Amina's Voice

Eleven-year-old Pakistani-American Amina Khokar lives in Milwaukee with her mother, father, and brother, Mustafa. At school, a Korean girl named Soojin Kim is her best friend. Amina is distressed when Soojin befriends Emily, a girl who has historically joined in on racially-motivated taunts against Soojin and Amina. The situation is complicated when Amina, Emily, and Soojin—along with the class oddball, Bradley—are assigned to the same group for an Oregon Trail project in their social studies class.

Amina can sing and play piano beautifully, she’s only comfortable playing the piano in public. Her music teacher, knowing that Amina has stage fright, asks her to play piano accompaniment for an upcoming school talent show. Although Soojin has encouraged Amina to sign up for a singing solo, and Amina wishes to have her moment in the spotlight, Amina agrees to be an accompanist.

Soojin’s family is to be sworn in as American citizens very soon, and Soojin has decided to change her name to Susan. This upsets Amina, who worries about the cultural and personal loss that Soojin’s name change would inaugurate.

Thaya Jaan, Amina’s much more orthodox Muslim uncle, arrives for a visit.