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“For the same project, Yasmeen had turned in a portrait of herself, her face obscured under her head scarf, kneeling in prayer and holding a copy of the Koran, surrounded by pictures of her family."
 * Yasmeen's religion is a huge part of who she is. It helps her through the death of her parents and allows her to keep her head up in her times of difficulty.
 * "Once in a while Dariana interrupts the wedding talk to inquire about "him", which is what they call her future husband. "Are you sure he's going to let you go to school?" she asks, getting half-hearted reassurances from Yasmeen is return. "You're gonna be looking for work, while you're going to school, and he said it's fine?" "She did," Yasmeen says, meaning her aunt, and without going into it, she and Dariana both know that neither one of them is convinced that the aunt will keep her word.
 * Yasmeen accepts her home culture, even though it sometimes puts restrictions on what she can and cannot do with her life. Instead of dismissing it, Yasmeen chooses to work around it and tries to incorporate it into her plans for herself.
 * How does American culture define them? Find 1-2 specific quotes from the text. Be sure to include an explanation for your evidence.
 * "If she accepted, he would move to New York to take care of Yasmeen and her siblings, and they wouldn't have to return to Yemen" (163).
 * America has shaped Yasmeen because she still feels like she has business here. She moved from Yemen for a reason. Although she is still devoted to her religion and culture, she is allowing American principles of college and independence to factor into her decisions.
 * "No, I want to be a doctor."
 * Since coming to the States, Yasmeen has formed a dream for herself. A dream of American education and success, and this is how American culture shapes her as well. Yasmeen wants to go to college and become a kidney doctor, something that conflicts with her original cultural obligations.