To Be Me: Tony Quon

Set in L.A.’s Chinatown neighborhood, TO BE ME, TONY QUON offers a vivid depiction of Tony’s world, culminating with the food, firecrackers and lion dances of Chinese New Year. Tony, a 10-year-old from Hong Kong, learns to adjust to the challenges of an American education. This short excerpt contrasts Tony’s first impressions of his strange classrooms and new life in Los Angeles with his initial excitement moving to America, and his hopes in a new country. Intimidated by his new surroundings, Tony finds a sense of belonging in Chinatown, where most everyone is Chinese and speaks primarily Chinese. Though he initially doesn’t get as much exposure to English language and customs, Tony resolves to adjust to his new surroundings, and aspires to bigger and better things.