2. Group F--grenn26

In my novel “Girl In Translation” - Jean Kwok it is about an 11 year old girl who moved from Hong-Kong to New York with her mom which was a big cultural change for them as they spoke a different language, did their own things differently than others etc. Kimberly and her mom, who is called Ma in this novel, were looking around for apartments but the only ones they could find were described as no heat, no furniture, and kind of in a sketchy area. Kimberly and her mom had worked in a factory for two other people to pay back the money that they had used for medicine because Ma was sick before they moved to New York. 

I think that this question is really good to answer based off of my book just because it's mainly Kimberly and her mom together which I think could be empowering for the both of them just because they are together they have things in common especially after the culture change from Hong Kong to America. I've noticed that Ma also looks out for Kimberly even at the factory because she had told her to stay away from the other children at the factory so Kimberly can focus on her education which helped her get into Harvard and be able to succeed farther in life. We also find out that later in the novel Kimberly becomes a surgeon. "In those debt-ridden years before I finished medical school, I called upon any and every talent I had to become the best surgeon I could." (kwok 288) 

In my novel "Born a crime" by Trevor Noah, Trevor and his mom have a very different dynamic than Kimberly and Ma in your book. Trevor and his mom are very close but his mother doesn't strive to make him have a better life than he does or have great big plans for his future. like Ma does for Kimberly, so I think our books are similar with the close relationship between parents and their children but not in the since that Trevor's mom wants better for him.

Girl In Translation By Jean Kwok is about a young Chinese girl immigrating to the U.S from Hong Kong, trying to accustom to the new morals and ways of life. Kimberly and her mother live in a very run down, bad apartment in the projects of New York, a place that was basically abandoned. Kimberly has to attend public school, where she has some challenges in the beginning, but eventually makes a good friend named Annette. Annette shows her the ways of life in the U.S and eventually Kimberly gets the hang of school there, and gets very high math tests scores, and was able to be a candidate to go to a private school. On top of school, Kimberly has to go to the factory where her mother was employed after school to work very long hours, sometimes being there all night with her mother.

In my opinion, I really like this question for my book, because in my book it is mainly just the two of them since Kimberly's father is not with them, but in my book, Kimberly has a lot of responsibilities for her mother. For example after school everyday, she has to go work with her mother at the factory. Another responsibility she holds is translating in public for her mother, since her mother does not speak fluent English as well as Kimberly, and likewise she has to relay the message back to the other person in English so there can be a conversation. Another responsibility Kimberly holds for her mother is doing well in school and life, Kimberly's mother pushes her to be the best version of herself that she can be, Kimberly works very hard in school, and at the factory mainly so she can be successful, but mainly so her Ma is impressed with her. One quote that shows Kimberly having responsibility's is "Can I do anything to help you?" Ma asked. "No, Ma." She sighed, "You have to work so hard. Don't stay up too late, little one." I wanted to go to bed. I felt the back of my neck growing heavier, weighing down my head, my eyes. The apartment was dark and empty. A few mice scurried in the kitchen." ( Kwok 139 ) This quote shows Kimberly working very hard in school and overworking herself, so she can get herself, and her mother out of the apartment in the projects, into a safer place for both of them. 

In my book Out Of Nowhere by Maria Padian, Saeed gets a job at the convenience store. He gets this job because of the fact he is an immigrant lives with an immigrant family that is struggling in their new home. His mom works as a housekeeper and his father works as a taxi driver. both of these jobs are good for supporting their family but are low level jobs because they are immigrants and can't get a better job. His parents help in, in his dreams in succeeding in soccer, and giving him support in the discrimination he faces but they hurt him by having high expectations that he doesn't believe he can reach and being strict about him being around non-Somalis and he being Somali makes it harder to fit in. A quote that shows Saeed's relationship with his parents is, "Even my parents are getting off work early to see the game" (Padian 201). This quote shows that his parents are sacrificing time and money to go see him play and achieve his dreams.