Room to Dream

The owner of the dofunao loves Hank’s idea, and everyone gets straight to work. It will be a win on all sides: the dofunao owner will get some money for rent, Hank will earn some money to buy souvenirs, and the Tangs will raise money to help Aunt Juli buy a new apartment for Lao Lao and Lao Ye.

Amid the hubbub, Lao Ye comes to Mia with exciting news: He sent her story to the China Kids Gazette. They loved it and want to meet Mia in person. At first Mia is hesitant, nervous about another rejection, but Lao Ye convinces her to go.

At the office, they meet the editor-in-chief, Mr. Wang. He loves Mia’s accessible writing style, because his readers are younger kids who are learning English. He asks to hear more about Mia’s time in the United States and decides to publish her writing as a column called “Diary of a Young American Girl” (95).

At home, Mia struggles with how to address her readers. Finally, she “close[s] her eyes and picture[s] Lupe” (97) and begins to write. She writes about the kiss with Jason, how it threw her off that night, and her worry that their friendship might change. In a moment of vulnerability, Mia also writes that earning money in the United States is difficult. Only a fraction of people are truly wealthy; “the rest of us run around trying to wash their Cadillac for two dollars, eating cup noodles” (99). Luckily, she adds, things are starting to look up. The biggest thing she must worry about when she gets home is what to do about Jason.

Mia worries her piece will be too personal, but Lao Ye tells her “The kids in China, they’ll get so much out of your words” (99). Mia is hopeful that Lao Ye is right.

Mr. Wang loves Mia’s first column and “decide[s] to publish it even earlier, so it would come out the same Friday as the opening of Hank’s restaurant” (102).

As Hank passed out flyers for his new restaurant in the park, lots of seniors come to the opening. Mia is thrilled to see business doing so well. If business keeps up, this plan might work.

A string of familiar faces comes into the restaurant. First, Shen finds Mia to tell her the great news. He is no longer being bullied, since everyone at school loves Mia’s column. Next, Dad’s old boss, Mr. Chen, enters, and Dad tries to downplay how tight money has been. Finally, Popsicle Grandfather arrives; he would not have missed this for the world.

Business is booming, and it’s more than enough to help the dofunao owner with rent. Mia is happy for the restaurant, but she’s worried that her editor hasn’t called about her column yet. Finally, he calls with the magic words: it’s a hit. Mia finally relaxes: “Relief envelope[s] me, setting off fireworks inside, like the ones at Disneyland we could hear all the way in the motel parking lot at night” (108). Even more exciting is that Mr. Wang wants to pay her: 50 yuan per weekly column.

Mia’s next piece is on how she and Jason became friends. Years ago, he bullied her when she told him she didn’t like him romantically. As payback, she put Tiger Balm on his pencils, causing him to burst into tears when he touched his eyes. After a while, though, he did several nice things, which won Mia over: “I’m not sure if a bunch of kind things cancel out rotten things, like fractions in math, but they helped” (110). She doesn’t want to end their friendship, even after the kiss.

Mia wonders what Jason would think about the column, but he’ll never find it. She sends it to Mr. Wang for publication, guilt-free.

The family prepares for their first big catering gig: a dinner party at a fancy house. Uncle Jo asks Mom why they’re working so hard while on vacation. Mom shrugs it off, but Mia wishes her mom would “just tell Uncle Jo that they [are] trying to save up to help Lao Lao with her apartment” (112). Little does Mia know the lengths her parents will go to uphold the appearance of wealth.

At the mansion, they are greeted with a surprise at the door: Dad’s old boss, Mr. Chen, is “throwing a dinner party for his colleagues—all the people Dad used to work with. And Dad would now have to serve them!” (113). Embarrassed, Dad asks to borrow Uncle Jo’s blazer so he fits in with the rest of the crowd. His old coworkers ask if he’s back and how things have been since he left.

Mia leaves the room to help with the food. When she returns, Mr. Chen enters, bragging about Dad’s position managing a biotech firm called the Calivista. Mia is confused, but it gets worse when Mr. Chen mentions Mia’s column. His wife asks if things are as tough as Mia said in it.

When the Chens leave, Mom asks Mia to stop writing about their struggles in the United States. Mia rejects the request: “I would rather spend the rest of the night sitting out here in the freezing cold” (117). She doesn’t talk to her parents again, and when they get home, she overhears Dad tell Mom his old colleagues are making much more money now. Mom reassures him that all they’ve accomplished in the United States is still worth it.

Mia wakes the next morning to a stack of letters from her fans. They are responding to her column on being bullied, offering advice on what to do about Jason. Mia “can’t read them fast enough. It was like having Lupe here, giving me advice!” (120). Having friends writing to her is nice, even if they are strangers.

In the meantime, Lao Lao helps with the restaurant, hoping that Mia and her parents will want to stay. Mia is torn: she wants to spend time with her family in China, but she misses her found family in Anaheim. Most of all, she misses Lupe. The duality of feeling like a stranger in China, yet also like she doesn’t fit in in Anaheim, is taking a toll on her entire family.

In the last two weeks, Mia, her parents, and Hank help prepare everyone for their departure. Hank teaches the dofunao owners how to make his saltine burgers once, and Mr. Wang asks Mia to continue writing her column.

Mia wastes no time producing her next column, as Lupe has been on her mind for weeks. Mia writes about how, though she used to feel alone in her struggles to fit in, Lupe proved to be a partner for the good times and the bad. The piece is a testament to their friendship, but Mia wonders if that friendship will survive Lupe’s drive toward higher academics.

Mia lets Mom read her latest column before sending it to Mr. Wang, assuring her it isn’t about their family.

Mom is touched by the article, and when Mia asks what she thinks Lupe would think, Mom tells her she’d be proud. Mom is proud of Mia, too, which is a comfort to Mia, who was worried after what happened at Mr. Chen’s house.

The Tangs’ goodbye is a tearful one. As the family exchanges parting gifts, Mia gives Lao Ye her latest column. She thanks him for believing in her when she didn’t believe in herself. He replies with equal gratitude: “Thank you for making an old man feel useful again. […] I didn’t always get to use my voice when I was younger. […] But now you do. […] Promise me you’ll always use it” (127). Mia promises, wondering if he was talking about the Cultural Revolution. All too soon, Shen and Aunt Juli arrive to take them to the airport.

Aunt Juli discreetly asks about the rest of the money for the apartment. Mom promises her they’ll find a way to raise it. At the airport, Mia turns to Shen and promises to stay in touch this time. Her time in China has been so impactful, and she plans to carry that with her even when she’s back in Anaheim.

Mia and Mom cry on the plane ride home, and Hank and Dad comfort them. Hank hands Mia the Polaroids he took while in China. Mia uses them for inspiration:

There was so much I learned while we were in China, so many sights and sounds and smells and emotions that were now a part of me, forever. Heart overflowing with emotion, I put the Polaroids away and spilled my feelings out onto a new page in my journal (130).

Thirteen hours later, they land in the LA airport. Leaving China means Mia gets to see her friends again, especially Lupe, who she misses terribly. Finally, she will be reunited with her best friend.