After everyone had gone, my mother said to me, "You want to be the same as American girls onthe outside."
What does her mother mean by “on the outside”? Does she think Amy can never truly be “American,” or is she reminding her that being Chinese is something to value internally?
My relatives licked the ends of their chopsticks and reachedacross the table, dipping them into the dozen or so plates of food
I can sense Amy’s discomfort, and somewhat relate to it because being Indian, our culture is somewhat related to the Chinese culture. what’s normal for her family suddenly feels shameful when viewed through the minister and their sons eyes. This moment highlights her inner conflict about cultural identity.
I cried. What would Robert think of our shabby Chinese Christmas? What would he think of our noisyChinese relatives who lacked proper American manners? What terrible disappoint-ment would he feelupon seeing not a roasted turkey and sweet potatoes but Chinese food?
This moment introduces the main conflict of how Amy is embarrassed about her Chinese culture. The dinner invitation makes her face her American crush and Chinese heritage at the same time.