Budhos, M. T. (2006). Ask me no questions. New York, NY: Atheneum. ISBN: 978-1-416-90351-2.
Brief plot summary:
Ask Me No Questions is a short novel about a Bangladeshi family who immigrated to the United States. They overstayed their visa knowingly thinking they were safe to stay, but the events on 9/11 created a sudden problem for them. Instead of being able to quietly live their lives despite expired visas, they are now seen as threats to Americans. The family, consisting of a mother, father, and two teenage daughters (14 and 17), attempt to seek asylum in Canada unsuccessfully. Instead, the father is taken into custody, the mother stays close to him in a Salvation Army, and the girls go back to New York to live with their aunt and uncle. For the remainder of the story, the girls attempt to rescue their father and convince the authorities that they are indeed NOT a threat to the United States.
Critical analyses:
Overall impression: Simple, yet powerful story that will give insight on Muslim families, their beliefs, and their struggles.
Ask Me No Questions is a novel that represents the life of a Muslim family living in the United States post 9/11. The main characters are from Bangladesh and live in New York City in a community of a mostly similar culture. The school the girls attend has many illegals (“A lot of the kids here were born elsewhere-- Korea, China, India, the Dominican Republic” page 29). The community, despite being mostly Muslim, contains many kinds of people and families. Stereotypes have no place. The main characters are not strict in their faith (“Abba and Ma, they do some of the holidays, like they fast for Ramadan, but it’s been a long time since I’ve seen Abba pull out the prayer rug” page 32). The father (“Abba”) pushes his daughters to do well in school and do more than what is typically expected of women in their culture. Aisha is a skinny, school-smart, 17 year old girl and Nadira is a chubby, 14 year old, average girl. Their uncle’s family is the opposite, however. He hates that his wife has a job, claiming that he didn’t come to America so his wife could work and has a very outspoken daughter who rebels in many forms. The other minor characters all vary as well. There is a young man who is known for breaking the law and helping people obtain illegal documents in order to stay in the United States, a quiet man who runs a magazine shop, and the other students at school who are everything from stuck up Indians to reserved Asians with broken families.
In addition to the multicultural aspects of the community and characters, the author incorporates the beliefs and practices of Muslims. One man “has a beard and prays 5 times a day” (page 32), some holidays are mentioned like Ramadan (page 32), some foods and drinks are said in languages other than English (doodh-cha, page 10), and the clothes the characters wear are specific to their culture (saris and kameezes, page 10). Some characters are strict in their religious beliefs while others are not. Regardless of their religion though, their appearance is the main cause of the events in this story. Because these characters look similar to the terrorists who caused the disasters on 9/11, they are unfairly treated by the government. Although this novel is fictional, it is based on true events that happened to Americans and immigrants who were Muslim, Middle Eastern looking, Arab, or a combination of the three. Youth reading this novel can better understand the struggles that these people faced immediately following the attacks and that some are still facing today. If librarians and educators use strategies to emphasize and discuss important issues, kids might be able to empathize with the characters and real people dealing with this every day and, in turn, be kind to everyone regardless of their appearance, religion, or nationality.
Review excerpts:
“Readers will feel the heartbreak, prejudice, kindness, and fear.”
--Booklist, 2005
“A perspective peek into the lives of foreigners on the fringe.”
--Kirkus, 2005
Connections (related books, activities, children’s responses, etc.):
The topic of 9/11 for children today will be seen as history, rather than a current event. It’s even becoming distant for me as a 22 year old. However, the prejudice is still very real for Muslims and Middle Eastern looking people, despite their actual beliefs. When reading this novel (or other literature of this topic) librarians and educators can discuss with children the important issues of prejudice, religious persecution, and immigration/asylum/refugees. Educators should emphasize empathy and kindness when it comes to these issues.
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