Module 6 Book 1. Islamic- American Teens

A. Bibliography:
Budhos,Marina. 2006. Ask me no questions. New York,NY: Simon and Schuster.ISBN:1416903518

B. Plot Summary :
Nadira and Aisha, two Bangladeshi girls who have spent most of their lives in New York, must face an uncertain future after their father is arrested for an immigration violation while seeking asylum at the Canadian-American border.

C. Literary Analysis (with cultural markers)

The Bangladeshi-American culture is portrayed with detail and sensitivity. Because of Budhos' skill as a writer, the reader comes to understand what it is like to be Bangladeshi-American . This understanding goes beyond the knowledge that Nadira's Ali-Uncle (a good family friend) wears a khurta, or loose collarless shirt and that her Ma wears a shalwar kameez and that they eat luchis, spiced potatoes and polau, and celebrate Pohela Boiskahor Bengali New Year. Instead, Nadira's voice is so believable and compelling, that readers come to inhabit her skin and comprehend her values.
They come to understand Nadira's sense of unease with her outspoken and defiant,but ultimately successful, cousin Taslima. Readers come to share in the sense of comfort that she gets in the familiar surroundings of her Ali-Uncle's magazine shop and the importance of Nadira's Aunties and Uncles in her life.

Budhos also perfectly captures the sense of anxiety, fear and uncertainty that always follows the Hossein family. Important events in the history of the family like the violent partition of India into Muslim and Hindu states are also woven into the story in a masterful way that add to the reader's understanding of Nadira and Aisha's background.

The author gives us a sense of Bangladesh history using lyrical language, powerful allusions to water and vivid images of past catastrophes. "Generation after Generation the water and the land melt and blur;people move across borders that make no sense." and "When Abba and Ma were growing up the land began to rumble and shift again." It is this careful and deft use of language that sets this book apart as a Young Adult literary work.

The sisters respond to their situation and shared culture and history in different ways. Aisha, Nadira's eldest sister has always been the driven, bright, self-assured and determined one. Aisha is so fearless that she had no trouble , as a young teenager, calling an immigration lawyer that she saw on TV and convincing him to take the family's case. How can Nadira compete with that force of personality? Will she always be overshadowed by Aisha? But her father's detention and the possible loss of her academic dreams lead Aisha to break down. Nadira has always been the slower, chubby sister, but she finds a hidden strength. Her growth as a character seems natural and believable. The depth of her character also leads the reader to a sense of authenticity and understanding.

Other characters are also well drawn, giving us a real sense of life in the immigrant world of Flushing Queens, NY. "The Perfect Girls" Rose Chu, Kavita Menon and Risa Sharansky, who are Aisha's best friends and very competitive scholars , as well as accomplished at other activities, transcend the "model minority" stereotype because one sees the anxiety at the root of their brittle, competitive conversations. Characters such as Nadira's Ma, who learns bravery, wears a dashing purple thrift store coat with panache and improves her English from watching cooking shows on TV and her Auntie, who screws up her courage to get a part time job at the local Flushing, Queens dollar store, also come alive.


D. Review Excerpts

Horn Book
Nadira and Aisha's strategies for surviving and succeeding in high school offer sharp insight into the narrow margins between belonging and not belonging, and though the resolution of the story is perhaps more optimistic than realistic, it feels earned.

Publisher's Weekly
But the events of the novel are powerful enough to engage readers' attention and will make them pause to consider the effects of a legal practice that preys on prejudice and fear

E. Connections
Encourage students to discover volunteer opportunities at different social organizations that help recent immigrants.

Teens might want to explore the immigrant experience with these books. Some of these books are more humorous in tone than Ask Me No Questions:

Hidier, Desai Tanuja. 2002. Born Confused. New York, NY: Scholastic Press. ISBN:9780439357623

Marina, Tamar Budhos. 2010. Tell Us We're Home. New York,NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. ISBN: 9781416903529

Sheba, Karim. 2009. Skunk Girl. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.ISBN:9780374370114