Financial Insecurity In Kelly Yang's Front Desk

Do you have financial insecurity? Financial insecurity is common amongst students, It gives a sense of self-worth and power. The Author Kelly Yang provides examples in her book Front Desk. Her protagonist, Mia Tang is a young Chinese girl who works at a motel with her parents trying to achieve the American dream. Once she arrived, Mia started making minor lies about herself to blend in with the other students. Like how she has a golden retriever and a pool. Throughout the book, Yang manages to combine brief but crucial moments, when Mia has a chance to learn from conflicts that she doesn’t have to hide her financial insecurity and that she’s not the only person that has financial insecurity.Out of all the scenes in Front Desk, Mia’s most transformative

Yao is the owner of the motel but when he was told the washing machine broke, Mr. Yao told Mia's parents that they had to pay for it, Mr. Yao's excuse was that the Tang family must have done something to break the washing machine, but in reality Mr. Yao is so cheap that he wouldn’t pay for a new washing machine. A part that shows this is,“I sigh. I missed popsicle grandpa. There was no one like that here. Here, everything has a price, even kindness.”(34) Mia explains that ever since she moved to America everything is centered around money, and how kindness costs money. She explains that she’s frustrated that her parents have to buy a new washing machine, because it costs so much money with Mr. Yao knowing that they don’t make much. Without this important interaction, It would have taken Mia longer to realize that everything costs money and these simple interactions changed the way that Mia looks at

Lupe was the first person to talk to Mia at school, so when Lupe and Mia were talking Lupe talked about how she has 3 dogs and a trampoline in her backyard. Mia lied about having a dog to relate to Lupe, But then the truth comes out when Lupes dad comes out to fix the motel's cable. A part of the book that shows this is, “‘I don’t really have a golden retriever,’ I admitted. ‘I have something to tell you too,’ she said. ‘What’ I asked. ‘Me neither,’ she said.” (79) This shows that Mia and Lupe both admit to each other that they both don’t have a dog, and get over the fact that they both lied to each other about their living situations. Then shortly after their confession, Lupe talked about how a horrible person Mr. Yao is. A part that shows this is,“Her dad had been working for him for years, and he was just as rotten to him as he was to us.” (79) After Mia and Lupe come clean about each other. Mia figures out that Lupe’s dad has been working for Mr. Yao for a while now, and that Mr. Yao has been treating Lupe’s dad poorly. Just like how he treats Mia’s parents. So Mia and Lupe bond together by talking about why Mr. Yao is so mean. Without this important interaction, Mia and Lupe would have gotten themselves in a bigger web of lies and these simple interactions changed Mia’s and Lupe’s friendship