So where are you from, judy? ”

“new york,” i told my classmates. after all, i had been born blocks away at columbia presbyterian hospital.

“i mean, originally.”

“from the caribbean,” i answered vaguely, for if i specified, no one was quite sure what continent our island was located.

“really? i’ve been to bermuda. we went last april for spring vacation. i got the worst sunburn! so, are you from portoriko? ”

“no,” i shook my head. “from the dominican republic.”

“where’s that? ”

what evidence from the passage best supports the inference that the teenaged alvarez just wants to fit into american culture?

“new york,” i told my classmates. after all, i had been born blocks away at columbia presbyterian hospital.

“from the caribbean,” i answered vaguely, for if i specified, no one was quite sure what continent our island was located.

“no,” i shook my head. “from the dominican republic.”

they were just being curious, i knew, but i burned with shame whenever they singled me out as a “foreigner,” a rare, exotic friend.

“south of bermuda.”

they were just being curious, i knew, but i burned with shame whenever they singled me out as a “foreigner,” a rare, exotic friend.