Have students identify a quote from the book and make a text connection to explain what it means to them!
Montāžas Teksta
Favorite Quote in Amina's Voice by Hena Khan
Amina is confused when Soojin expresses a desire to change her name. They both have faced humiliation when teachers, neighbors, or classmates mispronounced their names. It was something they bonded over and Amina wonders if this means Soojin is pulling away from more than just her name. The quote conveys the misunderstanding in their friendship and the importance of names to one's sense of self. Names are often tied to ones family, culture, heritage, and identity. It also shows how crucial the correct pronunciation of names are to show respect and consideration for students, neighbors, and classmates.
AMINA
SOOJIN
"We've always been the only kids in elementary school with names that everyone stumbled over . . . Mama once told me that she picked my name thinking it would be easiest of all the ones on her list for people in America to pronounce. But she was wrong . . . Soojin is the only one at school who gets it . . . something about Soojin wanting to drop her name makes me worry that I might be next."