Chapter 71: Summary, Analysis, and Study Guide

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

The chapter opens with Bowen picking up the narrator and Lea in an Uber after school, right by the flag where he said he would be. The narrator has spent the entire day reading Nextdoor and is shocked by the number of racist posts on the platform—not just targeting Asian Americans but also Latinx and Black neighbors. Many of the posts come from a single user, CJ Axel, who even called the police on a Black child for simply walking around the neighborhood.

Bowen changes the Uber's destination to the middle school and then lowers his voice, switching to Mandarin to explain that he had a hard time getting a ride. Drivers simply wouldn't pick him up. He reveals that he had to change their mother's account name from Wei-Evans to just Evans and swap her profile picture for a photo of a blond woman he found online. The narrator is stunned—their mother has been gone less than a day and Bowen has already replaced her identity with a stranger's image.

When the driver hears them speaking Mandarin and asks if they're from China, the siblings immediately stop talking. Bowen quickly claims they're learning Mandarin in school. The narrator sits as still as possible, worried the driver might kick them out like another Uber driver did when they first arrived. For the next five minutes, the three siblings ride in silence, the narrator's leg jiggling nervously. This moment makes the narrator think of Bowen's earlier experience of having to reject Lao Lao's calls in Hong Kong, and the narrator wonders when they will finally stop hiding who they are.

When they arrive at the middle school, Bowen grabs his backpack and track gear, eager to escape the car. The narrator and Lea walk toward the field instead of running after him. Lea asks where their mother is right now, and the narrator guesses somewhere over Chicago. Lea admits she misses her and says it feels weird being orphans. The narrator stops and insists they're not orphans, reassuring Lea that nothing will happen to their mother and that she'll be back tomorrow. The narrator promises to be there and reminds Lea about the chocolate-sprinkled ice cream waiting at home. This cheers Lea up, and she starts inventing playful sundae combinations—potato chip sundaes and french fry sundaes—which makes the narrator laugh.

Their laughter is cut short by Bowen's loud voice shouting at his track mates. The narrator looks up to see Coach Carter hunched over, coughing heavily, trying to separate the kids. One of the track kids accuses Bowen of getting Coach Carter sick, claiming they saw him give the coach a water bottle. The kid goes further, saying Bowen probably brought the virus over to the Bay Area. Bowen's face turns red, and Lea covers her ears, looking like she's about to cry. The narrator leads Lea away to a soccer goal and tries to distract her with a drill, but they can still hear the argument.

Bowen denies the accusation, insisting he doesn't have the virus and that being Chinese doesn't make him the source. Coach Carter tries to intervene but is swallowed up by another bout of coughing. The narrator leaves Lea doing free kicks and runs over to Bowen, interrupting the confrontation. The narrator tells the track kids to stop, declaring that being Chinese doesn't mean they have the virus. The narrator points out that the only thing Bowen brought over was his superfast legs, which are going to beat all of them on the track. Coach Carter tries to calm everyone down but is again silenced by coughing. As the kids get into position, Bowen runs with fierce determination, fire in every step, staring straight ahead.

Key Events

The narrator spends the day on Nextdoor and discovers numerous racist posts, many from a user named CJ Axel
Bowen reveals he had to change their mother's Uber account name and profile picture because drivers wouldn't pick him up
The siblings conceal their identity when the driver asks if they're from China
Lea worries about their absent mother; the narrator reassures her with promises of ice cream
Bowen's track mates accuse him of getting Coach Carter sick with the virus
The narrator publicly defends Bowen, declaring that being Chinese doesn't mean they have the virus
Coach Carter's coughing prevents him from fully intervening in the confrontation

Character Development

The narrator takes a significant step in this chapter, moving from a passive observer of racism—reading about it on Nextdoor—to an active defender of her brother. When Bowen is accused, the narrator doesn't hesitate to run over and confront the track kids, showing growth in courage and a willingness to speak up. The narrator also steps into a protective role for Lea, reassuring her about their mother and using humor and comfort to ease her fears.

Bowen continues to carry the weight of concealing his identity. He changes the Uber account details, lies about learning Mandarin, and endures the driver's question in silence. When accused by his track mates, he defends himself but is clearly hurt and frustrated. His determination on the track suggests he's channeling his anger into his running.

Lea relies on her older sibling for emotional support, and her creative sundae ideas reveal how she copes with anxiety through imagination and play. Coach Carter, physically weakened by his illness, is unable to fully protect his athletes, highlighting how the pandemic has left even authority figures vulnerable.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Identity concealment is central to this chapter. Bowen's alteration of the Uber account—changing the name and photo—represents the lengths to which Asian Americans felt they had to go to avoid discrimination during the pandemic. The lie about learning Mandarin in school is another layer of concealment.

Scapegoating appears in the track kids' accusation that Bowen gave Coach Carter the virus. They have no evidence, only the assumption that because Bowen is Chinese, he must be the source. This mirrors the broader xenophobia of the era.

Sibling support is a recurring motif. The narrator defends Bowen publicly and comforts Lea privately, showing how the children rely on each other in their parents' absence.

Comfort food—specifically ice cream—serves as a source of normalcy and hope. The promise of chocolate-sprinkled ice cream and Lea's playful sundae ideas provide a brief escape from the tension.

Code-switching is evident when Bowen switches to Mandarin to speak privately, and when the siblings fall silent to avoid revealing their origins.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter brings the pandemic's anti-Asian prejudice into sharp focus, showing how even children are forced to navigate xenophobia in their daily lives. Bowen's experience with Uber drivers who refuse to pick him up, and the track team's baseless accusation, are direct manifestations of the scapegoating Asian Americans faced during COVID-19. The narrator's decision to speak up marks a turning point in the character's arc, transforming observation into action. The chapter also deepens the theme of family separation, as the children cope with their mother's absence while facing hostility from the outside world.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Bowen change the Uber account's name and profile picture, and what does this reveal about the family's situation?

Bowen changed the account because drivers were refusing to pick him up, likely due to anti-Asian prejudice. He altered the name from Wei-Evans to Evans and used a photo of a blond woman to make the account appear less Asian. This reveals the extent of discrimination the family faces and the lengths Bowen must go to in order to navigate everyday tasks.

2. How does the narrator respond when Bowen is accused of getting Coach Carter sick, and why is this significant?

The narrator runs over and publicly defends Bowen, telling the track kids that being Chinese doesn't mean they have the virus. This is significant because it marks the narrator's first active stand against prejudice, moving from reading about racism on Nextdoor to confronting it directly in person.

3. What role does ice cream play in this chapter?

Ice cream serves as both comfort and distraction. The narrator uses the promise of chocolate-sprinkled ice cream to reassure Lea that everything will be okay, and Lea's creative sundae ideas—potato chip and french fry sundaes—provide a moment of levity before the confrontation at track practice. It represents the small comforts that help the children cope with stress.