1. Group A ---gpoulin27 (Replacement A)

In my book Noor and Salahudin are family friends who had a big fight. As the book tells the story of them their dearly loved auntie dies and shatters both of them. Salahudin struggles with his father, has alcoholism and has no one to turn to.When Noor moved she had to get a job to sustain a life in the U.S. She was forced to attend a new school and new overall life because she moved. “Misbah Auntie came into the store a couple of Sundays ago.”(14) This shows Noor working at her uncle's store. She does this because this is how she makes money in a new country. She has to work for what she has. This goes back to the original question because she has to get a job to fit in with this new country and to live a comfortable life here.

Brighter than the Sun by Daniel Aleman. The main character is Sol, she lives in Tijuana, Mexico. Her mom got pregnant with Sol and rushed over the border to give birth to Sol there, so that she could have a good education and a better life. Sol’s mom got sick later on, and it was hard running the restaurant for her and her dad, Abuela, and both her brothers Diego and Luis. Eventually the mom got so sick that she passed away. She was the whole reason the restaurant stayed open. Because they spent all their money on their mom’s medical bills they had to stop selling certain food items at their restaurant to save money. Everyone stopped coming to the restaurant. They were barely keeping food on the table at the time, and were almost about to lose their restaurant that was the last piece of their mother left. Sol had to start working in America because they pay more there than in Mexico. The only job she could get was very far away from the border, so she had to move in with her friend to be able to go to work and school in America. The only time she gets to see her family is on the weekends. She struggles but makes it through, her weeks are starting to get better for her, and her family. Bruno was having a harder time than Sol to adapt because of him being very temperamental. When Jack said something to Bruno about something he had done back home, Bruno lost it and he had to fight Jack because of what he had said. “What are you gonna do if I don’t? Stab me?...I hear that’s what they do where you come from” (Aleman 110). Bruno has been pushing back the stuff from his past that’s troubling him.

Like a love story by Abdi Nazemian follows three teenagers  in New York in 1989 during the AIDS crisis . The story follows Reza, an Iranian immigrant who has just moved to the city and is struggling to accept his sexuality because he fears the judgement of people . He becomes  friends with Judy, a passionate aspiring fashion designer, and her openly gay best friend Art, who is deeply involved in AIDS activism . As Reza starts dating Judy, he secretly develops romantic feelings for Art, forcing him to choose between being who he really is and not disappointing his family . 

Reza and his family have recently moved from Canada to New York, and even though they are not brand-new to North America, they still feel pressure to fit in immediately. Reza especially feels like he has to blend in at school right away. He quickly adapts his behavior, speech, and appearance so he won’t be different. For example, he tries to act like the other teenage boys, hides parts of his identity, and doesn’t want to put spotlights on his Persian background .Reza feels that if he doesn’t blend in socially, he could be judged or bullied. Reza still keeps parts of his Persian identity at home with his mother. “I’ve learned that the best way to survive is to blend in.”(p.18) 

In my book North of Happy by Adi Alsaid, immigrants feel a strong pressure to fit in quickly, especially in ways that are noticeable to others. When Carlos begins his new life in New York, he understands that he must behave like everyone else to avoid drawing attention to himself. He expresses, “I wanted to blend in. I wanted to be someone no one looked at twice.” (52) This indicates that he needs to change his behavior and language immediately. Nevertheless, he still clings to his Mexican culture through the things that are most important to him, such as his passion for food and family traditions. The story illustrates that while immigrants often need to alter their visible behaviors swiftly, their deeper cultural identity, like their food preferences and celebration methods, can be maintained for a longer time.

They are pressured instantly because they have to act like they are part of the country and try to fit in so they don't get deported. They need to adapt to the culture first because if they don't they won't fit in with Americans and will be the odd ones out and potentially be caught because they aren't fitting in. I think that culture is definitely the most important and I think things like food are more things that could be pushed until later because they are not as important as adapting to a culture, “‘Okay, so when you see our future,” Nick said, “do you see all of us living safely in America?”’(Lupica 55) This quote shows that they are not facing issues such as culture and adapting but they are adapting to America and how it's different because it's safer here than it is in the Dominican Republic.