Point of View

This novel is told from the first-person point of view of Mia Tang. Because Mia is only ten she can give the child's view of the experiences as an immigrant from China. For instance, “We were living in our car that summer, which sounds like a lot of fun but actually wasn’t, because our car’s AC was busted” (1). Only a child would consider living in a car to be fun, whether or not the air-conditioner worked. Along with Mia’s unusual idea of what is fun, Mia also gives a fresh look at the way Blacks and immigrants are treated in America. She responds angrily when Yao reminds her that she was not supposed to rent rooms to bad people when she notes a guest was Black: “You said bad people, not Black people” (96). Mia is innocent enough that she does not hesitate...