Yusuf Azeem Is Not a Hero

“You suck. The paper lay faceup on the locker floor. White lined notebook paper. Black ink. Yusuf blinked and read it again. You suck.”

The novel’s first two words demonstrate The Personal Impact of 9/11, as Yusuf receives the notes because he’s Muslim and the school and town is marking the 20th anniversary of the attacks. The repetition of the phrase and the image of a rather jarred Yusuf emphasizes the impact of the words.

“For a split second, Yusuf thought about using an American version of his name. Joseph? Joe? How hard could it be? […] No. Abba always said, ‘Be proud of who you are. Be proud of the name and everything that comes with it.’”

Yusuf faces an early test and considers suppressing his Muslim identity and using an Americanized name. Instead, following the words of Abba, Yusuf sticks with his Muslim name, creating a brave pattern that he’ll follow throughout the story.

“China Star on the corner of Rochester and First was run by a Mexican family, and their signature dish of kung pao was laced with cilantro. Somehow this made the food even more endearing to Yusuf’s family.”

The detail about the Chinese restaurant counters monolithic representation as it brings together diverse ethnicities. A Mexican family owns and operates a Chinese takeout business, so the family doesn’t confine themselves to Mexican food, nor do they withhold their influence on the Chinese food since they add cilantro.