The Ungrateful Refugee: What Immigrants Never Tell You

The family become citizens in 1994 and attend a ceremony that remains Nayeri’s “favorite day as an American” (273). She notices Oklahoma’s diverse Asian population for the first time. Nayeri spends her time building a Harvard-caliber resume with the goal of becoming a multilingual corporate lawyer in English and French—not Farsi. She looks down on Oklahoma and little comforts, and she blames Maman for failing her Medical Licensing Exam twice. When Baba calls Nayeri about the birth of a new stepsister, Nayeri is dismissive and pressures Baba to teach the new daughter English.

Nayeri becomes an American Red Cross lifeguard by completing a few swimming tests, and she wins an informal endurance contest by swimming for 97 minutes. Nayeri enters Tae Kwon Do competitions and uses a strenuous diet and exercise routine to drop into a lower weight class. After winning nationals, Nayeri accepts a Dove ice cream bar from her brother and immediately drops the sport.

Nayeri takes seven Advanced Placement classes, including one remote class, one in a different school, one with an afterschool French tutor, and one in the corner of an easier class. She organizes a citywide tutoring program for poor middle-school students. She volunteers at the food bank, and works several jobs.