How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
Gibb Street was mainly Rumanians back then. It was "Adio"—"Good-bye"—in all the shops when you left. Then the Rumanians started leaving. They weren't the first, or the last. This has always been a working-class neighborhood. It's like a cheap hotel—you stay until you've got enough money to leave. A lot of Slovaks and Italians moved in next. Then Negro families in the Depression. Gibb Street became the line between the blacks and the whites, like a border between countries. I watched it happen, through this very window. (2.1)
Over time, Ana has seen a ton of changes in her part of town. And with each change, her neighborhood stays segregated—different races don't live side by side. It's so extreme that Ana even compares the parts of her neighborhood to separate "countries." What do you think—is this a fair comparison?
Quote #2
She gave me some binoculars and told me all about the Chinese girl. (3.5)
Ana has been watching Kim work on her lima beans, and now she wants Wendell to take a look at those lima beans, too. Nosy, much? We know for sure that neither of them knows Kim's background, either, because she's definitely not Chinese (she's Vietnamese). What do you think this tells us about making assumptions about race?
Quote #3
I start up conversations in lines and on the bus and with cashiers. People see I'm friendly, no matter what they've heard about whites or Jews. If I'm lucky, I get 'em talking to each other. Sewing up the rips in the neighborhood. (6.2)
Sam wants to make sure people look past racial stereotypes. For him, this means being nice all the time. No matter what. Do you notice any other characters doing this, too?