If interactions contribute to identity formation, (Swain, et. al., 2011, p. 87) then there is a socio-cultural component to identity. While it is impossible to label identity because of its ever-evolving nature, attempts can be made to gain insight into a person's perceived actions and use those actions as data for exploring possible identity construction. For socio-cultural theory, "Identity is never determined by one person alone but is socially constructed" (Swain, et. al., p. 88). With that in mind, studying a person's language use in response to a given stimulus may reflect certain values a person holds subsequently leading to identity. By focusing on reflection, identity can be constructed and/or highlighted by accessing both cultural and learned experiences in order to synthesize a given stimulus. In presenting two people of differing cultures with an object that is common to both, the function of the object may remain the same but the experiences of the people with that given object may reflect differing value systems. This differentiation in valuation is one place identity can reveal itself. This study looked at ELL students' identity construction in an urban high school. Specifically, students' reflections and reactions to a graphic novel were used as data to explore how urban ELL students constructed their identities through their writing. Additionally, the data was examined through a sociocultural lens focusing on how students' written reactions to the graphic novel reflected their cultural and social backgrounds.