Maizy Chen's Last Chance

Content Warning: This source material contains instances of racism, discrimination, and racist language, including the use of the c-word racial slur.

“I can’t believe we came all this way just for them to argue. My mom almost never gets upset—but when she talks to Oma or Opa, her voice can get tense. I distract myself by looking at the pictures and memorabilia that cover the Golden Palace’s walls. It’s like a museum in here, only with tables, mismatched chairs, and food instead of art.”

Maizy immediately notices the tension between her mother and Oma and Opa when they arrive in Last Chance. Although Maizy does not know the background of this tension, she understands that Charlotte feels pressured by Oma and Opa. This quote introduces the motif of the Golden Palace, as Maizy realizes that history lies within the restaurant, even before she knows about Lucky’s stories.

“‘So, where are you from, hon?’

‘California.’

Eva shakes her head. ‘I mean, where are you from?’

‘Los Angeles—’

‘Your people, your nationality.’

Ooooh. Okay.

‘My nationality is American,’ I say. But then, because I know what she’s really asking, I add, ‘But my race, if that’s what you mean, is Chinese.’”

This interaction reveals how The Threat of Racism and Xenophobia arises when Maizy does not expect it. Maizy naively assumes that Eva’s question centers around her being from out of town when Eva really wants to know her race. Eva does not intend her question to be malicious, but the novel uses it as example of the unconscious bias well-meaning people can still harbor when faced with cultures and races different from their own.

“‘It’s not just the cards you’re dealt. It’s what you do with them that matters most,’ Opa tells me.”

Opa’s lessons about poker double as life lessons. Opa teaches Maizy how to make the most out of her poker hand, which serves as an allegory for how Lucky had to make the most out of his situation when he traveled to America.