The American Dream

Kim and Ma come to the United States seeking the American dream they always thought existed when they lived in Hong Kong. While their life is stable in Hong Kong, Ma believes that their life will be better in the United States because her sister Paula tells her so. In Hong Kong, Ma taught at a music school and gave “private violin or piano lessons,” but perhaps because her husband had died, she felt as though she could only do so much to secure a better life for her daughter there. They look to the American Dream to give them a better life.

Still, their dreams are almost immediately dashed when they travel to the United States. Aunt Paula has been lying to them about the opportunities she would provide, seemingly so she could exploit them in her factory. They live in a freezing...