story "Mericans."

After all that dust and dark, the light from the plaza makes me squinch my eyes like if I just came out of the movies. My brother Keeks is drawing squiggly lines on the concrete with a wedge of glass and the heel of his shoe. My brother Junior squatting against the entrance, talking to a lady and man. They’re not from here. Ladies don’t come to church dressed in pants. And everybody knows men aren’t supposed to wear shorts. “¿Quieres chicle?” the lady asks in a Spanish too big for her mouth.

The irony in this excerpt contributes most to which of the following themes?

It is always preferable to forget the past and focus on the future.

It is possible for people to be connected to more than one culture.

It is very easy to learn two different languages if one works hard.

It is always easier to criticize people before getting to know them.