The Year of the Dog

Pacy (who is also called Grace, her American name) is a naïve and kind-hearted child who loves art and is in her older elementary school years. On Chinese New Year, her mother reveals that children typically stay up late on the holiday because it helps their parents live longer lives. After her mother leaves the room, Pacy wonders, “What if I went to sleep too soon and gave Mom and Dad a short life? If I stayed up an extra minute, would they live an extra year? Or just an extra day?” (11). While Pacy’s questions and worries indicate her care for her parents, her literal belief in this tradition shows that she is young and naïve, for she does not understand the symbolic nature of the act. Additionally, Pacy cares deeply for her friends, especially Melody, a fellow Taiwanese American girl.

Although Pacy often shows her innocence, she does not gloss over the microaggressions she faces, and her descriptions of her daily life reflect her ongoing struggle with her own bicultural identity. Early in the narrative, the lunch lady confuses her with Melody, another Taiwanese American student, and her friend Becky later tells Pacy that she cannot play the role of Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, because she is not white.