Summary
In Girl in Translation, Jean Kwok tells the common story of a young immigrant girl and her mother from Hong Kong. Kimberly Chang and her mother emigrate from Hong Kong to Brooklyn after the death of her beloved father. With no hopes of surviving in Hong Kong, Kimberly’s aunt helps her and her mother move the United States where she and her mother are promised a better life. They quickly realize that life in America is not all they thought it would be. They are greatly indebted to Kimberly’s aunt and must spend most of their time working in her clothing factory to repay her. The debt has left them with little resources and a windowless, heatless, cockroach infested apartment on the verge of crumbling. Kimberly is an incredibly intellectual young girl but unfortunately her primary school is constantly working against her. From misunderstanding teachers to bullying by her peers, Kimberly overcomes her language barrier and does all that she can to be successful in her academic career. After all, it is the only outlet for a better life for she and her mother. Her hard work pays off when she receives a full scholarship to a private high school and then works her way to receiving a degree from Yale and becoming the lead doctor of a pediatric cardiac surgeon department. While Kimberly’s life seems to have become a success it was not lived without many hardships including the struggle to break down stereotypes, gain the acceptance of her peers, a constant battle of love and heartbreak, and the juggling of school, work, and a child. Throughout her life Kimberly learns to constantly translate not just her language but herself back and forth between the two worlds she straddles.
Rationale for choosing this book
I first chose this novel for its recognition by many book resources, universities, and school systems. It has won numerous bestsellers, was selected by the Chinese American Library Association as a 2012 best book, was adopted across an entire county in Georgia for inclusion in their year-long curriculum, and was chosen for the 2012 Common Read Program at Wright State University, to name a few. I also chose this novel because of the real life experiences that Jean Kwok is able to bring into Kimberly’s story; Jean is an immigrant herself and renders Kimberly’s confusing seemingly from the inside. I felt that having this perspective allows Jean to present a realistic and relatable story of the experiences of a young immigrant girl and for all young immigrants in general.
Connection and influence to my unit
I have never read a book quite like Girl in Translation. Before reading this book I had a general idea about the topic of immigration for my unit. Upon reading this book, I felt that I had gained a whole new perspective about immigration, specifically the lives of immigrants in America. This caused me to change gears for my unit and focus on “What is the immigration experience in America?” This essential question guided me to explore and analyze further topics or guiding questions including what is immigration?, who immigrates to the United States?, what motivates people to leave their country permanently and immigrate to the United States?, how do people immigrate to the United States?, what are immigrants lives like in the United States and what challenges do they face?, and what challenges does the United States face with increasing numbers of immigrants?.
In Girl in Translation, Jean Kwok tells the common story of a young immigrant girl and her mother from Hong Kong. Kimberly Chang and her mother emigrate from Hong Kong to Brooklyn after the death of her beloved father. With no hopes of surviving in Hong Kong, Kimberly’s aunt helps her and her mother move the United States where she and her mother are promised a better life. They quickly realize that life in America is not all they thought it would be. They are greatly indebted to Kimberly’s aunt and must spend most of their time working in her clothing factory to repay her. The debt has left them with little resources and a windowless, heatless, cockroach infested apartment on the verge of crumbling. Kimberly is an incredibly intellectual young girl but unfortunately her primary school is constantly working against her. From misunderstanding teachers to bullying by her peers, Kimberly overcomes her language barrier and does all that she can to be successful in her academic career. After all, it is the only outlet for a better life for she and her mother. Her hard work pays off when she receives a full scholarship to a private high school and then works her way to receiving a degree from Yale and becoming the lead doctor of a pediatric cardiac surgeon department. While Kimberly’s life seems to have become a success it was not lived without many hardships including the struggle to break down stereotypes, gain the acceptance of her peers, a constant battle of love and heartbreak, and the juggling of school, work, and a child. Throughout her life Kimberly learns to constantly translate not just her language but herself back and forth between the two worlds she straddles.
Rationale for choosing this book
I first chose this novel for its recognition by many book resources, universities, and school systems. It has won numerous bestsellers, was selected by the Chinese American Library Association as a 2012 best book, was adopted across an entire county in Georgia for inclusion in their year-long curriculum, and was chosen for the 2012 Common Read Program at Wright State University, to name a few. I also chose this novel because of the real life experiences that Jean Kwok is able to bring into Kimberly’s story; Jean is an immigrant herself and renders Kimberly’s confusing seemingly from the inside. I felt that having this perspective allows Jean to present a realistic and relatable story of the experiences of a young immigrant girl and for all young immigrants in general.
Connection and influence to my unit
I have never read a book quite like Girl in Translation. Before reading this book I had a general idea about the topic of immigration for my unit. Upon reading this book, I felt that I had gained a whole new perspective about immigration, specifically the lives of immigrants in America. This caused me to change gears for my unit and focus on “What is the immigration experience in America?” This essential question guided me to explore and analyze further topics or guiding questions including what is immigration?, who immigrates to the United States?, what motivates people to leave their country permanently and immigrate to the United States?, how do people immigrate to the United States?, what are immigrants lives like in the United States and what challenges do they face?, and what challenges does the United States face with increasing numbers of immigrants?.