Summary Of Ask Me No Questions By Marina Budhos
The United State’s policies on immigration and related laws and regulations are almost constantly being debated over. Many easily sympathize with immigrants facing nearly impossible odds of receiving full US citizenship. Others take a more logistical approach, recognizing the risks and consequences associated with taking in immigrants as US citizens without careful screening and processing. It is, understandably, very difficult to put into place a cookie-cutter system that will work in every case. This is clearly demonstrated in the novel “Ask Me No Questions,” written by Marina Budhos, which features the story of a Bangladeshi family trying to make their way in America and the struggles they overcome along the way. When comparing their (fictional)
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story to the actual US immigration system, they seem to be the luckiest immigrants alive. It is very unlikely that things would have turned out so well for a real family in the same initial situation the Hossain's were in.
The United States is a country of immigrants, this shouldn’t be news to anyone. That being said, they have limited resources and can only support so many people. It makes sense that they’re trying to control how many people are coming into their country, especially those that don’t have any documentation, and have been since 1790. Currently, the policies regarding immigration that are in place are stricter than ever. With the addition of the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act of 2002, the REAL ID Act of 2005, and the Secure Fence Act of 2006, security has never been tighter in America (Ewing). This obviously makes it exponentially harder for families like the Hossain's to escape bad situations happening in their native countries and move to America. This was especially true immediately following the terrorist events of September 11th, 2001, when this novel takes place. Immigration cracked the whip, deporting family after family based on racial profiling or previously ignored obvious signs of illegal status. Americans were terrified and ignorant; a deadly combination. This meant that officers of immigration or border control workers could often be very inhumane, assuming the worst and taking out their fear on illegal, and otherwise harmless, immigrant families. This did not always prove true for the Hossain family, however. When they approached the Canadian border, practically begging for asylum, instead of being verbally assaulted, as was common, the worker was kind to them, apologizing for not being able to help and for having to detain the father. Nadira, the main character, describes the officer’s manner, “He shakes his head again. I can tell it’s a friendly move- he looks sorry to have to say no,” (Budhos, 13). Yes, the father was detained, but it was all a very bureaucratic process. This is the first of many examples of their family’s luck. When the main girls’ uncle was taken away for questioning, the officers knocking on the door weren’t so much cruel as detached, offering their advice by telling him not to resist. One could suggest that the previously listed examples of their luck, weren’t in fact luck, rather examples of the officers humanity and tolerance.
They recognized that the people they were taking in for questioning, were indeed people, not faceless assumed terrorists as many other people at the time would see them. This novel had several great examples of tolerance and humanity and more implied those of intolerance and inhumanity. Very heavily implied. They discussed stories of uncles and cousins and family friends being quickly and brutally uprooted. How they would be held for indefinite amounts of time without proper conditions. How the officers would search their homes tearing things apart without concern to how it affected the family. A lot of profiling began at that time. Immigration officers would begin searches for illegal residents or terrorists at mosques, assuming all muslims were inherently evil. This was a dark time for America. As previously stated, American citizens were terrified of immigrants; immigrants were terrified of American government. Everybody was scrambling around trying to figure out how to feel safe again. This really brought out the worst in a lot of people, driving them to insane acts of
inhumanity.
story to the actual US immigration system, they seem to be the luckiest immigrants alive. It is very unlikely that things would have turned out so well for a real family in the same initial situation the Hossain's were in.
The United States is a country of immigrants, this shouldn’t be news to anyone. That being said, they have limited resources and can only support so many people. It makes sense that they’re trying to control how many people are coming into their country, especially those that don’t have any documentation, and have been since 1790. Currently, the policies regarding immigration that are in place are stricter than ever. With the addition of the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act of 2002, the REAL ID Act of 2005, and the Secure Fence Act of 2006, security has never been tighter in America (Ewing). This obviously makes it exponentially harder for families like the Hossain's to escape bad situations happening in their native countries and move to America. This was especially true immediately following the terrorist events of September 11th, 2001, when this novel takes place. Immigration cracked the whip, deporting family after family based on racial profiling or previously ignored obvious signs of illegal status. Americans were terrified and ignorant; a deadly combination. This meant that officers of immigration or border control workers could often be very inhumane, assuming the worst and taking out their fear on illegal, and otherwise harmless, immigrant families. This did not always prove true for the Hossain family, however. When they approached the Canadian border, practically begging for asylum, instead of being verbally assaulted, as was common, the worker was kind to them, apologizing for not being able to help and for having to detain the father. Nadira, the main character, describes the officer’s manner, “He shakes his head again. I can tell it’s a friendly move- he looks sorry to have to say no,” (Budhos, 13). Yes, the father was detained, but it was all a very bureaucratic process. This is the first of many examples of their family’s luck. When the main girls’ uncle was taken away for questioning, the officers knocking on the door weren’t so much cruel as detached, offering their advice by telling him not to resist. One could suggest that the previously listed examples of their luck, weren’t in fact luck, rather examples of the officers humanity and tolerance.
They recognized that the people they were taking in for questioning, were indeed people, not faceless assumed terrorists as many other people at the time would see them. This novel had several great examples of tolerance and humanity and more implied those of intolerance and inhumanity. Very heavily implied. They discussed stories of uncles and cousins and family friends being quickly and brutally uprooted. How they would be held for indefinite amounts of time without proper conditions. How the officers would search their homes tearing things apart without concern to how it affected the family. A lot of profiling began at that time. Immigration officers would begin searches for illegal residents or terrorists at mosques, assuming all muslims were inherently evil. This was a dark time for America. As previously stated, American citizens were terrified of immigrants; immigrants were terrified of American government. Everybody was scrambling around trying to figure out how to feel safe again. This really brought out the worst in a lot of people, driving them to insane acts of
inhumanity.