Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok
When I say this is a timely story, I mean that a story about immigrants couldn’t be more appropriate for our country right now. This beautifully told story from the immigrant child point of view is the perfect way to show the plight and process of coming to our country…legally. And in spite of the legal route they took, it was still s struggle to come to this country. It was still a struggle and the American Dream was not guaranteed nor was it instant.
This story is about two immigrants from Hong Kong, a young girl and her mother. It is the retelling of their struggles in learning a new language, assimilating into a new country and culture, and the struggle to survive in a hostile environment. These two ladies probably shouldn’t have thrived as they did but through their hard work and dedication to education, they were able to overcome the boundaries that few immigrants are able to cross successfully.
This story had an extremely grown-up point of view from its teenage narrator. Due to the language barrier, Kim becomes the adult with the weight of success and survival on her shoulders. Where or when Kim decides to take on the burden of getting herself and her mother out of poverty and servitude, is really only concurrent with their arrival in Brooklyn. It seems that Kim’s mother was a great provider in Hong Kong even after her father’s death. But the change in cultural and societal status, forces Kim and her mother to change roles.
I really felt that the author left me with more questions than answers in the end. I realize it is loosely based on her own experiences but I really felt that she could have created a better life for Kim’s mother by cultivating her musical talents. Couldn’t she have given private music lessons to make extra money? I feel like the mother’s talent was highlighted and then quickly forgotten. I think more could have come from that and then maybe their struggle wouldn’t have been for so long and the burden would have been less on Kim.
Although this book was thought provoking and entertaining for 90% of the book, I found that the last chapter and Epilogue did not have the same tone as the rest of the novel. I was disappointed in the ending. Maybe it was the author’s choice to make the end disjointed but I felt that it was an injustice to the two main characters. Maybe it was what happened in real life but it didn’t seem to stay true to the rest of the book.
Did you feel desperate for Kim and her mother to change their lot in life?
What (in your opinion) could Kim and her mother have done differently to change their living situation?
Why do you think the aunt was so cruel? Was it jealousy or was it retaliation for forcing her to marry the American?
Why didn’t Kim’s mother fight back? Do you feel that most immigrants don’t want to “rock the boat”?
Even though Kim and her mother were legally citizens of the U.S., why were they so afraid to go out on their own? Why were they so dependent on the aunt to provide their housing and work?
What did you think if the book in its entirety? How did you feel about the ending?
Do you feel that Kim was lucky in all the educational opportunities that came her way? Or do you think it was simply her talent that gave her those opportunities?
What did you think about Kim’s “mistake”? Were you disappointed? What would you have done in her situation? Was her mother’s reaction appropriate?
I really liked this book. So many instances tugged at my heart strings. Maybe because I am a first generation American and had a lot of problems fitting in when I was young.
I empathized a lot with the main characters. But I also found myself getting angry at them for not “catching breaks” or doing anything to get out of their predicament. I suppose that’s easy for me to do from my happy, healthy, wealthy (relative to the characters) and comfortable vantage point. I kept thinking there were more things that Kim and her mother could do to get out of that situation, or at least improve it. But could they really? I guess that is the big point in the story. That many immigrants throughout history were taken advantage of and forced to live in poor conditions. And the environment made it so that they couldn’t easily get out of those conditions.
I wanted the Aunt and Uncle’s shop to be discovered by the authorities so badly. But in hindsight, would that have really changed the lives of the people that worked there? Realistically most of them would have probably lost their jobs or gone on to work at another sweat shop.
I’m not sure why Kim’s Aunt was so cruel, but I believe it was due to jealousy and control. I think she was jealous that her sister was beautiful. And jealous that she was able to marry the man she loved. I also think she gained a sense of power in being able to control Kim and her mother. A sense of power that ended up being cruel and abusive.
I think Kim’s mother was very dependent on her sister (Kim’s Aunt) because she was in a new country and didn’t know the language. That can be very scary and intimidating. I have lived in other countries and it is very overwhelming when you don’t know the language. Even though Kim and her mother were legal citizens of the U.S., I think they were scared to venture outside the community they knew and felt comfortable with. They trusted their family and community. How ironic that it was members of that very community, and their own family, that abused that trust and took advantage of them.
I felt that the book ended abruptly and I was sad it didn’t provide the perfect fairy tale ending. After all that Kim and her mother went through I really wanted that for them… although I realize that is not very realistic. Although the princess did not end up with her prince, she did still end having an amazing career, a loving family, and had created a good, happy, healthy and comfortable life.
I definitely think that Kim was lucky to have the educational opportunities she did. But I also think she made the most of those opportunities and is responsible for all of her own success. She was the one who had to do all of the hard work that allowed her to act on the opportunities presented–like getting selected to an elite private school and receiving a full scholarship. Had she not had high grades and/or test scores, or a high aptitude, she would not have been accepted.
At first Kim’s “mistake” angered me. But then realizing that it was all she had left of Matt, and I understand why she did what she did. I was disappointed. But sometimes making the hard decision is the right one. Everyone is different. Had it been me, I would have chosen to not go through with the pregnancy and go straight to school. I know that would have also been the selfish choice. I am glad that Kim’s mother supported her and the school was willing to work with her and let her defer school a year. All in all, it made me really happy to see that she was able to make both work. And although she and Matt did not end up together, I am glad she had reached success in other ways and seemed happy and fulfilled. I am also happy that she achieved financial independence and was able to take care of her mother. Her mother sacrificed so much for her. All in all, it was a positive ending to a good book.
I really liked this book and all that happened in it. I genuinely feel bad for Kim and her mother. I think the life they were in was the result of desperation to move to America and staying true to their word to the aunt to repay their debts. I so wanted them to get out of the situation, but I think if they did get out and do better, then Kim wouldn’t have tried so hard to excel at school and then she would have probably ended up with Matt. I think because it was so bad in that apartment and working in the factory that Kim wanted to be a doctor and give her mother the American life they had envisioned.
I think they could have changed their life by the mother getting another job or Kim working somewhere where they could make a little more money to pay off the debts to the aunt and then move out of that apartment. I think they could have done something to remedy the situation or at least leave the factory and get away from the aunt. But because they were true to their word, they stayed and dealt with the bad living arrangements until they were able to get out and move on.
I think the aunt’s cruelty was a lot of different issues. I think overall she was unhappy, and of course she was jealous of the mother and I think she was very jealous of Kim because she was on her way to having the life the aunt always wanted. I didn’t think she was upset that Kim was doing better than her son, but more Kim was doing everything the aunt probably would have wanted to do if she had come to America as a teenager. I think she was also upset that Kim was taking advantage of every opportunity to not end up like the aunt and her mother, with the only option of working in a factory.
I think her mother truly loved her sister and was grateful for her help in getting her to America. I think she didn’t want to seem ungrateful for the opportunity and the opportunities that Kim would have. I also think she didn’t want to ruin the life that Kim could have. She wanted to keep things civil so that Kim could keep going to school so she could have a future.
I think they were afraid to go out on their own because of their duty to replay their debts, but also they didn’t feel comfortable leaving the assistance from the aunt. I think they were scared to leave a sure thing and try to find a new job and apartment in case things weren’t better. I think they also thought this is all they could get, whether the aunt made them believe that or they thought that in their own.
I thought the whole book was very good. I couldn’t put it down. I love the rags to riches story and to see them go from having nothing to succeeding. Throughout the book, I thought Kim would end up just like her mother, poor and working in the factory, especially after she found out she was pregnant. I thought for sure she wouldn’t do anything with all of the opportunities she was given. I was very surprised at the end when she became a doctor. I was a bit surprised with the ending but also not that surprised. I thought when it jumped 12years that she would either be a doctor living in the city with her mother or she ended up having the baby, living in Chinatown with her mother and Matt and working in a factory. I didn’t expect her to have the baby and still become a doctor. I was very surprised she didn’t end up with Matt or at least at the end after their meeting, decide to get him back.
I think Kim was very smart, but I think she was very lucky in the path her life took. I think she was at the right place at the right time for a lot of the things that happened to her, but she was able to move forward because she was smart.
I was disappointed and not surprised at her getting pregnant. I think there were so many obstacles in her life that this was just another one that could have derailed her life that was going in a positive direction. I really thought that the pregnancy was going to keep her from doing what she wanted with her life, but I’m glad she was able to fulfill her dreams and take care of her mother.
I really enjoyed this book and I wasn’t completely disappointed with the ending, just a little surprised.