"Those who are strong-willed may fight the storm and possibly choose their own road, while the weak must go where they are blown. I say I have not been so much pushed by winds as pulled forward by the force of my decisions."

In the novel's introduction, Kim introduces the idea that she has lived her  life with agency, making her own decisions based on her desires, rather than allowing herself to succumb to circumstance. She demonstrates this throughout the book, as she gets herself into private school, chooses her career over a loving life with Matt, and stands up to those with whom she disagrees.

"…most of the windowpanes were missing or cracked, with filthy shards of glass protruding from the wooden frame. A thick layer of dust covered the small kitchen table and wide sink…As I walked, I tried to avoid the brittle bodies of dead roaches scattered here and there."

The apartment Aunt Paula chooses for her sister and niece could barely be less livable. She claims that it's only temporary, and that she will let them  know when a better option becomes available. This never happens, and Kim and Ma are forced to live for years in a filthy apartment, as the only tenants  in their building.

"'It is not easy to understand Chinese. Certain things are not said directly.'"

Kim says this regarding one of Aunt Paula's acts of passive-aggression towards her and Ma. Having a bilingual consciousness, Kim understands that there are many differences in the sense and syntax of each language. She must constantly switch between Chinese and English, not only in her speech, but in her way of thinking. The author's literal transcriptions of Chinese idioms provide a way of better understanding some of the subtleties embedded in exchanges between characters who speak in Chinese.