Summary Of Ask Me No Questions By Marina Budhos

A. Introduction-Title and author of the book and three paragraphs of a summary of the book
Ask Me No Questions by Marina Budhos tells the story of Nadira and her illegal alien family. Emigrating from Bangladesh and living in New York on expired visas, Marina describes how her family was once relatively unnoticed. Her mother stayed at home and took care of the household while her father worked as a waiter at an Indian restaurant. She describes how they started to get more and more comfortable with the idea of America being their home. However, after 9/11 things change for people like Nadira and her family. People who look like them are feared and are unfairly labeled as terrorists. As such, Nadira’s father attempts to take his family to Canada to seek asylum. Unfortunately,

he is detained and arrested at the Canadian border and it is up to Nadira and her older sister to save him from deportation.
From the way Nadira describes Aisha, one would think that it would be her to rescue her father. Aisha is Nadira’s older sister who is a senior in high school. She is a straight-A student who aspires to attend university and to be the valedictorian of her graduating class. Aisha always says the right things and Nadira describes her as the perfect sister. Contrarily, Nadira gets average grades in school and hides behind her big sister’s shadow.
Nadira and Aisha go through many hoops to try and help their father. They hire an immigration lawyer and together gather any evidence that could attest to their father’s character. When it comes time for her father’s hearing, Aisha is broken. She fails to attend school, has neglected her studies, and misses her college interview. Everything Aisha has worked for is slowly fading away because she believes that her dreams as an immigrant are unreachable. Surprisingly, it is Nadira who remains strong and is the one who presents the evidence that inevitably keeps her family together

B. Select quotes that illustrate each of the following:
1.

The relationship of the environment on the character’s well being. How does this student’s family, school, or community influence her/his academic, emotional, physical, or social health?
Type the “quote from the book” you select (and page number). Then, in one-paragraph, concretely describe how this quote shows the influence of the environment (as the family, school, or community) on the student and her/his wellbeing.
“Ask me no questions. Tell me no lies. That’s the policy at school. Ask me no questions, we say silently. And the teachers don’t. ‘We’re not the INS,’ I once heard one of them say. ‘We’re here to teach.’ But sometimes I feel like shaking their sleeves and blurting out, Ask me. Please” pg. 30
This quote demonstrates how Nadira and the other undocumented immigrants at her school feel like they have no support. The school has no interest in understanding what they are going through and they have to hide their citizenship status. As demonstrated in the novel, this takes a tool on Aisha’s academics. She gives up on her pursuit of becoming valedictorian and attending university because she is undocumented. She sees no use because she believes she will inevitably be deported.

2. A

bias
Type the “quote from the book” you select (and page number). Then, in one paragraph, describe how the quote reflects a bias about a particular person or group and what you will do to eliminate this bias if it appears in your classroom. Be specific and concrete about what you will do.
‘And then one day two planes came and smashed into two towers. A war started. Overnight, we the invisible people, became visible. We became dangerous. We became terrorists, people with bombs in our luggage, poison in our homes” pg. 151
This quote describes a bias about Muslims. It describes how Muslim people are unfairly deemed as terrorists. Some people think that they come to this country to inflict harm. It ultimately shows how the actions of the few can deem how we see an entire group. To help combat this bias (and biases in general), I will make sure that my students know from day one that they need to have respect for each other’s differences. I will explain to them that we are all different and that is what makes us special. If such a bias were to occur, I would take time to educate the classroom on why it is unfair to call Muslim people terrorists. I will show them how there are many Muslims who have made great contributions to our society. I will advise them to put themselves in the shoes of those they consider to be “terrorists.”

C. Reflections for a difference:
1. Think about the main character’s schooling and family experiences in relation to your own.
In two paragraphs, compare two aspects of the character’s home life and school life with your own. What differed? What was similar? Be specific and use examples.
Nadira’s school life differed from mine in the fact that she is always having to hide her citizenship status from her peers. Various times in the story, she went out of her way to avoid people and situations that could cause her trouble. For instance, there was one time in the story where Nadira went days without talking to her best friend Lily. She cannot be her true self at school. She also has had to live in her sister’s shadows. At school, I never had such an issue because I felt well supported. I always knew I could come to my friends or teachers if I needed someone to talk to. In spite this difference, Nadira and I are similar in the fact that we are relatively quiet at school. We both do our work, do not cause any trouble, and achieve decent grades.
Nadria’s home life differed from mine in the fact that she was constantly living in fear. Her home was not truly her home as it was not a space she could be comfortable. At any moment, she knew she might have to pack her bags and flee. There was one instance in the novel where she dreamt of her family leaving their home and running from the INS. I am not an undocumented immigrant and have thus never had this fear. My home has always been a place where I know I am safe. When at home, I know I am the presence of my family that loves me. This fact is where Nadira and I share commonalities in terms of our home lives. Like me, Nadira loves her parents and her parents love her. Her familial roles are similar to mine in the fact that the father works, the mother stays home, and the children go to school. Like Nadira’s parents, my parents push me and want me to succeed academically.

2. Think about what you would do if this character was your student. Which aspects of the character’s life seem to influence her/his academic progress most? Given these issues, what will you do in your classroom – instructionally and socially – to assure this student has an equitable chance at academic success?
Be sure that in addressing each question you explain your choices (i.e., why?). Two paragraphs. Be specific, concrete, and use examples.
Being an undocumented immigrant affected Nadira’s life tremendously. She always felt like was carrying a big secrete that she could not tell. As such, she had to be careful with what she said and often times had to lie to her teachers and friends. She really did not have anyone to support her and reassure that she will be okay.
As a teacher, it would not be appropriate for me to go around and ask my students about their citizenship status. However, I can let them know that I am someone they can trust and someone who cares for them. Instructionally, I would make sure I am engaging and incorporating tasks that are relevant to all my students. This is important because students who have lived and grown up in the United States likely have cultural norms that are much different from those born elsewhere. An undocumented student needs time to acculturate. Thus, I would employ blended learning tasks so that my students can have access to different resources, varying perspectives and interests, and unique backgrounds that can contribute to their knowledge acquisition. Socially, I can do simple things such as asking them “are you okay?” and letting them know that they can confide in me or a school counselor.