In California, Sylvia looks forward to starting third grade at the nearby Westminster School, which has a predominantly white population. She and her brothers are Mexican/Puerto Rican American, while her cousins, who live nearby, are Mexican/French American (see Context). Her aunt takes Sylvia, her brothers, and her cousins to register at Westminster. The secretary does not question Sylvia’s lighter cousins but refuses Sylvia and her brothers because of their darker skin tone and Latino surname, insisting they must instead register at the “Mexican school”—Hoover School—which is farther away and more disadvantaged than Westminster.

Furious, Sylvia’s aunt refuses to register any of the children and reports the situation to Sylvia’s father, Gonzalo, who promises to investigate the situation. As Sylvia mulls over the day’s events in her room, she discovers a Japanese doll and a photograph in the closet, both of which belong to the previous owner, Aki Munemitsu. Sylvia names the doll Keiko, places her next to her Latina doll, Carmencita, and examines the photo of Aki and her third-grade class at Westminster. Sylvia wonders about Aki and why she could attend Westminster when Sylvia can’t.