New Kid

Chapter 4 begins with a sketchbook explanation of Jordan’s morning public bus routine. The trip encompasses four neighborhoods—Washington Heights, Inwood, Kingsbridge, and Riverdale—and Jordan adjusts his appearance and habits “like a chameleon” in each one (46). He feels he must look tough and intimidating in his own neighborhood but relaxes and does some drawing in the next two areas. Once he’s in Riverdale, however, he stops drawing out of fear that others will think he’s plotting a graffiti attack. Note that Craft doesn’t explain he does this because of a previous incident or a conversation with his parents. This is a Black child reacting to the prejudices surrounding him. The end of Chapter 6 is a bookend to this opening as he puts up his hoodie and sunglasses while coming home.

Once at school, he encounters several forms of racism. The most blatant is Andy, who makes inappropriate jokes and remarks at the expense of students of color. But these attempts often blow up in his face. He loudly proclaims he made an 87 on a test and then asks Drew for his score, assuming that African Americans do poorly in school. Andy gets upset when Drew tells him he earned a 104. But Jordan and Drew also experience non-explicit racism, such as when others call them by the names of other Black students or when they stare at Jordan and Drew when Ms. Rawle brings up financial aid, which Craft depicts as a swarm of eyeballs surrounding them. These are also known as microaggressions, which are difficult to address because the perpetrators are often unaware of them and, when confronted, may become defensive.  

Microaggressions from teachers are a unique problem as they hold authority over students. Jordan likes Mr. Roche in class, but while coaching he calls a freezing Jordan an outdated term for Indigenous Alaskans before immediately apologizing in case anyone finds it racist. Ms. Rawle has a different issue as she doesn’t recognize her own prejudices. When Andy calls Drew a “dawg” in a snide manner, she does nothing but then reprimands Drew when he calls Jordan one as a friend (84). She also tells Jordan’s parents that he isn’t talking to the other students when this is the first time he talks to Drew at all.

Fortunately, Jordan’s parents understand the biases behind the report, but the conversation breaks down into a fight over the right path for Jordan. Ellice works at a magazine publisher with less than 50 African American employees, and she wants Jordan to develop the necessary skills to succeed in those difficult environments. Chuck also worked at the publisher and had a chance at a leadership role but left out of frustration over the corporate culture. He feels that “not everyone can play that game” and that Jordan should choose his own path (96). This gives a glimpse at code switching in the adult world, and Craft depicts Jordan’s overwhelmed feelings during this clash by showing him slowly turn into a baby.

But Jordan’s friendships aren’t as simple as skin color. Despite his jubilation at the first sight of Maury, Jordan finds they have vastly different life experiences; Craft depicts them as standing on two separate planets. In the following panel, the cherubs’ celebratory banner from Maury’s first appearance now lies on the ground. Jordan quickly develops a friendship with Drew, who is also on financial aid. However, Drew’s circumstances are harsher than Jordan’s as he lives with only his grandmother, and Ms. Rawle brands him as a troublemaker just for a loose association with someone he never met. As a result, he has a cynical view of the school and is more willing to clash with his teacher and Andy. Jordan finds Alexandra annoying, but he and Drew treat her with humanity as a fellow outcast.

Chapter 4’s title is a pun of West Side Story, a retelling of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet in which street gangs replace the feuding Italian families. It is fitting because of Jordan’s internal struggle between his school life and neighborhood roots. The other titles reference the globetrotting memoir Eat, Pray, Love and superhero movie Captain America: The Winter Soldier.