How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
"Are you retarded?" Steve said. "His mom's Chinese."
Mikey looked at Park carefully. Park smiled and narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, I guess I see it," Mikey said. "I always thought you were Mexican."
"Shit, Mikey," Steve said, "you're such a f***ing racist."
"She's not Chinese," Tina said. "She's Korean." (1.26-29)
This conversation is a politically incorrect disaster, isn't it? This exchange between the kids on the bus in the opening chapter of Eleanor & Park really illustrates the clueless racism that happens at Eleanor and Park's school.
Quote #2
She pulled it out of the way and started to say sorry—but it was that stupid Asian kid, and he frowned when he saw that it was her. (2.25)
Even Eleanor thinks of Park as that "stupid Asian kid" when she first sees him, and internally, she calls him that for a while. Park's right—it's the first thing anyone sees.
Quote #3
Except she said it, In hee-ya! Because she was apparently never going to stop sounding like she just got here yesterday from Korea. Sometimes Park thought she kept the accent on purpose, because his dad liked it. But his mom tried so hard to fit in every other way… If she could sound like she grew up right around the corner, she would. (6.26)
Even though Park's mom tries to fit in—and mostly succeeds, given her popular business—she can never truly fit in, because her accent will always set her apart. Park's always been aware of his mom's efforts to be like everyone else.