The road to a better situation comes with many risks and sacrifices as well. Ba and Ma risked their lives by escaping Vietnam. This is shown when Thuy describes the scene of their escape, in which they were separated from their Ma for two years. She calls the moments "one of fear, anxiety, and desperation." She then goes on to say that because "someone had alerted the police, the escape plan unraveled in chaos and he couldn't find her anywhere" (Lê 105). The tense moments speak to how dangerous the escape was, and the fact that the mood shifted when police came into play suggests that it was illegal as well. This means that the risk was being at the mercy of the communist authorities if caught, or losing their lives if something were…show more content… Thuy captures this perfectly when she speaks about her dead brother; she says "everywhere I went in our town my brother went with me, but when I left for America, I left him sleeping with my grandfather" (Lê 148). From this passage it is obvious that Thuy's brother is still a big part of her, and her leaving him in Vietnam suggests that she felt she was leaving a lot behind. All of this shows the initial cost that coming to America entails for many immigrants like Ba and Thuy.
The costs do not end upon arrival to America either; many immigrants face struggles as soon as they arrive. This is seen when Ba arrives to the America. Him and Thuy are limited to living in a stranger's home. The stranger is a man called Melvin. Their initial struggle is keeping Melvin happy; he has them do all sorts of chores, like paint his properties and tend to his garden (Lê 9). The consequences of not keeping Melvin happy are seen after Thuy breaks some of his late-father's glass animal figurines; he kicks them out of his house (Lê 31). This demonstrates how, upon arrival, immigrants are at the mercy of whomever is sheltering them until they get settled. Sometimes the struggle is coping with the vast differences a new country holds in store for