Girl In Translation

Kim tells Ma about the impending neighborhood demolition. She insists that Aunt Paula must have known about it, and that's why she chose this place for them to live. In a rare, bold exchange, Kim says, "Ma, let's run away. We can find a new job at another factory. Aunt Paula doesn't have to know" (84). But Ma refuses, reminding Kim of how much Aunt Paula has done for them, of the debt they owe her. She also reveals to Kim that when they were younger women in Hong Kong, she was supposed to marry Uncle Bob, an American-born Chinese man, because she wasn't as resourceful as Aunt Paula.

At the factory, Ma gently confronts Aunt Paula about their neighborhood. Paula acknowledges that she knew, but uses the information to reassure Ma and Kim that their stay in the awful apartment is temporary. On their way back to their workstation, they pass Matt, who is working without his mother and brother. Matt tells Kim that his mother has problems with her heart, and, when Ma offers a remedy, kindly explains that his mother has her own medicine. Ma reflects that he's a "nicer boy than I thought" (86).

The bully at school, Luke, starts noticing Kim. One day in the cafeteria, he challenges her to an after-school fight. Annette offers to give Kim a ride home so she can avoid the fight, but Kim refuses. She doesn't want Annette to see where she lives. When they do fight, Luke hits her once with his book bag, then lets Kim land some blows on him with hers. When she kicks him in the shin, he backs away.Luke continues to pick fights with Kim every day afterschool, until another, more developed girl intervenes. She and Luke fight with their backpacks once, and end up making out the next day. Kim realizes thatthe bully probably only wanted to fight her because he had a crush on her.

Kim gets called into the principal's office. She's afraid she's in trouble for fighting, but realizes that Mrs. LaGuardia only wants to offer her help in placing Kim into a private middle school. She says that, based on her national test scores, Kim has potential, but needs help with her English language skills that public school may not be able to provide. Kim says she can't afford it, but Mrs. LaGuardia explains that a scholarship may be an option.

Mrs. LaGuardia makes an appointment for Kim and Ma to visit Harrison, the private school that Annette will be attending the next year. Ma can't go because she has work at the factory. Kim takes three subways to reach the school. She is dumbfounded by the expansiveness and lushness of the campus. She meets with Dr.Weston, a school administrator, who interviews her for an hour. Though Kim expects questions about her mother and her assimilation into American culture, Dr. Weston gives her word problems to solve, something at which Kim excels. Impressed by her answers, Dr. Weston has Kim take a tour of the campus. The number of white students strikes her and she wonders if she will be the only Chinese student. She worries that if the other students "knew that Ma made even my underwear for me, that we slept under pieces of fabric we'd found in the trash, they would throw me out" (97).

Still at Harrison, Dr. Weston explains to Kim that she would probably be eligible for a tuition scholarship of up to 75%. Kim understands, though, that she and Ma wouldn't be able to afford even 25% of the schools' tuition. She leaves, explaining that Dr. Weston can't speak to Ma over the phone or in person, because they don't have a phone and Ma doesn't speak English.

Back at school, Kim tells Annette about the tour and how she won't be going to Harrison, but she lies about the reason, saying that she didn't pass the admissions test. Annette says if that's the case then she won't go either. However, at the sixth-grade graduation ceremony, Mrs. LaGuardia announces that Kim has been awarded a full tuition scholarship to Harrison.

After the ceremony, Ma and Kim head to the factory for work. Aunt Paula calls them into her office and gives them the letter from Harrison that has come to the address Kim usedfor school registration. She tells them that Harrison is an extremely expensive school and difficult to get into, that even her son Nelson couldn't get in. She chastises Ma for letting Kim think of trying to go to it. Kim tells her that this is her acceptance letter, and that she got a full scholarship. Aunt Paula gets extremely flustered, but says she's happy for Kim's opportunity.

Kim gives Annette her home address so that they can write each other postcards while they're apart over the summer, which Annette spends at summer camp. Towards the end of the summer, Annette and her father stop by the apartment. Kim and Ma pretend they aren't home to avoid having the Avery family see the inside of their home.

Ma buys Kim clothes for her Harrison uniform at Woolworth's and the discount store. They don't fit very well and the blue skirt, which is supposed to be plain, has rhinestones on it. On the first day of class, Kim rides the bus to Harrison. She marvels at the number of white kids around her, the most she's encountered since arriving in the States. She also notices how some of the girls are wearing jewelry and make-up, which she never has. A boy teases her about the rhinestones on her skirt, but she dismisses it. Kim has lunch in the cafeteria with Annette and discovers that at Harrison, meals are included with tuition.