Summary Of The Challenges In My Favorite Chaperone By Jean Davies Okimoto

755 Words4 Pages
The Statue of Liberty represents freedom. Immigrants coming from different countries breath a sigh of relief as they see the golden torch and the rusted copper lady holding her tablet with “July IV MDCCLXXVI” printed on it. Many think of a new beginning, while others think of the challenges that are yet to come. A new beginning isn’t always easy, if problems are involved. In the passage “My Favorite Chaperone” by Jean Davies Okimoto, the characters, Maya, Nurzhan, Mama, and Papa experience challenges in a new country. These challenges include difficulty adapting to a new culture, difficulty communicating with others, and lack of respect from others. Through all of this the family members show empathy for one another, even though some don’t understand why things are done the way they are.

In the passage Nurzhan is bullied by Ossie,because he has an accent and mispronounces English words. Nurzhan gets fed up with Ossie and starts to fight him. Nurzhan’s father has to go to the principal’s office along with his sister Maya to translate since their father isn’t able to understand English. Maya translates the principal’s words incorrectly, because she feels empathetic towards Nurzhan. Maya felt empathetic towards Nurzhan, because she knew how hard it was to learn a new language. She also believed that Nurzhan did the right thing, by standing up for himself. Ultimately, Ossie doesn’t feel empathy towards Nurzhan. This shows readers that immigrants aren’t really accepted