Maizy Chen's Last Chance

“‘So, where are you from, hon?’

‘California.’

Eva shakes her head. ‘I mean, where are you from?’

‘Los Angeles—’

‘Your people, your nationality.’

Ooooh. Okay.

‘My nationality is American,’ I say. But then, because I know what she’s really asking, I add, ‘But my race, if that’s what you mean, is Chinese.’”

This interaction reveals how The Threat of Racism and Xenophobia arises when Maizy does not expect it. Maizy naively assumes that Eva’s question centers around her being from out of town when Eva really wants to know her race. Eva does not intend her question to be malicious, but the novel uses it as example of the unconscious bias well-meaning people can still harbor when faced with cultures and races different from their own.

“‘It’s not just the cards you’re dealt. It’s what you do with them that matters most,’ Opa tells me.”

Opa’s lessons about poker double as life lessons. Opa teaches Maizy how to make the most out of her poker hand, which serves as an allegory for how Lucky had to make the most out of his situation when he traveled to America. Although Maizy has more support than Lucky did, Opa still feels that he should teach her the importance of adaptability, innovation, and accepting and maximizing who she is and what she is given in life.

“One of the Mean Girls pulls her eyelids back. The other is laughing. ‘You’re too funny, Caroline!’ My face feels like it’s on fire. Why is it that they’re the ones being mean and I’m the one who feels embarrassed? Even though I’ve only just started my sundae, I get up to leave.”

This quote exemplifies the racism that Maizy faces as the only person of color her age in Last Chance. Maizy feels humiliated because the girls dehumanize her and make her feel ashamed of what she looks like. She forsakes her sundae—a symbol for childlike innocence and enjoyment—after her first experience of overt racism, itself a form of lost innocence.

“‘Just another mouth to feed. Well, at least it’s a boy. They are worth more than girls.’ When she heard her old uncle, the new sister hung her head in shame, for she knew it to be true. Sons were cherished because they grew up to support their elders. Daughters were a burden to be married off to other families.”

When Lucky is born, his uncle and family are glad that he is a boy because 19th-century Chinese American society placed more value on boys than girls. This comment makes Lucky’s sister feel devalued because her family does not recognize her sacrifices and struggles in the same way as those of her male counterparts. This lends a brief glimpse of intersectional discrimination to Lucky’s story by revealing the extra burden that his sister must bear as a woman of color: She experiences discrimination in the form of both racism and sexism.

“Even if they wanted to return home, they couldn’t afford it. Their wages were lower than anyone else’s for the same jobs. They had no rights in America and because they looked different from the white people, they were treated with suspicion.”

When Lucky arrives in America, he realizes that it will be much harder for him to make his fortune than he thought. Yee outlines the inequalities that Chinese immigrants faced since they had limited rights when they came to America. Lucky manages to become successful and make a home for himself, even though his opportunities were few, which suggests his determination and hard work.

“‘Now and then a stranger will call me or my brother a “dirty Mexican” or joke they’re going to deport us.’ I had no idea people were saying those horrible things. They don’t say stuff like that at school, but there everyone knows Ginger. Like me, she was born in Los Angeles. Ginger’s a third-generation American. Her uncle is an officer in the Marines, and her aunt is a California state representative. But even if Ginger just immigrated last week, no one should be treated like that.”

Maizy’s friend Ginger tells her the ways that racism has affected her and her family. Even though Ginger’s family immigrated several generations earlier, she still faces discrimination from strangers who believe she does not belong in America. Maizy knows that even if Ginger was an immigrant, the racist comments would still be wrong, as she recognizes all races of people should be treated with respect; however, she finds it particularly ironic that people say such things to Ginger when her family works in the US government.

“‘You’d think things would have changed by now,’ he says, sinking into his wheelchair. ‘But there’s still lots of work to be done.’

I remember how Lucky was treated. […]

‘Lots of time, people don’t think about the consequences of their actions,’ Opa says wearily. ‘When they put down others, it makes them feel better about themselves.’”

Opa becomes frustrated when he sees news reports of people protesting refugees across the country. Maizy realizes that Opa feels exhausted because he has seen so much inequality and discrimination in his life, and sometimes it feels like the work toward achieving equality will never be completed.

“The racists who act friendly are the most dangerous.”

Opa tells Maizy this once she notices that Jenkins’s subtle racism is as bad as the violent racism Opa describes. Maizy later remembers this quote, which foreshadows Mayor Whitlock’s form of racism: Whitlock pretends to support the Chens following the hate crime against them while secretly worsening the hate crime for his own gain.

“There’s a poster of Maya Angelou on the wall and Black boys on the cover of the book I’m holding. Other than my family, they’re the only people of color I’ve seen in Last Chance.”

This quote reveals the importance of representation, particularly for young people. Even though Maizy has friends in Last Chance, she feels encouraged by reading books that tell the stories of people of color. This experience makes Maizy realize how difficult it must have been for her mother to grow up in Last Chance without anyone her age who shared her experience.

“Not everything illegal is wrong. […] I don’t know the details about the paper sons who came through Last Chance. People didn’t want others to know their business. It could be used against you. You never knew who you could trust.”

Oma tells Maizy that laws can be wrong and that Lucky did not do anything wrong by helping the paper sons. Oma’s description of the fear associated with people using someone’s identity against them quote foreshadows her secret: that her father was a paper son. Even after America repealed the Chinese Exclusion Act, and after many decades as a member of the community, Oma lived in fear that the government would send her and her family back to China. Oma keeps the secret of her father’s identity to herself until she decides to have Maizy research him so Maizy can feel more connected to her ancestors.

“Behind all those serious faces in the photos, I can now see fear—but when I look closer, I also see determination, hope, and courage. It takes a brave person to cross an ocean for an uncertain future.”

Although Maizy previously could only think of the fear that the paper sons must have felt, she recognizes that these men must also have been extremely brave. Maizy feels inspired by the courage of the paper sons who defied the Chinese Exclusion Act to make a new life for themselves, realizing that their courage extends to her as well.

“Quite a few times, actually. Especially when I was younger, before the civil rights movement. But even after that, too. You can forget that there are prejudiced people out there and think things are good. Then one comes along, you’re surprised all over again.”

Opa tells Maizy that people have called him the c-word racial slur several times in his life. This quote shows the weight of words—particularly racist or dehumanizing ones—and how greatly they affect people. Opa feels overwhelmed by the state of the world because just when he starts to feel that things are progressing, someone reminds him of the depth of prejudice and racism that still exists in the world.

“Just because there are laws doesn’t mean they are right. In 2017, the president banned many Muslims and stopped thousands of refugees—people who are forced to leave their country because they were being unfairly punished—from coming to the United States. During the Holocaust, it was illegal to hide Jews. Slavery was legal in America, and entire Native American communities were slaughtered in the name of patriotism. We should never forget these wrongs.”

Emmy writes to Maizy, reminding her of different times in history when people had to break the law because the law was unjust. Emmy’s words show Maizy that injustice still occurs and that they need to remember the injustices of the past so that society can learn from them, rather than continuing cycles of harm. This quote emphasizes that minority groups have similar plights and that each is strengthened by solidarity from others.

“I know that anti-immigrant rhetoric and anti-Asian crimes are scary. That’s why it’s so important to talk about them. We can’t pretend that bad things didn’t happen in the past and aren’t happening now. But we can address them and shine a light on the problems while looking for solutions.”

This quote shows the importance of remembering the past and examining history’s mistakes so that the future can be fairer for all people. Emmy encourages Maizy not to let racism and xenophobia scare her into not speaking up about injustice. Rather, Emmy highlights the importance of Maizy using her voice to move toward healing.

“I think about Lulu and about Opa’s mother, Ana, and about my grandmother. All young Chinese American women who moved away from big cities to this small town to be with their husbands. And then there’s my mom, who went in the opposite direction to follow her dream, or maybe to find it.”

Maizy thinks about the additional struggles that her female ancestors faced as Chinese American women who gave up their dreams for the sake of their family. The Connection Between Generations is important in part because it allows reflections like this; it makes Maizy realize the privilege that she and Charlotte have in their ability to pursue their dreams. This indicates that progress has been slow but that it has happened.

“Opa’s mother told him, ‘Things aren’t always what they seem. The same goes for people.’ How could I have been so wrong about Lady Macbeth? Who else have I been wrong about?”

Yee highlights how people’s motives can be surprising, sometimes for the better. Although Maizy assumed that Lady Macbeth was arrogant, she feels pleasantly surprised when it turns out that Lady Macbeth has had the Chen’s best interests in mind. This quote foreshadows Maizy’s discovery that she misjudged Principal Holmes and was also wrong about Mayor Whitlock, who lured her into a false sense of trust.

“I can’t begin to describe how much I love my grandfather. Even though he’s right here, I miss him already. I start to tear up.”

Maizy faces grief for the first time in her life with Opa’s death. Even before Opa dies, Maizy understands The Importance of Familial Bonds, but when she thinks of losing Opa, her grief overwhelms her and causes her to appreciate her family in a new way. However, once Opa tells her about his discomfort around people treating him like he is already dead, Maizy saves her tears and enjoys the time she has left with Opa.

“Lucky was remembering growing up poor in China and his journey to an unknown land. He was remembering his best friend, Li Wei, and the men who ran him out of San Francisco. He was remembering Mr. and Mrs. Phillips, Happy, and the paper sons who found their way to Last Chance. But most of all he remembered Lulu and the Golden Palace and his family. Finally, he spoke. ‘I may have been born in China, but my life, my loves, and my home is here in Last Chance, Minnesota. Thank you to all who have been on this journey with me. Because of you, my heart is full.’”

Before Lucky dies, Last Chance honors him with the key to the city. Despite the racism and xenophobia that Lucky has faced in America, he ends his life with a grateful perspective because he knows that Last Chance was his true home. Lucky’s last thoughts signify his choice to make the most of the hand he was dealt, both good and bad, and remind readers of the importance of recognition by one’s family and chosen community.

“Charlotte, I used to think that when you left Last Chance, you wanted to get away from me and Opa. But that’s not what it was, was it? Now I realize you were trying to get closer to your own dream, not live mine. Your father always hoped that you’d take over the Golden Palace—but I secretly hoped you wouldn’t.”

Oma and Charlotte heal the rift between them at the end of the novel, reaffirming the importance of familial bonds. Since Charlotte is the first Chen to venture outside of Last Chance for her dream, her parents feel that she has abandoned her legacy. However, Oma realizes that Charlotte was never abandoning her legacy but pursuing it by using the freedom that her ancestors, and Oma and Opa, fought so hard to provide for her.

“‘Of course it’s taking a long time…looking back at several lifetimes…Gather the stories…Don’t lose sight of what Lucky and the paper sons have in common.’

I nod. ‘The Golden Palace and Last Chance.’

My grandfather struggles to speak. ‘You, Maizy. You’re the connection. They all have you in common.’”

This quote reveals Opa’s goal of passing Lucky’s stories on to Maizy. Opa entrusts these stories to Maizy because he knows she will be the one to keep their family history alive. Even though Maizy does not have a strong sense of self-worth at the beginning of the novel, Opa’s trust boosts her spirits toward realizing that she has much to offer because the legacy of the Chens continues in her.

“If Mayor Whitlock knew ahead of time that Erik or someone else was going to paint on Bud, he could have stopped a hate crime. But if Mayor Whitlock did it himself and is lying about it, that’s even worse. And either way, he used race and hatred to put my family down and raise himself up.”

Maizy remembers Opa’s words about friendly racist people being the most dangerous when she discovers Mayor Whitlock’s involvement in the racism her family has experienced. Maizy realizes that even if Mayor Whitlock was not directly involved in the hate crime, he still pretended to care for her family when he just wanted to use their pain to further his political career.

“‘Maizy, I’m betting on you to tell our stories,’ I hear him say.”

Opa’s last words to Maizy highlight the significance of the connection between generations. Maizy does not want Opa to die, and she worries that no one will hear Lucky’s stories after he does. However, since Opa spent so much time detailing Lucky’s life to Maizy, Opa knows that Maizy will preserve their family legacy.

“Lucky and the Golden Palace brought people together through food and friendship. I’m working on bringing people together, too. Emmy’s helping me create a Last Chance Paper Sons website. The goal is to connect generations past and present.”

After Maizy returns to Los Angeles, she focuses on the connection between generations. Maizy knows how Lucky’s story helped her find self-worth and acceptance, and she wants to extend the same gift to other Chinese American families who may struggle with their identities or may have lost their connection to the past.