“It was hard for them not to have the respect they were used to from holding government teaching jobs, but they had high regard for the food they could now easily buy at the store.”

While the story does not provide many details about the Alazova family’s life in Kazakhstan, this sentence hints at the severity of the nation’s financial crisis and the family’s struggle—food was scarce in Kazakhstan, while it is abundant in the US. On the other hand, it highlights the limited career opportunities for Maya’s parents since they don’t speak English; formerly teachers, they are now blue-collar workers. The reference to “government teaching jobs” is a bit of characterization about the former USSR, where teaching was a federal profession and government jobs were well-compensated and well-respected.

“I love to swing up and up, higher and higher, and as I fly through the air, a wonderful thing happens and suddenly I have no worries and no responsibilities. I’m free!”

Being on the gymnastics team gives Maya a break from everything else in her life. It frees her from her burdens and fears while giving her the opportunity to make friends and integrate into American culture. Here, her practice on the uneven bars—described as flying— symbolizes this emotional freedom.

“Her mother has a red coat with gold buttons from Nordstrom, and her father cooks and sometimes even washes dishes!”

The red coat with gold buttons from Nordstrom is symbolic of an American way of life. Naming Nordstrom directly is a class signifier and represents the gap between the Lui’s resources and the Alazova’s. Mr. Lui’s cooking and washing dishes is also a sign of American culture, specifically