"My parents told me that America would be this amazing place where we could live in a house with a dog, do whatever we want, and eat hamburgers till we were red in the face. So far, the only part of that we've achieved is the hamburger part, but I was still holding out hope. And the hamburgers here are pretty good."
What do you envision when you think of a ten-year-old working? Babysitting? Running errands? A lemonade stand? I bet you never guessed working the front desk of a motel. But Mia, protagonist of Kelly Yang's Front Desk, portrays the reality of the situation.
Mia and her parents, immigrants from China, have discovered that the reality of America doesn't match the myth. With the kind of jobs the adults have been able to get just putting a roof over their heads and food on the table is a struggle. In fact they've lived in their car.
When her parents are hired to run a motel with a pool Mia thinks they have it made made in the shade. They'll be living the good life. However their share of the profits is miniscule, the owner is constantly micromanaging, and the work is unending. A lot of the time Mia works the front desk while her parents clean.
School is frustrating for Mia. English is a real challenge. Her papers come back covered in corrections. She's bullied by mean kids, especially the hotel owner's son.
When Mia and her parents learn about immigrants in more precarious situations they do all they can to help, even hiding them at the motel. If they get caught they'll be out on the street.
Mia's parents envision the rest of their lives as a series of poorly paid dead end jobs. But she knows they deserve better. She's determined to make a better life for the family.
Although Front Desk is a work of fiction it's based on reality. Yang helped her parents manage motels from when she was eight until she was twelve. Incidents in the book are based on her experiences.
Younger readers will find themselves rooting for Mia. Hopefully they will be bothered by the injustices in the book reflecting those in the world around them.
On a purrrsonal note, last night Bailey, Cam, and I went to an event in Bangor. Senator Bernie Sanders had come to Maine to speak on behalf of Troy Jackson who is running against incumbent Susan Collins for the United States senate. Troy spoke also. They spoke eloquently and candidly about key issues like the illegal and unconstitutional war in Iraq (which Collins voted in favor of 5 times) and its impact on prices of essentials like food and heating fuel and the "big beautiful" bill (which Collins voted for) and the harm it's doing to working class people. They also discussed the dangerous slide toward authoritarianism that's happening in America. They were very informative and inspiring. So much is at stake in this midterm election! I hope Maine leads the nation in the right direction!
A great big shout out goes out to Bernie and Troy for their most enlightening presentations.
Jules Hathaway
Sent from my Galaxy
