Three Keys

Three Keys (September 2020) is the second novel by Asian American author Kelly Yang and the second title in her Front Desk Series. Her debut novel, Front Desk (2019), received numerous accolades and awards, including multiple Best Books of the Year lists. A third title in the series, Room to Dream, was published in September 2021.

The author grew up in circumstances very similar to her protagonist Mia Tang. After helping her own family in the hotel business, she graduated from college and law school. Rather than pursuing a legal career, Tang became a professional journalist and columnist before turning her attention to writing fiction for children and young adults.

Three Keys is classified under the categories of Children’s Prejudice & Racism Books as well as Children’s Friendship Books. It is suitable for students in Grades 3 through 7. All page number citations in this study guide are taken from the book’s Kindle edition.

The novel is set in Anaheim, California, in the fall of 1994 and follows the experiences of three immigrant children during the controversial time leading up to the passage of Proposition 187 in November of that year. The story is told from the first-person viewpoint of 11-year-old Mia Tang.

Mia helps her parents run a motel during a time when immigrants who entered the country without authorization are being targeted by the provisions of Proposition 187. Mia’s best friend Lupe is an immigrant who entered the country without authorization. When Lupe’s father is detained at the border and risks deportation, Mia springs into action to strike a blow for justice. The novel uses the friendship among three immigrant children to explore the themes of the diverse immigrant experience in America, the power of the pen, and how persistence can turn the tide.

Note: The novel uses the terms “illegals” and “illegal aliens,” but this guide substitutes “unauthorized” and “undocumented” where possible. It’s important to note that many immigrants who are “undocumented” do have documents, but the documents are not “authorized.”

Plot Summary

Eleven-year-old Mia Tang is busy helping her parents run the motel in Anaheim that they recently bought. It’s still a struggle since the family must do all the housekeeping and laundry chores associated with the business, but they are finally succeeding. Mia looks forward to attending school with her friends Lupe Garcia and Jason Yao. Jason’s overbearing father used to own the motel but sold it to the Tangs. Jason comes from a wealthy background, while Lupe and Mia do not.

When school starts, Lupe and Mia end up in the same class, but Jason is assigned a different teacher. The girls’ teacher, Mrs. Welch, immediately antagonizes her immigrant students by announcing that she favors Proposition 187. It seeks to ban undocumented/unauthorized immigrant children from attending public school and prevent their families from receiving hospital care except in emergencies. The November governor’s election will decide whether the proposition passes.

Lupe is particularly worried because her family does not have authorized documentation to live in the US. Her problems increase when her mother must slip across the border to Mexico to bury a deceased relative. When Mrs. Garcia doesn’t return, her husband searches for her but is caught. If he is deported, Lupe may lose her entire family.

Mia uses both her determination and budding skills as a writer to turn the tide in Lupe’s favor. Not only does Mia’s writing win Mrs. Welch’s sympathies for unauthorized immigrants, but the news media also provides positive coverage, and a lawyer willing to work pro bono is able to help Mr. Garcia get a second chance.

While this tense situation unfolds, Mia also manages to help Jason overcome his parents’ resistance to his interest in pursuing a career as a chef. Mia is instrumental in helping her two friends fulfill their dreams and her one of her own—seeing her name in print when a letter she writes to the Los Angeles Times is published. The story ends on a note of victory for the three friends: “Lupe, Jason, and I threw our arms around one another, our laughter jingling like three keys on a ring” (247).