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“You can go if you finish your homework”
May puts her elbows on the table “So what do you have? Math? I’ood at that”
Joy answers, “We have to present a current event to the class—”
“About the war,” Hazel finishes for her
Now I really do feel a headache coirls’ teacher be a little more sensitive about this subject?
Joy opens her bag, pulls out a folded Los Angeles Times, and spreads it on the table She points to one of the stories “We were thinking of doing this one”
May looks at the story and starts to read aloud: “Today the United States govern Chinese students who are studying in A that they’ll take scientific and technological secrets with the: “The government has also banned all remittances to , so that ht trying to send funds to relatives in China will be fined up to 10,000 and jailed for up to ten years”
My hand goes to erous for soet a lot worse for people like Father Louie, who’ve been sending tea es in China for years
“In response,” I hear May reading, “the Six Coanization in the United States, hascriticis attacks in Chinatowns across the country” May looks up froirls scared?” When they nod, she says, “Don’t be You were born here You’re Aht to be here You don’t have to be afraid”
I agree that they have a right to be here, but they should be scared I try to match the tone I took when I first warned Joy about boys: steady but serious
“You need to be careful though Soirls who are yellow in race and red in ideology” I frown “Do you understand what I mean?”
“Yes,” Joy answers “We’ve been talking about that in class with our teacher She says that because of hoe look, soh we’re citizens”
Hearing her words, I know I have to try harder to protect ainst evil stares or sidewalk ruffians
“Walk together to and fro your classwork and—”
“That’s so like your mother,” May says “Worry, worry, worry Our mama was like that too But look at us now!” She reaches across the table and takes one of each of the girls’ hands “Everything’s going to be fine Don’t ever feel that you have to hide who you are Nothing good ever co secrets like that Now, let’s finish your assignet some ice cream”